Medicinal plants with antimicrobial, larvicidal, and repellent properties: An ethnopharmacological survey from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Introduction Infectious diseases (IDs) constitute a real public health problem in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Purpose This survey aimed to gather more information about the plants used in the DRC for anti-infective, larvicidal, or repellent treatments. Methods The study spanned 4 months (from April 1 to July 31, 2022) within 11 provinces in the DRC and was conducted among 20 traditional healers (TH), 105 vegetable growers (VG), and 953 other plant users (OU) of traditional plants scattered across the country. The survey consisted of a simple interview with an inventory of the plants used. Results The results showed that the average age of the respondents was between 39 and 43 years old. The VG were mainly illiterate. As for TH and OU, literacy rates up to the primary level were 60% and 78%, respectively. The knowledge of the use of plants by the various actors of traditional medicine in this survey emanates from the cultural heritage. For this study, 132 plant species (104 identified and 28 unidentified based on their botanical name or family) were reported. 33 antimicrobial species and 7 larvicidal species belonging to 22 botanical families have been reported among TH, while 1 and 75 antimicrobial species, 6 and 16 larvicidal species, and 13 and 30 repellent species were respectively identified among VG and OU. This study identified Morinda morindoides, Cymbopogon citratus, and Boswellia sacra as the plant species most used by the individuals surveyed for anti-infective, larvicidal, and repellent treatments, respectively, by their citation frequencies, which were the highest. Additionally, the leaves represented the plant parts most used by the respondents. Conclusion This ethnobotanical analysis revealed that most herbal antimicrobial recipes are used to treat malaria. This study confirms the richness of the Congolese flora concerning anti-infective, larvicidal, and repellent treatments

Data from: Mixed evidence for the erosion of inter-tactical genetic correlations through intralocus tactical conflict

Alternative reproductive tactics, whereby members of the same sex use different tactics to secure matings are often associated with conditional intrasexual dimorphisms. Given the different selective pressures on males adopting each mating tactic,, intrasexual dimorphism is more likely to arise if phenotypes are genetically uncoupled and free to evolve towards their phenotypic optima. However, in this context, genetic correlations between male morphs could result in intralocus tactical conflict. We investigated the genetic architecture of male dimorphism in bulb mites (Rhizoglyphus echinopus) and earwigs (Forficula auricularia). We used half-sibling breeding designs to assess the heritability and intra/intersexual genetic correlations of dimorphic and monomorphic traits in each species. We found two contrasting patterns; F. auricularia exhibited low intrasexual genetic correlations for the dimorphic trait, suggesting that the intralocus tactical conflict is moving towards a resolution. Meanwhile, R. echinopus exhibited high and significant intrasexual genetic correlations for most traits, suggesting that morphs in the bulb mite may be limited in evolving to their optima. This also shows that intrasexual dimorphisms can evolve despite strong genetic constraints, contrary to current predictions. We discuss the implications of this genetic constraint and emphasize the potential importance of intralocus tactical conflict for our understanding of intrasexual dimorphisms

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Breathing can be dangerous: Opportunistic fungal pathogens and the diverse community of the small mammal lung mycobiome.

Human lung mycobiome studies typically sample bronchoalveolar lavage or sputum, potentially overlooking fungi embedded in tissues. Employing ultra-frozen lung tissues from biorepositories, we obtained fungal ribosomal RNA ITS2 sequences from 199 small mammals across 39 species. We documented diverse fungi, including common environmental fungi such as Penicillium and Aspergillus, associates of the human mycobiome such as Malassezia and Candida, and others specifically adapted for lungs (Coccidioides, Blastomyces, and Pneumocystis). Pneumocystis sequences were detected in 83% of the samples and generally exhibited phylogenetic congruence with hosts. Among sequences from diverse opportunistic pathogens in the Onygenales, species of Coccidioides occurred in 12% of samples and species of Blastomyces in 85% of samples. Coccidioides sequences occurred in 14 mammalian species. The presence of neither Coccidioides nor Aspergillus fumigatus correlated with substantial shifts in the overall mycobiome, although there was some indication that fungal communities might be influenced by high levels of A. fumigatus. Although members of the Onygenales were common in lung samples (92%), they are not common in environmental surveys. Our results indicate that Pneumocystis and certain Onygenales are common commensal members of the lung mycobiome. These results provide new insights into the biology of lung-inhabiting fungi and flag small mammals as potential reservoirs for emerging fungal pathogens