Assessing the Usefulness of \u3cem\u3eSenna obtusifolia\u3c/em\u3e, an Invasive Plant Species in West Africa Rangelands

Senna obtusifolia is a less appreciated plant species. Its invasion has led to the disappearance of several herbaceous species of interest in West Africa rangelands. As adaptation strategy, people use it to substitute for those that have disappeared. This study aimed to assess the importance of this species for animal and local ethnic groups according to two contrast climate zones in Burkina Faso. Ethnobotanic survey mixed with direct observations on the field were conducted. Three hundred (300) people from height (8) ethnic groups were interviewed. The survey technique was semi-structured interviews using a previously tested semi-structured questionnaire. At the early stage of the rainy season, Senna obtusifolia is one of the plants available in abundance. Animals graze on the leaves of the seedlings. During the dry season, animals graze on the dry pods of Senna obtusifolia due to lack of fodder. Grazing dry pods also reduces the high rate of tree pruning. In addition, local population uses Senna obtusifolia in eight (8) categories. The most important are food (100%) and construction (46%). Sahelian people use the species more than Sudanian people. This study revealed the benefit of Senna obtusifolia to animals and people. The use of this species could be seen as an adaptive strategy to the negative ecological invasion of the species. Furthermore, these results could guide the formulation of management policies and how to further value invasive species

Polygala rarifolia DC., plante faux hôte du Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth

Objectif: L’objectif est d’étudier l’efficacité biologique de Polygala rarifolia sur les graines de Striga hermonthica et la nature des extraits racinaires afin d’identifier le mode d’action.Méthodologie et résultats: La méthodologie utilisée est celle de culture in vitro et de l’Analyse par chromatographie liquide à haute pression (HPLC) des extraits racinaires du Polygala rarifolia et du niébé. Les résultats obtenus en culture in vitro confirment le mode d’action de plante faux hôte. Dans les extraits racinaires de Polygala rarifolia et de niébé on a repéré la présence de pics sur les chromatogrammes, des substances présentant des temps de rétention très voisins de ceux du Strigol et de Sorgholactone mais dont les spectres UV très différents. Celui du niébé (tr = 27,30 min) et de Polygala rarifolia (tr = 27,33 min) sont identiques donc constituent la même substance chimique. Il a été possible d’affirmer que les extraits racinaires de Polygala rarifolia contiennent des substances voisines de celles du Strigol. Pour établir que ce sont bien elles qui sont responsables de la germination des graines de Striga hermothica, il faudrait désormais associer une étude phytochimique plus approfondie à une étude d’activité et établir la formule chimique de ces substances.Conclusion et application des résultats: D’autres études complémentaires de l’activité biologique de Polygala rarifolia pourront se faire dans l’objectif de confirmer ou d’ajouter d’autres résultats non identifiés ici. Tous ces résultats forts intéressants pourront faire l’objet de mise en pratique sur le terrain par le biais de la pré vulgarisation auprès des paysans en tenant compte des conditions climatiques souvent défavorables.Mots Clés: Polygala rarifolia, Striga hermonthica, Maïs, Niébé, Faux hôte, HPLCEnglish Title: Polygala rarifolia DC. trap crop of Striga hermonthica (Del.) BenthEnglish AbstractObjective: Local knowledge in weed management exists in Burkina Faso, especially Striga hermonthica. The study was interested in the use of the plant, Polygala rarifolia, to control Striga hermonthica in maize. The objective is to study the biological efficacy of Polygala rarifolia on Striga hermonthica seeds and the nature of root extracts in order to identify the mode of action.Methodology and results: The methodology used is that of in vitro culture and analysis by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) of the root extracts of Polygala rarifolia and cowpea. The results obtained in vitro culture confirm the mode of action of trap crop. In the root extracts of Polygala rarifolia and cowpea, the presence of peaks on the chromatograms, substances with retention times very close to those of Strigol and Sorgholactone but with very different UV spectra, was noted. That of cowpea (tr = 27.30 min) and Polygala rarifolia (tr = 27.33 min) are identical and therefore constitute the same chemical substance. It has been possible to say that the root extracts of Polygala rarifolia contain substances similar to those of Strigol. To  establish that they are responsible for the germination of the seeds of Striga hermothica, it would now be necessary to associate a more thorough phytochemical study with an activity study and establish the chemical formula of these substances.Conclusion and application of results: Further studies of the biological activity of Polygala rarifolia may be carried out with the objective of confirming or adding other unidentified results here. All these interesting results can be put into practice in the field through pre-extension to farmers taking into account the often unfavorable climatic conditions.Keywords:  Polygala rarifolia, Striga hermonthica, Maize, Cowpea, Trap crop, HPL

Phytochemical screening of Saye, a traditional herbal remedy for malaria

phytochemical assay was conducted to establish the chemical profile of “Saye”, a mixture of leaf of Cassia alata, root of Cochlospermum planchonii and whole plant of Phyllantus amarus, used as antimarial remedy. Water and organic extracts were prepared. Characterization of phytoconstituents using specific chemical reagents was performed in tubes, by thin layer chromatography and by high performance liquid chromatography. Steroids and/or triterpenes, cathechic tannins were identified in the decocted and the macerated water extracts of “Saye”. An anthraquinone with a retention time Rt corresponding to 3.34 min was identified by the HPLC analysis.© 2015 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Chemical profile, anthraquinones, steroids, triterpenes, tannins

Issue des accouchements sur utérus cicatriciel dans un hôpital universitaire au Burkina

Certains auteurs ont tendance à privilégier la césarienne comme méthode de prise en charge d’une parturiente porteuse d’un utérus cicatriciel.D’autres auteurs préconisent un accouchement par voie basse quand des paramètres cliniques précis sont observés. Le but de cette étude estd’analyser la prise en charge et l’issue des accouchements sur utérus cicatriciel au Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Souro Sanou de Bobo-Dioulasso et de la comparer aux différentes approches recommandées. Nous avons menés une étude transversale dans le Département de Gynécologie d’Obstétrique et de Médecine de la Reproduction du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sanou Souro de Bobo Dioulasso du 1er août 2006 au 1er août 2007 et a concerné 252 parturientes ayant un utérus cicatriciel parmi 4256 accouchements déroulés pendant la même période. Les accouchements sur utérus cicatriciels ont représenté 5,92 % de l’ensemble des accouchements dans notre département. La moyenne d'âge des patientes était de 26,2 ans et la parité moyenne de 4,3. Une césarienne d’emblée a été pratiquée chez 44% des parturientes ayant un utérus cicatriciel et 56 % parmi elles ont fait l'objet d'une épreuve utérine. Sur l’ensemble des épreuves utérines, 61% des parturientes ont accouché par voie basse. La mortalité maternelle était nulle et La mortalité périnatale était relativement importante. Les conditions d’acceptabilité de la voie basse ont été les mêmes chez toutes les patientes et un check liste a été proposé pour une meilleure prise en charge. L'épreuve utérine en salle d’accouchement doit être la règle à chaque fois que cela est possible chez une parturiente porteuse d’utérus cicatriciel. L’établissement d’un check liste pour accouchement par voie basse sur utérus cicatriciel facilite les prises de décision.Key words: Utérus cicatriciels, épreuve utérine, accouchement par voie basse, check-lis

Exploring Drivers of Invasiveness of the Plant Species \u3ci\u3eSenna obtusifolia\u3c/i\u3e in Rangelands to Secure Forage Production in West Africa

Rangelands in Sahelian countries are continuously over-grazed decreasing forage resources and causing rapid environmental changes. Senna obtusifolia is a less palatable plant species that becomes increasingly invasive. This research explored drivers of its invasiveness in the perspective to propose solutions to secure forage production in the pastoral reserves. Species composition and herbaceous aboveground biomass were assessed in rangelands with different levels of invasion of Senna obtusifolia along a climatic and land-use pressure gradient. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to test the competitiveness of this species. The development of Senna obtusifolia in rangelands affected significantly forage quantity. Indeed the biomass of the others herbaceous species decreased but not the species richness. The overgrazing of Sahelian rangelands combined to the floristic selection operated by livestock reduced the abundance of fodder species and fostered the expansion of S. obtusifolia. Moreover, S. obtusifolia had a good germination rate with a rapid growth that made it more competitive. Thus, in the interspecific competition experiment, the aboveground biomass of S. obtusifolia was not influenced when associated to legume, grass and perennial grass species respectively. After 3 years of full protection experiment, the abundance of S. obtusifolia decreased, hence its invasiveness in rangelands should be supported by the mixed effect of disturbance factors as grazing and drought that lead several plant species to be vulnerable and favor undesirable species expansion. The control of S. obtusifolia expansion is conditionned by the reformulation of the land management systems and the promotion of sustainable environmental policies

Optimizing Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Growth With Different Combinations of Organo-Mineral Fertilizers

peer reviewedWith the aim of promoting sustainable agriculture that respects the environment and human health, a study was carried out to evaluate the impact of organic and mineral fertilizers on tomato plant cultivation. The study was carried out at the Research Station of Farako-Bâ in Burkina Faso. A complete randomized block of Fisher design with four replications was used to carry out the experiment. The treatments were as follows: T0: control (compost 15 t/ha); T1: compost (15 t/ha) + biosol (160 kg/ha) + urea (35 kg/ha) + NPK (87.5 kg/ha) + KCl (52.5 kg/ha); T2: compost (15 t/ha) + neem seed cake (10 t/ha) + urea (100 kg/ha) + NPK (250 kg/ha) + KCl (150 kg/ha); T3: compost (15 t/ha) + biochar (10 t/ha) + urea (100 kg/ha) + NPK (250 kg/ha) + KCl (150 kg/ha). The data collected were collar diameter, height of plants, number of fruits, fruit diameter, and tomato fruit yield. The results showed that the combination organo-mineral fertilizers had a significant effect on tomato plant productivity. Application of neem seed cake and mineral fertilizers was the most efficient treatment with a yield increase of 53% and 40% in 2019, respectively. In 2020, the yield increase was 32 and 85% for biochar and biosol, respectively. Incorporation of organo-mineral fertilizers has improved soil organic and nutrient status, which ultimately promotes crop growth of tomato plant. Neem cake can be effectively used to increase tomato plant productivity and farmer’s income and also maintain soil fertility.12. Responsible consumption and productio

Etude de faisabilité d'un projet d'appui aux unités de conservation de la faune au Burkina Faso. Document final et proposition de projet

Dans le cadre de la réforme de la gestion des ressources naturelles, le Burkina Faso innove avec le concept d'Unité de Conservation de la Faune. Les zones de chasse et les parcs nationaux amodiés au secteur privé doivent contribuer au développement local, subvenir en partie à leurs propres besoins de gestion pour soulager les finances publiques et conserver durablement la biodiversité en la valorisant par différents modes de tourisme : vision, grande chasse, petite chasse. Cette approche devrait être appuyée par un projet de la coopération bilatérale France/Burkina Faso au travers de l'Agence Française de Développement et au Fonds Français pour l'Environnement Mondial. Le présent document étudie la faisabilité de ce projet. Il fait suite à mon premier document dans lequel était présentée une étude détaillée du contrat. (Résumé d'auteur

Developing reference criteria for the ecological status of West African rivers

Awareness of sustainable management of water and its biological resources is rising in West Africa, but application of effective tools for biomonitoring and detecting habitats at risk in aquatic ecosystems is limited. In this study, we provide key environmental descriptors to characterize reference sites by applying the following "a priori criteria" (physical and chemical, hydro-morphological, and land use parameters) by exploring their potential to determine suitable reference sites. Using data collected from 44 sites, we identified 37 criteria that reliably identify reference conditions in semi-arid rivers by reflecting the impacts of multiple pressures ranging from low to very high intensity of human uses and impairments. We integrated all these impacts in an overall pressures index, which showed that protected areas can reasonably be considered as credible reference sites as far as they show low overall impact levels from cumulative pressures. We recommend that development of bio-indicator standards should be based on the collection and integration of all the available information, especially quantitative, spatially-explicit data, from benthic macroinvertebrates and fish. Rigorous standardization of bio-indicator protocols will make them more easily applicable for management and conservation of aquatic ecosystem resources in semi-arid zones of Africa