Do floristic composition, plant species abundance and vegetation structure in Sudanian wetlands vary according to conservation status?

In Sahel, wetlands are particularly endangered hence practical knowledge for their sustainable management is needed. The aim of this study was to compare plant community structure between protected and unprotected wetland bank stands in eastern Burkina Faso. Phytosociological and dendrometrical parameters were carrying out in adult trees, seedling individuals and herbaceous species. Discrimination of plant communities and diversity indices were calculated for each group. Weibull distribution was used to compare the diameter structures. The results shows that plant communities located in riverbanks of unprotected wetlands have a greater specificheterogeneity. They are rich inannual speciesand in species with a wide distribution. Finally their woody stands are characterized by lower basal areas than unprotected wetland riverbank stands. Plant community stands in riverbanks of protected wetlands were better preserved but some disturbances were noticed. Furthermore, juvenile plants of the two sites were threatened and this may affect in long term, the relative stability of these trees stands as revealed by Weibull distribution. Further study should focus on wetlands riverbanks seedling status in order to propose restoration strategies

Long-Term Vegetation Change in Central Africa: The Need for an Integrated Management Framework for Forests and Savannas

peer reviewedTropical forests and savannas are the main biomes in sub-Saharan Africa, covering most of the continent. Collectively they offer important habitat for biodiversity and provide multiple ecosystem services. Considering their global importance and the multiple sustainability challenges they face in the era of the Anthropocene, this chapter undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the past, present, and future vegetation patterns in central African forests and savannas. Past changes in climate, vegetation, land use, and human activity have affected the distribution of forests and savannas across central Africa. Currently, forests form a continuous block across the wet and moist areas of central Africa, and are characterized by high tree cover (>90% tree cover). Savannas and woodlands have lower tree cover (<40% tree cover), are found in drier sites in the north and south of the region, and are maintained by frequent fires. Recent tree cover loss (2000–2015) has been more important for forests than for savannas, which, however, reportedly experienced woody encroachment. Future cropland expansion is expected to have a strong impact on savannas, while the extent of climatic impacts depends on the actual scenario. We finally identify some of the policy implications for restoring ecosystems, expanding protected areas, and designing sustainable ecosystem management approaches in the region

STUDY OF THE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF THE STEM BARK AND LEAF EXTRACTS OF PARKIA BIGLOBOSA (JACQ.) BENTH. ON SATPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

The antibacterial activity of the stem bark and the leaves of Parkia biglobosa have been tested on four strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from patients in the National Hospital Yalgado Ouedraogo – Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The tests revealed the efficacy of the hydroalcoholic and the aqueous extracts. They also revealed that the hydroalcoholic extracts were more active than the aqueous extract prescribed by the traditional healers and that the hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves were as active as the bark. The effects of the extracts have been compared to that of the gentamicin, a positive control. The phytochemical screening showed that the extracts of the stem bark were rich in sterols, a triterpenes, tannins, saponosides, anthocyanidins, coumarins, flavonoids and reducing coumpounds. The leaves extracts were rich in tannins, coumarins, anthocyanins, flavones and reducing compounds

Antioxidant and anticancer activities of polyphenolic compounds from three Acanthaceae medicinal species from Burkina Faso

Phytochemical screening and biological activities of methanol extracts from three Acanthaceae species namely Hygrophila auriculata (H auriculata), Nelsonia canescens (N canescenŝ) and Peristrophe bicalyculata (P. bicalyculata), widely used in local ethnomedicine, were carried out. Phenolic content quantification indicated that H auriculata extract possessed the highest polyphenolics content followed by N canescens and P. bicalyculata. Biological activities assessment showed that H. auriculata extract has the best antioxidant (through DPPH, FRAP and ABTS methods) capacity. Acetylcholinesterase and Lipoxygenase inhibition tests revealed interesting activities from P bicalyculata. Testing cancer cells antiproliferation, it was showed that H auriculata and N canescens) wereof good interest (27.00±1.55 and 29.70±3.11 μg/mL). These results showed that the phenolic compounds of these plants could justify their local traditional use to treat inflammatory and tumoral diseases.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Potent antiproliferative cembrenoids accumulate in tobacco upon infection with Rhodococcus fascians and trigger unusual microtubule dynamics in human glioblastoma cells.

Though plant metabolic changes are known to occur during interactions with bacteria, these were rarely challenged for pharmacologically active compounds suitable for further drug development. Here, the occurrence of specific chemicals with antiproliferative activity against human cancer cell lines was evidenced in hyperplasia (leafy galls) induced when plants interact with particular phytopathogens, such as the Actinomycete Rhodococcus fascians.Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tSCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe