Antidiarrheal Activity of Aqueous Extract of the Stem Bark of Sapium Ellipticum (Euphorbiaceae)

Purpose: To investigate the antidiarrheal activity of the aqueous extract of the stem bark of S. ellipticum (Euphorbiaceae) (AESE).Methods: AESE was prepared by decoction of the powder from the dry stem bark of S. ellipticum. Its oral antidiarrheal effect was evaluated in vivo at the doses of 5.2, 10.4 and 20.8 mg/kg on castor oil induced diarrhea and on gastro-intestinal transit. AESE was also evaluated in vitro (0.125 – 4 mg/ml) on ileal smooth muscle motility. The acute oral toxicity of AESE (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mg/kg) was also assessed in mice.Results: AESE significantly and dose dependently delayed the time of appearance of the first stools, decreased the frequency of defecation and the intestinal transit with respective percentage of 319.14, 62.50 and 36.51 % at the dose of 20.8 mg/kg in comparison with negative control (distilled water). AESE, in a concentration-dependent manner, reduced the tone and amplitude of spontaneous contractions of the ileal smooth muscle with EC50 of 33.29 and 45.43 μg/ml, respectively. None of the doses used in acute toxicity test induced any significant behavioral changes or mortality.Conclusion: These results suggest that AESE possesses antidiarrheal properties mediated at least partially by the inhibition of intestinal motility and may be devoid of acute toxicity.Keywords: Sapium ellipticum, Antidiarrheal, Intestinal transit, Spasmolytic, Acute toxicity

Epidemiology of malaria, schistosomiasis, and geohelminthiasis amongst children 3–15 years of age during the dry season in Northern Cameroon

Background: The double burden of malaria and helminthiasis in children poses an obvious public health challenge, particularly in terms of anemia morbidity. While both diseases frequently geographically overlap, most studies focus on mono-infection and general prevalence surveys without molecular analysis. The current study investigated the epidemiological determinants of malaria, schistosomiasis, and geohelminthiasis transmission among children in the North Region of Cameroon. Methodology: School and pre-school children aged 3–15 year-of-age were enrolled from three communities in March 2021 using a community cross-sectional design. Capillary-blood samples were obtained, and each was examined for malaria parasites using rapid-diagnostic-test (RDT), microscopy, and PCR while hemoglobin level was measured using a hemoglobinometer. Stool samples were analyzed for Schistosoma mansoni, S. guineensis, and soil-transmitted-helminthiasis (STH) infections using the Kato Katz method, and urine samples were assessed for the presence of S. haematobium eggs (including hybrids) using the standard urine filtration technique. Result: A malaria prevalence of 56% (277/495) was recorded by PCR as opposed to 31.5% (156/495) by microscopy and 37.8% (186/495) by RDT. Similarly, schistosomiasis was observed at prevalence levels of up to 13.3% (66/495) overall [S. haematobium (8.7%); S. mansoni (3.8%); mixed Sh/Sm (0.6%); mixed Sh/Sm/Sg (0.2%). Both infections were higher in males and the 3–9 year-of-age groups. A high frequency of PCR reported P. falciparum mono-infection of 81.9% (227/277) and mixed P. falciparum/P. malariae infection of 17.3% (48/277) was observed. Malaria-helminths co-infections were observed at 13.1% (65/495) with marked variation between P. falciparum/S. haematobium (50.8%, 33/65); P. falciparum/S. mansoni (16.9%, 11/65) and P. falciparum/Ascaris (9.2%, 6/65) (χ2 = 17.5, p = 0.00003). Anemia prevalence was 32.9% (163/495), categorically associated with P. falciparum (45.8%, 104/227), Pf/Sh (11.5%, 26/227), and Pf/Sm (3.9%, 9/227) polyparasitism. Conclusion: Polyparasitism with malaria and helminth infections is common in school-aged children despite periodic long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) distribution and regular school-based praziquantel (for schistosomiasis) and albendazole (for STH) campaigns. Co-existence of Plasmodium parasites and helminths infections notably Schistosoma species among children may concurrently lead to an increase in Plasmodium infection with an enhanced risk of anemia, highlighting the necessity of an integrated approach for disease control interventions

Profil de progestérone et gestation multiple chez la chèvre naine Africaine (Capra hircus) de la zone de forêt humide du Cameroun

Article #83absen

Reproductive effects of Ficus asperifolia (Moraceae) in female rats

The reproductive effects of Ficus asperifolia in female rats were investigated in the present study. Sperm-positive adult female rats were orally administered (P.O.) either the aqueous and methanol extracts of Ficus asperifolia (100 and 500mg/kg), distilled water (10ml/kg) or 5%Tween 80 (10ml/kg) for seven days. On day 10 of pregnancy, the implantation sites were recorded. In the fertility study, adult female rats received the same test substances for 21 days and, the fertility index and litter size determined. In the uterotrophic test, normal and ovariectomized immature rats were treated for seven days with the dry extract of Ficus asperifolia (100 and 500mg/kg) in the absence and presence of 17ȃ-estradiol benzoate 1µg/animal/day, s.c. On day 8, the uterine growth index was measured. Results of the study showed a significant increase (p<0.05) in the implantation sites and litter size of animals receiving 100mg/kg of the aqueous extract of Ficus asperifolia. In the estrogenic assay, normal immature rats were sensitive to the treatment with Ficus asperifolia than the ovariectomized ones. Our results give added scientific support to the popular use of Ficus asperifolia in the treatment of some cases of women's sterility/infertility related problems

Initial stages of cobalt oxidation by FTIR spectroscopy

The behaviour of specular reflectance of cobalt oxides on metal has been studied theoretically (CoO/Co system) and experimentally (Co3O4/Co system; the thin films are obtained by chemical spray pyrolysis) in the infrared region. CoO may be identified by a LO mode at 585 cm-1 and by a TO mode at 345 cm-1. Co3O4 is characterized by five bands respectively at 690 (LO), 660 (TO), 605 (LO), 560 (TO) and 390 cm-1. These experimental results allow the characterization of CoO and Co3O4 grown on metal during the initial stages of thermal oxidation (400–750 °C). For film thicknesses in the range 10-1000 nm, the amounts of CoO and Co3O4 in the duplex structure layers may be estimated by FTIR reflectance spectroscopy. FTIR and XRD studies reveal a cyclic behaviour in the growth of the Co3O4/CoO/Co system

Characterization of plant carotenoid cyclases as members of the flavoprotein family functioning with no net redox change

International audienceThe later steps of carotenoid biosynthesis involve the formation of cyclic carotenoids. The reaction is catalyzed by lycopene beta-cyclase (LCY-B), which converts lycopene into beta-carotene, and by capsanthin-capsorubin synthase (CCS), which is mainly dedicated to the synthesis of kappa-cyclic carotenoids (capsanthin and capsorubin) but also has LCY-B activity. Although the peptide sequences of plant LCY-Bs and CCS contain a putative dinucleotide-binding motif, it is believed that these two carotenoid cyclases proceed via protic activation and stabilization of resulting carbocation intermediates. Using pepper (Capsicum annuum) CCS as a prototypic carotenoid cyclase, we show that the monomeric protein contains one noncovalently bound flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) that is essential for enzyme activity only in the presence of NADPH, which functions as the FAD reductant. The reaction proceeds without transfer of hydrogen from the dinucleotide cofactors to beta-carotene or capsanthin. Using site-directed mutagenesis, amino acids potentially involved in the protic activation were identified. Substitutions of alanine, lysine, and arginine for glutamate-295 in the conserved 293-FLEET-297 motif of pepper CCS or LCY-B abolish the formation of beta-carotene and kappa-cyclic carotenoids. We also found that mutations of the equivalent glutamate-196 located in the 194-LIEDT-198 domain of structurally divergent bacterial LCY-B abolish the formation of beta-carotene. The data herein reveal plant carotenoid cyclases to be novel enzymes that combine characteristics of non-metal-assisted terpene cyclases with those attributes typically found in flavoenzymes that catalyze reactions, with no net redox, such as type 2 isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase. Thus, FAD in its reduced form could be implicated in the stabilization of the carbocation intermediate