Cowpea production practices, constraints, and end-users preferred varieties and traits in Southern Benin

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is an important food and nutrition security crop in Benin, though its production is constrained by absence of information necessary for strategic planning. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity of preferred traits and production constraints of cowpea in southern Benin. A survey was conducted in three main cowpea-growing districts in southern Benin, namely Ketou, Zakpota and Klouekanmey. Data were collected from 175 respondents through structured survey, as well as using field observations and via focus group discussions. It was clear that the majority of farmers (82%) grew cowpea in association with other crops, though mostly with maize (Zea mays L.). A total of 75.9% of farmers purchased seeds from agro-dealers in local markets. The perception of cowpea production constraints varied among districts, with weeds infestation, unavailability of certified seeds, drought, low yield, and insect pest attacks as the major production constraints across the districts. Factorial analysis showed that for the sociocultural group Adja, selection of cowpea varieties is based on pod hardness and tolerance to Striga gesnerioides; while for the sociocultural group Fon, cooking time, grain colour and seed price were the main selection criteria. On the other hand, for sociocultural groups Nagot and Holli, selection of the cowpea varieties was based on the ease to separate the coat from the cotyledons and seed size (medium to large). These findings could guide cowpea breeders and extension officers in further research and dissemination programmes in Benin

Disponibilite, Valeurs Marchande Et Nutritionnelle Des Sous-Produits Agricoles Et Agroindustriels Utilises Dans L’alimentation Des Ruminants Au Benin

The availabilities and the commercial values of 31 agricultural and agro-industrial by-products were evaluated through a semi structural interview carried out on 360 breeders of Benin. A sample of each diet was collected to determine its chemical composition and nutritive values. Maize bran, cassava peels, cakes of soya and cotton are available in any season and have a commercial value. Among fruit by-products used in the food of the ruminants, the pineapple peels occupy the first place and their commercial values are three times higher than those of the cassava peels. Soya cakes has a very high commercial value (higher than 200 FCFA/kg).The leguminous pods and the cereal hulls are also largely available but without commercial value. Roots cassava and tubers of yam by-products and the cakes are very digestible and these values do not go down below 60 %. Low values of digestibility were observed on hulls and stems of cereals and leguminous pods. These digestibilities are generally below 40 %. The groundnut haulms are more digestible than cowpea haulms (57.8 vs 49.7 %). Cotton cakes and palm oil cakes are less digestible than the other oil cakes. The digestibilities of crude protein (DCP) are very low in fruit and cereals by-products. Except for the pods of leguminous, all the leguminous by-products provided considerable quantities in DCP. The studies give opportunities of choice of food supplementation to ruminants during the dry season where graminaceous and the other herbaceous becoming rare in the natural pasture

Haematological evaluation of Wistar rats exposed to chronic doses of cadmium, mercury and combined cadmium and mercury

Cadmium and mercury present in the environment, cause blood disorders. This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of cadmium, mercury and their combination on hematological parameters of Wistar rats. For this purpose, two different doses of each metal and their combination were administered orally for 28 days to six groups of five rats each. Two groups (A and B) were respectively exposed to CdCl2 (0.25 and 2.5 mg/kg), two other groups (C and D) respectively received HgCl2 (0.12 and 1.2 mg/kg) and the last two groups (E and F) were respectively treated with the combination of these two metals: (0.25 mg/kg Cd + 0.12 mg/kg Hg) and (2.5 mg/kg Cd + 1.2 mg/kg Hg). The control group (G) received the same volume of distilled water. At the end of exposure, bodies of rats were weighed and the whole blood was collected by retro-orbital sinus method for analysis of hematological parameters. The results of this study show a significant decrease (p<0.05) in white blood cells (WBC) in the lot treated with the combination (0.25 mg/kg Cd + 012 mg/kg Hg) and also indicate a significant decrease (p<0.05) in WBC, red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin concentration (HGB) and the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) with high levels of mercury (2.5 mg/kg) and the combination (2.5 mg/kg Cd + 1.2 mg/kg Hg). An increase in the number of platelet count (PLT) in all intoxicated lots was observed.Keywords: Cadmium, mercury, hematology, blood parameters, ratsAfrican Journal of BiotechnologyVol. 12(23), pp. 3731-373

Antimicrobials: A Global Alliance For Optimizing Their Rational Use In Intra-abdominal Infections (agora)

Intra-abdominal infections (IAI) are an important cause of morbidity and are frequently associated with poor prognosis, particularly in high-risk patients. The cornerstones in the management of complicated IAIs are timely effective source control with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Empiric antimicrobial therapy is important in the management of intra-abdominal infections and must be broad enough to cover all likely organisms because inappropriate initial antimicrobial therapy is associated with poor patient outcomes and the development of bacterial resistance. The overuse of antimicrobials is widely accepted as a major driver of some emerging infections (such as C. difficile), the selection of resistant pathogens in individual patients, and for the continued development of antimicrobial resistance globally. The growing emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms and the limited development of new agents available to counteract them have caused an impending crisis with alarming implications, especially with regards to Gram-negative bacteria. An international task force from 79 different countries has joined this project by sharing a document on the rational use of antimicrobials for patients with IAIs. The project has been termed AGORA (Antimicrobials: A Global Alliance for Optimizing their Rational Use in Intra-Abdominal Infections). The authors hope that AGORA, involving many of the world's leading experts, can actively raise awareness in health workers and can improve prescribing behavior in treating IAIs.11NIAID NIH HHS [R01 AI117211

Antimicrobials: a global alliance for optimizing their rational use in intra-abdominal infections (AGORA)

Intra-abdominal infections (IAI) are an important cause of morbidity and are frequently associated with poor prognosis, particularly in high-risk patients. The cornerstones in the management of complicated IAIs are timely effective source control with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Empiric antimicrobial therapy is important in the management of intra-abdominal infections and must be broad enough to cover all likely organisms because inappropriate initial antimicrobial therapy is associated with poor patient outcomes and the development of bacterial resistance. The overuse of antimicrobials is widely accepted as a major driver of some emerging infections (such as C. difficile), the selection of resistant pathogens in individual patients, and for the continued development of antimicrobial resistance globally. The growing emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms and the limited development of new agents available to counteract them have caused an impending crisis with alarming implications, especially with regards to Gram-negative bacteria. An international task force from 79 different countries has joined this project by sharing a document on the rational use of antimicrobials for patients with IAIs. The project has been termed AGORA (Antimicrobials: A Global Alliance for Optimizing their Rational Use in Intra-Abdominal Infections). The authors hope that AGORA, involving many of the world's leading experts, can actively raise awareness in health workers and can improve prescribing behavior in treating IAIs

Some aspects of biology of Oreochromis niloticus L. (Perciformes: Cichlidae) recently introduced in Lake Toho (Benin, West Africa)

In 1995, Oreochromis niloticus was accidentally introduced in Lake Toho by means of fish farming developed around this lake. The present study was carried out to provide information on the growth, condition factor and reproduction of this species in the new environment. The length-weight relationship was W = 0,0156TL3.067 (r² = 0.98) for male and female. The slope b of this relationship, was not different from 3 (t = 1.73, p = 0.225). This indicates that the growth of this species is isometric. The condition factor of the species from 0.82 to 2.02 (average: 1.49 ± 0.34) depends on the sex. There was no significant difference between rainy and dry seasons related to the condition factor. The spawning occurred throughout the year but was intensive from June to November. The sex ratio is 1.3:1 in favour of males. The size at first sexual maturity was estimated to be 9.1 cm for females and 12.9 cm for males. The absolute fecundity varied from 246 to 2453 oocytes per fish. These results confirm a successful establishment of O. niloticus in Lake Toho. Keywords: Oreochromis niloticus, condition factor, reproduction, Lake Toho, Benin.International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences Vol. 2 (1) 2008 pp. 114-12

Performances zoo-economiques en milieu reel des ovins Djallonke complementes par les Blocs Multi Nutritionnels (BMN) au Benin

L’expérimentation a été réalisée dans la commune de Gogounou au Bénin sur 24 ovins Djallonké répartis en 4 lots de 6 ovins dont un témoin nourris suivant les pratiques locales qui offrent une quantité variable de fourrages et de sous-produits aux animaux. Ceux des lots expérimentaux ont bénéficié en outre d’un complément en BMN (300 g par animal pendant 90 jours). Le lot 1 a été complémenté avec des BMN dont le liant est à base d’argile (BMN argile), le lot 2 avec l’amidon de manioc appelé goma (BMNgoma) et pour le lot 3, le liant est à base du remoulage de la farine de manioc dénommé garigo (BMNgarigo). Les BMN ont été ingérés à plus de 85% (jusqu’à 266,7 g/j/animal). Les BMNgarigo et BMNgoma ont permis d’enregistrer un GMQ de 58 g/j. Avec ces deux types de BMN, le rendement carcasse était de 45%. Le bénéfice net par animal est passé du simple (917 FCFA, pour un éleveur qui utilise les pratiques locales) au double (1 905 FCFA dans le lot BMNargile), au quadruple (3 645 FCFA, dans le lot BMN garigo) et même au quintuple (4 918 FCFA dans le lot BMNgoma en complément). En somme, cette étude démontre qu’en saison sèche, pour améliorer la croissance pondérale, le rendement carcasse et la marge bénéficiaire, il est intéressant de complémenter les ovins Djallonké avec des BMN à base d’amidon de manioc (goma).Mots clés: Blocs multi nutritionnels, liants, rendement carcasse, rentabilité, ovins Djallonké, BéninEnglish AbstractThe experiment was conducted in the municipality of Gogounou in Benin on 24 Djallonké sheeps divided into 4 groups of 6 sheeps fed according to local practices that offer a varying amount of forage and agro-industrial by-products to animals. In the experimental groups sheeps received 300 g of multi-nutritional blocks (MNB) per animal in addition to local practices. Group 1 was supplemented with MNB having clay as binder (MNB clay), group 2 with MNB based on cassava starch (BMN starch) and group 3 based on cassava flour called garigo . The MNB were ingested at more than 85% (up to 266.7 g / day / animal). The BMN garigo and BMN starch allowed recording a daily weight gain of 58 g/d. In BMN treatments, the carcass yield was 45%. Profit margins per animalpasted from simple (917 FCFA in farms using local practices) to double (1905 FCFA in farm using MNB clay), quadruple (3.645 FCFA, in farm using MNBgarigo) and quintuple (4918 FCFA in farm using local practices and MNB starch  supplementation). On the whole, this study demonstrated that in dry season, to improve the growth performances, the carcass yield and the profit, it is interesting to supplement Djallonké sheeps with MNBstarch.Keywords: Multi nutritional blocks, binders, carcass yield, profit margins, sheep, Beni

Sanitary Risks Connected to the Consumption of Infusion from Senna rotundifolia L. Contaminated with Lead and Cadmium in Cotonou (Benin)

This study carried out an assessment of sanitary risks connected to the consumption of Senna rotundifolia Linn. contaminated with lead and cadmium. This plant was collected and analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results revealed a contamination of plants from markets of Dantokpa, Vossa, and Godomey with heavy metals. Senna from Vossa was higher in cadmium and lead levels (Pb: 2.733 mg/kg ± 0.356 mg/kg; Cd: 0.58 mg/kg ± 0.044 mg/kg) compared to the two other places (Pb: 1.825 mg/kg ± 0.133 mg/kg, Cd: 0.062 mg/kg ± 0.015 mg/kg and Pb: 1.902 mg/kg ± 0.265 mg/kg, Cd: 0.328 mg/kg ± 0.024 mg/kg), respectively, for Dantokpa and Godomey. In terms of risk assessment through the consumption of Senna, the values recorded for lead were nine times higher with children and six times higher with adults than the daily permissive intake (Pb: 3.376 × 10−2 mg/kg/day for children and 2.105 × 10−2 mg/kg/day for adults versus 3.6 × 10−3 mg/kg/day for DPI). With respect to cadmium, there was no significant difference between the recorded values and the DPI (Cd: 1 × 14 10−3 mg/ kg/day for children and Cd: 0.71 × 10−3 mg/ kg/day for adults versus Cd: 1 × 10−3 mg/kg/day for adults). This exposure of the population to lead and cadmium through the consumption of antimalarial healing plants could pose public health problems