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For the first time, this study aimed to determine the chemical composition and the antibacterial activity of Melaleuca quinquenervia leaf essential oils from Senegal. Ten samples of leaves from M. quinquenervia were collected on two Senegal localities. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. The oil yields ofdried leaves ranged 1.65 to 3.74%. Oilsamples were dominated by 1,8-cineole (24.6-49.3%), viridiflorol (14.9-35.7%), a-terpineol (6.3-12.7%), a-pinene (5.0-11.5%) and limonene (3.7-7.3%). The antibacterial activity was evaluated using a paper disc diffusion method. The essential oil exhibited excellent activity against S. aureus, moderate activity against E. coli and E. faecalis and no activity against P. aeruginosa.

The fruits of Zanthoxylum leprieurii Guill. & Perr. (Rutaceae) are traditionally used in Africa, particularly in Cameroon, as a spice and in the treatment of sickle cell anaemia. The objective of this study was to investigate the fruit essential oils from different sample locations and during their maturation period by using GC and GC-MS. Except for one sample collected in Aniak which consisted mainly of oxygenated monoterpenes, the volatile composition of Z. leprieurii fruits exhibited relative high amounts of monoterpene hydrocarbons (61.1-90.9%) such as (E)-β-ocimene (13.4-75.2%) and a-pinene (1.1-40.7%). The influence of the maturity stage on the chemical composition of the essential oils has resulted in an increase of oil yield and variations in the content of volatile compounds (a-pinene 13.3-75.6; (E)-β-ocimene 2.9-64.0%). Keywords: Senegal, Zanthoxylum leprieurii fruits, essential oil, chemical variability, stage of maturity and GC-MS.

Screening of flavonoid compounds in fruit, leaf, stem and root bark extracts of Z. leprieurii was achieved by liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS2). Among the 186 reference compounds tested, four flavonoids were identified in one or other of the organ extracts from each plant (fruit, leaf, root barks and stem): neodiosmin and hesperidin were identified in all extracts. The presence of datiscin was reported only in leaves while that of rutin was identified in fruits and leaves. Of these four flavonoids, three (neodiosmin, datiscin and rutin) are detected for the first time in Z. leprieurii. The antioxidant properties of different extracts were tested regarding their scavenging activities on ABTS•+ radical. Fruit, leaf and stem extracts had low antioxidant potential and root bark extracts exhibited very low antioxidant activity. Keywords: Zanthoxylum leprieurii, flavonoids, LC-MS/MS and antioxidant activity.

Zanthoxylum leprieurii belonging to Rutaceae family, is a medicinal and aromatic plants widely used in ethnopharmacology. Like other plants of Rutaceae family such as Citrus sp., the essential oils of this species could be used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. Thus, the essential oils of Z. leprieurii from different plant organs (fruit, leaf, stem and root) were investigated by using GC and GC-MS. The volatile composition of Z. leprieurii fruits exhibited relative high amounts of hydrocarbons monoterpenes (90.9%) such as (E)-β-ocimene (50.9%) and a-pinene (30.4%). The chemical composition of fruit oils was compared with volatile fractions of leaves, stems and roots from the same plant station. Germacrene B (9.0%), b-phellandrene (7.6%), caryophyllene oxide (7.2%) and b-caryophyllene (5.3%) were identified as the major constituents of leaves whereas the essential oil composition of the roots dominated by sesquiterpenes (83.3%) such as germacrone (23.5%), germacrene B (19.1%), g-elemene (6.0%), elemenone (4.0%) and b-elemene (2.4%) in the essential oil of the stems, b-Phellandrene (12.7%), germacrene B (5.0%), germacrene D (4.7%) and cis-9-Octadecen-1-ol (4.6%) have been reported as majority compounds.

Cette etude avait pour objectif de faire le point sur la composition chimique et les activites biologiques de G. senegalensis , une plante medicinale largement utilisee en Afrique par les guerisseurs traditionnels pour le traitement de divers troubles. La plupart de ces etudes chimiques ont porte sur le criblage phytochimique des extraits de feuilles, de racines, de tiges et de galles. Elles ont montre la presence d'hydrates de carbone, de steroides, de saponines, de flavonoides, d’alcaloides, de tanins, de saponines, de glycosides cardiaques, de coumarines, d’anthraquinones, d’acide ascorbique, d’heterosides cardiotoniques, de cyanogenes et de terpenoides. Les potentialites therapeutiques des extraits de G. senegalensis rapportees dans plusieurs travaux scientifiques ont porte sur les activites antibacteriennes, antitussives, antidiarrheiques, cytotoxiques, anti-inflammatoires antipaludiques, antitrypanosomiques, antihelminthiques, antivirales et antioxydantes. Des etudes de toxicite sur ces extraits ont ete aussi realisees. Ainsi, des etudes de caracterisation chimique (variabilite chimique), de formulation galenique et aussi de toxicite clinique sur G. senegalensis doivent etre menees afin de mettre en place des produits de phytotherapie moderne. Mots cles: Phytochimie, pharmacologie, feuilles, Guiera senegalensis . English Title: Review on the chemical composition and biological activities of Guiera senegalensis J.F. Gmel. (Combretaceae) The aim of this study was to review the chemical composition and biological activities of G. senegalensis , a medicinal plant widely used in Africa by traditional healers for the treatment of various disorders. Most of these chemical studies have focused on the phytochemical screening of leaf, root, stem and gall extracts. They showed the presence of carbohydrate, steroids, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, cardiac glycosides, coumarins, anthraquinones, ascorbic acid, cardiotonic glycosides, cyanogens and terpenoids. The therapeutic potentialities of extracts of G. senegalensis reported in several scientific studies have focused on antibacterial, antitussive, antidiarrheal, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antitrypanosomal, anthelmintic, antiviral and antioxidant activities. Toxicity studies on these extracts have also been carried out. Thus, chemical characterization studies (chemical variability), galenic formulation and clinical toxicity studies on G. senegalensis must be carried out in order to implement modern phytotherapy products. Keywords: Phytochemistry, pharmacology, leaves, Guiera senegalensis.

Objective To compare, at the community level, the cost-effectiveness of oxytocin and misoprostol for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). Methods The present cost-effectiveness study used data collected during a randomized trial that compared the prophylactic effectiveness of misoprostol and oxytocin for the prevention of PPH in a rural setting in Senegal between June 6 and September 21 2013. The two interventions were compared, with referral to a higher level facility owing to PPH being the outcome measure. The costs and effects were calculated for two hypothetical cohorts of patients delivering during a 1-year period, with each cohort receiving one intervention. A comparison with a third hypothetical cohort receiving the current standard of care was included. A sensitivity analysis was performed to estimate the impact of variations in model assumptions. Results The cost per PPH referral averted was US$ 38.96 for misoprostol and US$ 119.15 for oxytocin. In all the scenarios modeled the misoprostol intervention dominated, except in the worst-case scenario, where the oxytocin intervention demonstrated slightly better cost-effectiveness. Conclusion The use of misoprostol for PPH prophylaxis could be cost effective and improve maternal outcomes in low-income settings.

A greenhouse experiment was carried out in a sandy soil with a low available phosphorus to evaluate responsiveness of four Solanum aethiopicum cultivars to indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Results showed clear interaction between genetic variability of cultivars and fungal isolates on shoot biomass and on mineral status. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can be ranked as Glomus aggregatum > Glomus mosseae > Glomus versiforme for improving yield as well as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium acquisition of Solanum cultivars. Key words : Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Solanum aethiopicum, sterile soil, relative mycorrhizal dependency. African Journal of Biotechnology Vol.2(11) 2003: 429-433