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Endogenous Knowledge and Phytochemical Study of Flacourtia flavescens Willd. (Flacourtia indica (Burm f.) Merr.). Flacourtia flavescens Willd., also called Flacourtia indica (Burm f.) Merr. (Flacourtiaceae) is a source of income. In terms of food, the leaves of this plant consumed at the seedling stage; young leaves are used in the preparation of soups; the fruits are well appreciated by children in the countryside and cities where they abound. The different parts of the plant are included in many different therapeutics treatments. Their decoction and alcoholic extract of plant are used and an excellent energy drinks. In order to sick for nutritional and therapeutic properties of F. flavescens; studies were conducted on leaves and roots collected at two different stages. This study revealed that F. flavescens contain proteins, lipids, sugars and polyphenols with amounts ranging from 0.09% to 13.98%. Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sodium contents are between 0.5% (male leaves) and 5.25% (male and female leaves). Iron and zinc are almost as traces. The screening of active principles revealed the presence of alkaloids, anthraquinones, anthocyanins, flavonoids, saponins, tannins and polyphenols, triterpenes and steroids and the absence of coumarin. The issue of present study revealed that F. flavescens is a species that should be reevaluated.

Nitrogen deficiency is a major factor limiting crop production in most African agricultural soils. As legume, soybean can obtain a significant amount of its N requirement through symbiotic N2 fixation when inoculated with effective and compatible Bradyrhizobium strains. An on farmer's fields' study was carried out in Northern and Centre Benin to determine the effectiveness of Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains introduced in Benin cropping systems. Five inoculations treatments (control, FA3, STM3043, STM3045 and USDA110), two phosphorus levels (0 and 50 kg of P2O5 ha-1) arranged in split plot design were established in twelve farmers' fields. Each farmer represented one replication. Results indicated that inoculation with different Bradyrhizobia strains improved significantly (p < 0.001 to p < 0.05) height, grain, biomass yield, nodulation, and nitrogen uptake of soybean but less than treatments where phosphorus application was combined to rhizobial inoculation. The most efficient strains identified were FA3 and STM3043 respectively in Northern and Centre Benin. In Northern Benin, the strain FA3 contributed to the increasing of 73% of the grain yield and 62% of the straw yield compared to the control, while in the Centre Benin the strain STM3043 was found to contribute to the increasing of 60% and 66% respectively of the grain and straw yields. Both strains FA3 and STM3043 could be used in cropping systems for improving soybean productivity in Benin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Tropicultura is the property of Agri-Overseas asbl and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In Benin, the boiled hypocotyl ( Borassus aethiopum Mart) is one of the most common street foods consumed for its therapeutic properties. However, the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of boiled hypocotyl food sellers are poorly known despite the high contamination potential of these street foods. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of boiled hypocotyls food vendors in the streets of Cotonou and its outskirts. The approach used concerned the process of good hygiene and production. Face-to-face interviews of 300 hypocotyls vendors and producers from Cotonou, Sèmè, Ouidah, and Abomey-Calavi were conducted. Concurrently, 200 samples of boiled hypocotyl were collected among study vendors. Results showed that all of the interviewed population (100%) of this activity are women. They are generally illiterate and 75% of them have never been to school. Additionally, 76.7% of street boiled hypocotyls sellers interviewed were mobile. The microbial profile of the boiled hypocotyls showed the lack of control and poor understanding of hygiene rules. The processes management also revealed two diagrams processes. The conditions in which hypocotyls vendors operate are largely unacceptable from a food safety point of view and an effort should be made to provide them with adequate infrastructure including potable water. In view of the socioeconomic impact of hypocotyl activities in Benin and their role in the unexpected arrival of food-borne diseases, vendors should be regularly trained in order to prevent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses.

In West Africa, landraces or local varieties of fonio are processed into many products by women using small processing units and marketed locally as well as exported to Europe and the United States. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of processing methods, namely parboiling, precooking and roasting on the physico-chemical and functional properties of two mainly preferred fonio landraces (Iporhouwan and Namba) by consumers. Results showed that the physico-chemical characteristics and most functional properties were significantly (P < 0.0001) affected by the processing methods. The lowest brightness (L*) values were obtained for parboiled fonio for the two landraces. However, parboiled fonio presented the best biochemical composition as compared to the dehusked, milled, precooked and roasted fonio samples. The protein contents of parboiled fonio samples were 6.06 % and 7.24 % for Iporhouwan and Namba landraces respectively. The values of peak viscosity, trough viscosity, breakdown, final viscosity and setback, were significantly higher for dehusked and milled fonio than for precooked, parboiled and roasted fonio with respect to both landraces. The milled fonio showed highest peak viscosity (2,668.5 cP) which was similar for the both tested landraces.

Fonio is a traditional cereal cultivated in many West African countries, where farmers are often the guardians of a rich diversity of landraces or traditional varieties. An investigation conducted in northwest of Benin on indigenous knowledge about fonio landraces and fonio-based traditional foods allowed us to inventory 35 landraces identified by the farmers. Ipormoa, Namba, Icantoni or Kopognakè or Icantoga and Iporhouwan landraces were good to cook paste and couscous and easy to dehusk. Besides, Ipormoa and Iporhouwan landraces had interesting agronomic characteristics. Paste, porridge, and couscous were the main fonio-based foods consumed by farmers in northwest of Benin.

The present study was conducted to investigate the in vitro antimalarial activity of Flacourtia flavescens Willd. (Flacourtiaceae) and Rytigynia canthioides (Benth.) Robyns (Rubiaceae). These two plants are used in Benin folk medicine to treat malaria and fever. Antimalarial activity was assayed on fresh clinical isolates of chloroquine resistant Plasmodium falciparum using the in vitro semi-microtest. The results revealed that the IC(50) varied from 1.55 to 22.36µg/ml. F. flavescens hydro methanol extract was more active than R. canthioides. The study demonstrated scientific rationale behind the traditional usage of these plants, however further bioactivity guided phytochemical analyses are necessary to identify the active principles.

The concentration of carbon sources has a significant influence on the growth, carbohydrate uptake and metabolite distribution in Clostridium thermohydrosulfuricum. The growing concentrations of glucose or starch increase the production of ethanol and lactate, the intracellular fructose-1,6-diphosphate (FDP) and the specific activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), but decrease the ethanol/lactate ratio.