Data on vegetation sampling in areas dominated in Nyungwe forest, Western Province of Rwanda.

The data presented in this article describe plant traits (ecological strategy, plant succession, biological form, plant distribution and conservation status), cover-abundance scores of individualized communities after the application of Multivariate Statistical Package (MVSP) software and coverage percentage of species which compose the communities in areas sampled from Nyungwe forest. Taxonomic diversity indices (Shannon, Evenness and Richness) were also calculated and included in the dataset. The observed data can support the evaluation of invasion in comparable forest types.

Urticaceae leaves with stinging trichomes were already present in latest early Eocene Okanogan Highlands, British Columbia, Canada.

Premise: Paleontologists use tooth form to assess diets of fossil mammals. Plants would also be expected to adapt their morphology to respond to herbivory. Fossil nettle leaves with definitive stinging trichomes (tribe Urticeae, family Urticaceae) are described from the early Eocene upland lacustrine floras of the Okanogan Highlands, British Columbia, Canada.

Impact of on vegetation in Nyungwe Forest, Rwanda.

acts as an important ecological filters in dominated communities. A study to investigate the effects of its dominance in the vegetation of Nyungwe was conducted. Sampling was done in Mubuga and Uwajerome mountains.

Chemical and Biological Components of Urban Aerosols in Africa: Current Status and Knowledge Gaps.

Aerosolized particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture that has been recognized as the greatest cause of premature human mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Its toxicity arises largely from its chemical and biological components. These include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their nitro-derivatives (NPAHs) as well as microorganisms.

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in Rwanda for voluntary depigmentation.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Voluntary depigmentation, a very common practice in sub-Saharan Africa, often performed with pharmaceutical products diverted from their pharmacological use, may cause severe dermatological and systemic side effects. The present work aims at investigating whether and which herbs were used in Rwanda for similar purposes before the advent of the current depigmentation craze; this may give clues at herbal treatments possibly advantageous compared to current products.

Material And Methods: Sixty-one traditional healers, mostly representatives of their associations, were surveyed by questionnaires for knowledge and practice of voluntary depigmentation.

Tyrosinase modulation by five Rwandese herbal medicines traditionally used for skin treatment.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Traditional herbal medicines provide an interesting, largely unexplored source for the development of potential new drugs and skin-care cosmetics. Some herbal extracts are known to be inhibitors of melanin formation, sometimes more potent than the classical inhibitors, hydroquinone/arbutin or kojic acid, and are not associated with melanocytes cytotoxicity or mutagenicity. Such plants are used in traditional medicine in many countries, particularly in Africa, for skin lightening.

Traditional phytotherapy remedies used in Southern Rwanda for the treatment of liver diseases.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Liver diseases represent a major health problem due to their complications and limited treatment possibilities. In Rwanda, given low accessibility to modern treatments, most people still rely on traditional medicinal plants. The symptomatology of many hepatic troubles (icterus) is evident for traditional healers who have a high probability of selecting efficient herbal medicines.