Barriers to social participation for people with disabilities in NTD-endemic areas of Benin and Côte d'Ivoire: Assessing scope and associated factors.

People with disabilities (PWDs) due to neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) or other causes experience restrictions on social participation (RSPs). This study aimed to investigate the magnitude of these restrictions and associated factors in NTD-endemic communities in Benin and Côte d'Ivoire. This cross-sectional quantitative and qualitative study was conducted from 2021 to 2022 among 841 people with disabilities (PWDs) and 90 community members and stakeholders.

Fractionation Coupled to Molecular Networking: Towards Identification of Anthelmintic Molecules in (DC.) Baill.

is a medicinal plant widely used in ethnoveterinary medicine to treat digestive parasitosis whose extracts were shown to be active against gastrointestinal nematodes of domestic ruminants. The objective of our study was to identify compounds responsible for this activity. Column fractionation was performed, and the activity of the fractions was assessed on and as well as their cytotoxicity on WI38 fibroblasts.

Anthelmintic Activity, Cytotoxicity, and Phytochemical Screening of Plants Used to Treat Digestive Parasitosis of Small Ruminants in Benin (West Africa).

Medicinal plants continue to be used alone or in combination with veterinary drugs to treat animal ailments, especially in developing countries where livestock farmers often lack access to modern veterinary services and drugs. In addition, digestive parasitosis remain a major constraint for small ruminant livestock. The objective of this study was to screen the anthelmintic activity of the main plants used in the treatment of the digestive parasitosis of small ruminants in Benin.

Carissa edulis Vahl (Apocynaceae) extract, a medicinal plant of Benin pharmacopoeia, induces potent endothelium-dependent relaxation of coronary artery rings involving nitric oxide.

Background: Hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor that affects most countries including those of Africa. Although Carissa edulis Vahl, Diodia scandens Sw. and Cleome gynandra L.

Ethnoveterinary knowledge of sheep and goat farmers in Benin (West Africa): effect of socioeconomic and environmental factors.

Sheep and goats are two of the main animal species raised in Benin and one of the main sources of income for people living in rural areas. Faced with the inaccessibility of synthetic veterinary products and their low purchasing power, the majority of breeders use ethnoveterinary practices to treat small ruminants diseases. The specific objectives of the current study were (1) to document the traditional knowledge regarding the disorder groups treated and the medicinal plants used in the health and zootechnical management of small ruminants in Benin and (2) to assess the effect of gender, ethnicity, agro-ecological zone and herd size associated with them.

Development of a highly persistent silicone-based sprayable emulsion containing essential oils for treatment of skin infections.

Essential oils have known a renewed interest, particularly for their antimicrobial properties. In the field of skin delivery of essential oils, fluid oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions have been studied for several years in order to improve their stability. When dealing with infections of the upper skin layers, these vehicles, in spite of their low viscosity, must have a good skin persistence and also concentrate the essential oil components in the target skin layers.

Lassa fever in Benin: description of the 2014 and 2016 epidemics and genetic characterization of a new Lassa virus.

We report two outbreaks of Lassa fever that occurred in Benin in 2014 and 2016 with 20 confirmed cases and 50% (10/20) mortality. Benin was not previously considered to be an endemic country for Lassa fever, resulting in a delay to diagnose the disease and its human transmission. Molecular investigations showed the viral genomes to be similar to that of the Togo strain, which is genetically very different from other known strains and confirms the existence of a new lineage.

and Toxicity Studies on Chiov. Leaves Essential Oil from Benin.

Chiov. (Poaceae) is a medicinal plant used to treat various diseases in traditional medicine in several African countries. The present study aims to evaluate the oral and inhalation toxicity as well as the mutagenic effects of the essential oil of leaves (EOCG) from a sample collected in Benin.

[Wholesale distribution and delivery of plant-based medicinal products through the pharmaceutical system of Burkina Faso].

Objective: In order to improve the contribution of medicines from traditional pharmacopoeia to health care, African countries like Burkina Faso have adopted for several years, policies and regulations organizing their distribution. This study aims to analyze the situation of the wholesale and retail sale of herbal medicines imported by the official pharmaceutical facilities.

Method: This is a retrospective study involving all 18 drug wholesalers and 115 pharmacies in the city of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).

Traditional knowledge of invertebrates used for medicine and magical-religious purposes by traditional healers and indigenous populations in the Plateau Department, Republic of Benin.

Background: Since ancient times, invertebrates have played an important role in the traditional medicine in many parts of the world. In south-eastern Benin, more specifically in the Plateau Department, invertebrates are widely used in folk medicine. However, studies on their therapeutic use has been neglected and their magical-religious purposes are poorly understood.

Chromametric assessment of drug skin tolerance: A comparative study between Africans and Caucasians skins.

Background/aims: During dermatological forms development, one of the simplest non-invasive techniques used to evaluate cutaneous tolerance of formulations is to monitor the color changes using a tristimulus chromameter. Most published tolerance studies involving chromametric measurements are performed on Caucasian subjects. However, in the context of drug formulation for African-type populations, it is not always relevant to transpose tolerance results obtained on Caucasians populations to African-type ones due to histological ethnic differences of the skin.

Molecular confirmation and phylogeny of Lassa fever virus in Benin Republic 2014-2016.

Background: The changing epidemiology of the Lassa virus from endemic areas to other parts of West Africa has been reported. However, there have been no documented Lassa fever transmission chains in the Benin Republic. Two outbreaks of Lassa fever (November 2014 and January 2016) in the Benin Republic were characterised by a high number of deaths (more than 50%) among 27 confirmed and other unconfirmed cases.

Lassa Virus in Pygmy Mice, Benin, 2016-2017.

Lassa virus has been identified in 3 pygmy mice, Mus baoulei, in central Benin. The glycoprotein and nucleoprotein sequences cluster with the Togo strain. These mice may be a new reservoir for Lassa virus in Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

Mold infestation and aflatoxins production in traditionally processed spices and aromatic herbs powder mostly used in West Africa.

Mold infestation and occurrence of aflatoxins were investigated in 66 samples of dried spices and aromatic herbs powder (SAH) as commercialized in Benin and its neighboring countries. The samples were randomly collected from markets, supermarkets, and processing sites. Mold counts were enumerated according to standard method and aflatoxins levels were assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD).

Traditional treatment of human and animal salmonelloses in Southern Benin: Knowledge of farmers and traditherapists.

Aim: This study aimed to report medicinal plants that are likely to be used in the control of salmonellosis.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Southern Benin. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 150 farmers and 100 traditional therapists in seven high municipalities.

Detection of Poor Quality Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) Medicines Marketed in Benin Using Simple and Advanced Analytical Techniques.

Background: Poor quality antimalarial medicines still represent a threat to the public health, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa which bears a disproportionate share of the global burden of malaria. It is essential and urgent to strengthen mechanisms against counterfeit medicines. One of the approaches is regular market surveillance through quality controls.

Maize Fungal Growth Control with Scopoletin of Cassava Roots Produced in Benin.

The chemical contamination of food is among the main public health issues in developing countries. With a view to find new natural bioactive products against fungi responsible for chemical contamination of staple food such as maize, the antifungal activity tests of scopoletin extracted from different components of the cassava root produced in Benin were carried out. The dosage of scopoletin from parts of the root (first skin, second skin, whole root, and flesh) was done by High Performance Liquid Chromatography.

Structural and antitrypanosomal data of different carbasones of piperitone.

This article reports data on four carbazones of piperitone: semicarbazone , thiosemicarbazone , 4-phenyl semicarbazone and 4-phenyl thiosemicarbazone prepared directly from essential oil of whose GC-FID and GC-MS analysis revealed piperitone as major component (68.20%). The structures of hemi-synthesized compounds were confirmed by high throughput IR, MS, H and C NMR based spectrometric analysis.

Chemical composition and biological activities of extracts and essential oil of Boswellia dalzielii leaves.

Context: Boswellia dalzielii Hutch. (Burseraceae) is an aromatic plant. The leaves are used for beverage flavouring.

In vitro antitrypanosomal and antiplasmodial activities of crude extracts and essential oils of Ocimum gratissimum Linn from Benin and influence of vegetative stage.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Different parts of Ocimum gratissimum Linn are largely used in folk medicine for the treatment of many diseases, some of which related to parasitical infections as fevers and headaches. In order to validate their use and to clarify the plant part which possesses the best antiparasitic properties, we decided to evaluate the in vitro antiplasmodial and antitrypanosomal activities of essential oils and crude extracts from leaves, stems and seeds of Ocimum gratissimum as well as their cytotoxicity.

Materials And Methods: The essential oils and ethanol crude extracts of leaves and stems of Ocimum gratissimum from Benin, were obtained in pre and full flowering stages.

Trypanocidal and cytotoxic evaluation of synthesized thiosemicarbazones as potential drug leads against sleeping sickness.

Thiosemicarbazones have become one of the promising compounds as new clinical candidates due to their wide spectrum of pharmaceutical activities. The wide range of their biological activities depends generally on their related aldehyde or ketone groups. Here, we report the pharmacological activities of some thiosemicarbazones synthesized in this work.

Chemical composition, cytotoxicity and in vitro antitrypanosomal and antiplasmodial activity of the essential oils of four Cymbopogon species from Benin.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Cymbopogon species are largely used in folk medicine for the treatment of many diseases some of which related to parasitical diseases as fevers and headaches. As part of our research on antiparasitic essential oils from Beninese plants, we decided to evaluate the in vitro antiplasmodial and antitrypanosomal activities of essential oils of four Cymbopogon species used in traditional medicine as well as their cytotoxicity.

Materials And Methods: The essential oils of four Cymbopogon species Cymbopogon citratus (I), Cymbopogon giganteus (II), Cymbopogon nardus (III) and Cymbopogon schoenantus (IV) from Benin obtained by hydrodistillation were analysed by GC/MS and GC/FID and were tested in vitro against Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Plasmodium falciparum respectively for antitrypanosomal and antiplasmodial activities.

Phytochemical composition of Cymbopogon citratus and Eucalyptus citriodora essential oils and their anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties on Wistar rats.

Cymbopogon citratus and Eucalyptus citriodora are widely used herbs/plants as a source of ethnomedicines in tropical regions of the world. In this work, we studied the anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective effects of C. citratus and E.

Antiparasitic activities of two sesquiterpenic lactones isolated from Acanthospermum hispidum D.C.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Aerial parts of Acanthospermum hispidum D.C. are often used by traditional healers in Benin for various diseases and especially for malaria.