Pathological effects of Cichlidogyrus philander Douëllou, 1993 (Monogenea,Ancyrocephalidae) on the gills of Pseudocrenilabrus philander (Weber, 1897) (Cichlidae)

Histopathological changes of Cichlidogyrus philander Douëllou, 1993 on the gills of Pseudocrenilabrus philander (Weber, 1897) were studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. Observations revealed that C. philander attaches to its host by alternating the prohaptor (for temporary attachment or feeding) or haptor (using haptoral parts for firm and secured attachment). The sharp terminal ends of the anchors are inserted basally into the gill lamella, between two adjacent secondary gill lamellae and the marginal hooklets assist by superficially penetrating, holding and lifting epithelial tissue in the proximal region of the secondary gill lamella. The attachment of C. philander resulted in compression, rupturing of the interlamellar epithelium, change in the organization of epithelial cells in both primary and secondary gill lamella, displacement of the extracellular cartilaginous matrix, occasional rupturing of blood vessels and erythrocytes and some cells becoming ill-defined. At the site of attachment, the host response comprises of hyperplasia, increase in the number of mucous cells and infiltration with neutrophils. It was concluded that the effect of C. philander is mild in natural conditions.     

Tree-ring: a suitable implement for spatial and temporal fire distribution analysis in savanna woodland and dry forest

Based on 120 stem discs collected during3 months of fieldwork along a 12 km route,the history of fires in the Wari Maro Forest(09 1000 N–02 1000E) over the past century in savanna woodland and dry forest was reconstituted.Three major ecological areas are characterized:one highly burnt zone located between two relative less burnt areas.By analyzing tree rings,246 fire scars were identified.The scars were caused by 51 fire years,occurring at a mean interval of 2.23 years.From 1890 to1965,only 6 years with fires were recorded from sampled trees.Since 1966,no year has passed without fire.The fire frequency point scale reached 14 years.This was the case of Burkea africana,which has been identified as a species tolerant to fire and could be planted to create a natural firewall.In contrast,Anogeissus leiocarpa is highly sensitive to fire,and in a dry forest ecosystem that burns seasonally,it requires a special conservation plan.Two new concepts are described:the rebarking of trees after fire and Mean Kilometer Fire Interval.The first concept was tested with Daniellia oliveri(Rolfe) Hutch & Dalz trees,and the second concept was used to evaluate spatial fire distribution.We demonstrate that savanna woodland and dry forest were subject to a degradation process caused by destructive fires related to vegetation cover clearance and illegal logging.     

Flavonol glycosides from Aconitum vulparia

The isolation of five flavonol glycosides (1-5) from the flowers of Aconitum vulparia is reported, together with the 1H- and 13C-NMR spectral data in CD(3)OD of compound 3 and 5.     

A new phenolic compound from Nigella damascena seeds

A new phenolic ester has been isolated from the seeds of Nigella damascena and the structure was established as 1-O-(2,4-dihydroxy)phenylacetyl glycerol (1) by 1H and 13C-NMR spectral data and EI-MS analysis.     

Natural variation in fruit characteristics,seed germination and seedling growth of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Adansonia digitata</Emphasis> L. in Benin

Adansonia digitata (baobab tree), a multipurpose tree species, occurs throughout semi-arid and arid zones of Africa. Its survival is, however, threatened by bush fire, over-exploitation, grazing and a lack of natural regeneration. The extent of variation in fruit characteristics, seed germination and seedling traits of the baobab tree in Benin, was evaluated at climatic zone level. 1,200 fruits were sampled in each of the three climatic zones of Benin for morphological assessment and to assess germination rate and seedling growth dynamics according to the climatic zones, the used substrate and the scarification of the seed coat. There were significant differences in fruit characteristics not only between climatic zones but also between individuals from the same zone and within-trees. Using mechanical scarification on freshly-collected baobab seeds negatively affected the germination rate of baobab seeds sampled in the Guinean and Sudano-Guinean zones of Benin. The best-germination rate was recorded for non-treated seeds from the Guinean zone, up to 57% on day 25. All seeds germinated best on the sand substrate, but supplying organic matter promoted further seedling growth after 11 days of germination. Based on these observations we propose some strategies for efficient ex situ conservation of baobab in Benin.     

Monitoring of artemisinin, dihydroartemisinin, and artemether in environmental matrices using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

The area cultivated with Artemisia annua for the extraction of the antimalarial compound artemisinin is increasing, but the environmental impact of this cultivation has not yet been studied. A sensitive and robust method using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed for the determination of artemisinin in soil. Dihydroartemisinin and artemether were included in the method, and performance on analytical columns of both traditional C(18) phenyl-hexyl and porous shell particles-based Kinetex types was characterized. The versatility of the method was demonstrated on surface water and groundwater samples and plant extracts. The limit of detection was 55, 30 (25 ng/g soil), and 4 ng/mL for dihydroartemisinin, artemisinin, and artemether, respectively. Method performance was demonstrated using naturally contaminated soil samples from A. annua fields in Kenya. The highest observed concentrations were above EC(10) for lettuce growth. Monitoring of artemisinin in soil with A. annua crop production seems necessary to further understand the impact in the environment.     

In vitro antioxidant and ex vivo protective activities of green and roasted coffee

The antioxidant properties of green and roasted coffee, in relation to species (Coffea arabica and Coffea robusta) and degree of roasting (light, medium, dark), were investigated. These properties were evaluated by determining the reducing substances (RS) of coffee and its antioxidant activity (AA) in vitro (model system beta-carotene-linoleic acid) and ex vivo as protective activity (PA) against rat liver cell microsome lipid peroxidation measured as TBA-reacting substances. RS of C. robustasamples were found to be significantly higher when compared to those of C. arabica samples (p < 0.001). AA for green coffee samples were slightly higher than for the corresponding roasted samples while PA was significantly lower in green coffee compared to that of all roasted samples (p < 0.001). Extraction with three different organic solvents (ethyl acetate, ethyl ether, and dichloromethane) showed that the most protective compounds are extracted from acidified dark roasted coffee solutions with ethyl acetate. The analysis of acidic extract by gel filtration chromatography (GFC) gave five fractions. Higher molecular mass fractions were found to possess antioxidant activity while the lower molecular mass fractions showed protective activity. The small amounts of these acidic, low molecular mass protective fractions isolated indicate that they contain very strong protective agents.