Fractionated Extracts From Gnidia kraussiana (Malvales: Thymeleaceae) as Bioactive Phytochemicals for Effective Management of Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Stored Vigna unguiculata (Fabales: Fabaceae) Seeds.

One of the most important global problems is protecting food from insect pests. The negative effects of synthetic insecticides on human health led to a resurgence of interest in botanical insecticides due to their minimal ecological side effects. Therefore, the insecticidal potential of hexane, acetone, and methanol extracts of Gnidia kraussiana Meisn roots at 1 and 5g/kg, and neem seed oil (NSO), used as standard insecticide, were evaluated. Ovicidal and larvicidal toxicity was tested by treating freshly laid eggs and larvae at different immature stages of Callosobruchus maculatus (F.). Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) (L.) Walp seed damage and weight loss were assessed after a storage period of 4 mo. Repellency effects were detected in choice test using a linear olfactometer. All the fractions were toxic to C. maculatus; however, their bioactivities were inversely correlated with products polarity. Extracts proved to be more toxic than the commercial NSO. The acetone extract was more effective against immature stages of C. maculatus than the methanol extract; eggs, first-, and second-instar larvae being the more susceptible. No cowpea seed damage and weight loss were recorded from the seeds treated with hexane and acetone extracts at the dosage of 5 g/kg, after 4 mo of storage. Extracts evoked stronger repellency effects compared with the tested standard insecticide. According to the above, hexane and acetone extracts are good candidates for incorporation in integrated pest management programs for the control of C. maculatus in stored cowpea seeds.

Treatment of Diabetes and/or Hypertension Using Medicinal Plants in Cameroon.

Medicinal plants have served as valuable starting materials for drug development in both developing and developed countries. Today, more than 80% of the people living in Africa were depended on medicinal plants based medicines to satisfy their healthcare needs. The main goal of the present study was to collect and document information on herbal remedies traditionally used for the treatment of diabetes and/or hypertension in Cameroon. To reach this objective, data were collected from 328 patients who have been diagnosed at least once by a physician as diabetics and/or hypertension patients. One hundred and eighty two (182) among them took for a period of 10 days different varieties of medicinal plants which were prepared in form of decoction, maceration and infusion and administered orally twice or three times daily. As result, 70% of patients who used plants were relieved at the end of the treatment. Thirty-three plants have been recorded and documented for the treatment of diabetes and/or hypertension. The results of this study can stimulate a sustainable development by providing the basis for drugs discovery and by documenting biodiversity for long time exploitation.