Impacts D’une Technique De Restauration De Terre Dégradée Sur La Survie Et La Croissance Des Plants De Quatre Espèces De Combretaceae En Zone Sahélienne Du Niger

Les banquettes sylvopastorales constituent l’une des techniques les plus utilisées au Niger pour restaurer les terres dégradées de plateaux. La présente expérimentation a été réalisée sur un plateau dégradé de Simiri dans l’Ouest nigérien où des banquettes sylvopastorales ont été installées. L’objectif est d’évaluer la survie et la croissance des plants de quatre essences locales de Combretaceae, Combretum glutinosum, Combretum micranthum, Combretum nigricans et Guiera senegalensis. Les méthodes utilisées ont consisté d’abord à délimiter un espace sur le plateau dégradé où 40 banquettes sont confectionnées et un autre espace sans banquette pour servir de témoin. Dans les banquettes, 200 plants de chaque espèce ont été plantés à raison de 20 plants/banquette. Deux mois après la plantation un suivi périodique de l’humidité du sol et des paramètres dendrométriques des plants a été effectué durant 30 mois. Les paramètres dendrométriques mesurés sont le taux de survie, la hauteur et le diamètre au collet du grand axe caulinaire, le nombre de rejets et de feuilles. Les résultats obtenus ont montré d’une part que les banquettes améliorent les conditions hydriques du sol de 18,19 % par rapport à la zone non traitée (sans banquette) et d’autre part que les meilleurs taux de survie et de croissance ont été observés au niveau des espèces Guiera senegalensis, Combretum. glutinosum et Combretum. micranthum. Ainsi, les espèces Guiera senegalensis, Combretum glutinosum et Combretum micranthum peuvent être utilisées dans le reboisement de sites aménagés avec des banquettes sylvopastorales pour restaurer les terres de plateaux au Niger Silvopastoral banquettes are one of the techniques mostly used in Niger to restore degraded plateau lands. The present experiment was carried out on a degraded Simiri plateau in western Niger where silvopastoral banquettes have been installed. The objective is to assess the survival and growth of plants of four local species of Combretaceae, Combretum glutinosum, Combretum micranthum, Combretum nigricans, and Guiera senegalensis. The methods used consisted first of delimiting a space on the degraded plateau where 40 banquettes are made and another space without a banquette to serve as a control zone. In the banquettes, 200 plants of each species were planted at 20 plants/banquette. Two months after planting, periodic monitoring of soil moisture and dendrometric parameters of the plants was carried out for 30 months. The dendrometric parameters measured are the survival rate, the height and the collar diameter of the stem axis, the number of suckers and leaves. The results obtained showed on the one hand that the banquettes improve the water conditions of the soil by 18.19% compared to the untreated zone (without banquettes) and on the other hand that the best survival and growth rates were observed at the level of the species Guiera senegalensis, Combretum. glutinosum and Combretum. micranthum. Thus, Guiera senegalensis, Combretum glutinosum, and Combretum micranthum species can be used in the reforestation of sites developed with silvopastoral banquettes to restore plateau lands in Niger.

Assessing Energy Source Preference of Household and Stand Diversity in the Catchment Area of Bamako, Mali

Wood fuel as a domestic combustible plays a major role for the Malian population (more than 90% of households depend on it for domestic cooking). It is used in rural as well as in urban areas. This paper focuses on assessing the energy source preference of households and stand diversity in Bamako catchment area. We have surveyed 200 households and 70 firewood and charcoal sellers in the District of Bamako. Forest inventory was carried out in Famana and Kassela within the Bamako catchment area where plots have been established (10 plots of 50 x 20 m per site). Plots were separated from each other by 50m. Results showed that the use of charcoal is higher than firewood in the urban households due to its availability and easy handling. 71.50% of households in Bamako use charcoal for cooking meals. Charcoal has become the most preferred source of energy for households in Bamako. The main factors for this trend are related to poverty, cooking habits of households, and urbanization. The two sites (Famana and Faya) are characterized by high diversity. Famana has a Shannon Diversity Index of 2.92 while Faya has 2.55. The study revealed a strong capacity of woody formations to provide species such as Combretum glutinosum, Combretum micranthum, and Lannea velutina which is very convenient for domestic combustion. These species have a rapid regeneration capacity and can grow in many types of ecological environments. Species such as Parkia biglobosa, Vittelaria paradoxa, Ficus gnaphalocarpa, and Khaya senegalensis (protected species) that are highly appreciated by households of Bamako have a great economic value and are constantly under threat. Households demand for these species exceeds the production capacity of forests. Immediate actions are needed to promote modern energy in order to ensure sustainable development.

Study of the Combretum micranthum G Don Sector (Kinkeliba) in Senegal

Combretum micranthum (kinkeliba) is one of the most used medicinal plants in Senegal. However, its commercialization is poorly studied. The objective of this study is to analyze the commercialization of Combretum micranthum in Senegal. The study was carried out in two main regions of kinkeliba marketing in Senegal: Dakar, where kinkeliba is marketed; and Thies, where kinkeliba is produced and marketed. Structured and unstructured surveys were administered to different categories of stakeholders: herbalists / traditional practitioners, collectors/ suppliers, retailers and consumers. Production sites that supply Dakar include the following: Diass, Sindia, Kiniabour, Pout, Thies Lalane. The main sales points in Dakar are the Thiaroye and Grand Yoff markets. The kinkeliba marketing chain has short channels and women are the main stakeholders. Procurement is done by harvesting in the natural environment and by purchase for herbalists / traditional practitioners. The benefits and added value derived from the marketing of kinkeliba are positive and are increasingly evolving from producers to retailers. The kinkeliba chain, with its constraints and especially its strengths, requires better structuring and to be better known. Keywords: Combretum micranthum, kinkeliba, commercialization, value chain, Senegal.

Special COVID-19 Preventive Diets Consumed in sub-Saharan Africa during the Lockdown

COVID-19 is nowadays considered a pandemic whose mortality rate is clearly higher in developed countries. In contrast to predictions, Africa appears as one of the least affected continents. This pilot study was designed with the aim of identifying the various foods/drinks consumed in various sub-Saharan countries under partial or total lockdown to prevent the disease. In this condition, a cross-sectional online survey was carried out for six weeks (June/July, 2020). A total of 817 people from Cameroon (246), Ethiopia (35), Ghana (57), Kenya (87), Nigeria (211) and South Africa (181) voluntarily took part to this study. Among them, 51.7% reported consuming nothing special for COVID-19 prevention. On the other hand, foods/drinks consumed by the rest of the respondents for therapeutic purposes were grouped into five classes; infusions made from spices, honey and fruits (like lemon, lime, ginger and garlic) were the most popularly consumed class followed by fruits and vegetables. Two other groups related to medicinal plants consisted of ‘Bark Infusions and decoctions’ mainly of Kinkeliba (Combretum micranthum) or Quinquina (Cinchona officinalis), as well as ‘Maceration, decoction or infusion of Neem leaves or Artemisia. These were mainly consumed in Cameroon. Another group was ‘local beverages’ like those from Hibiscus, beetroot or lemonade. The last group was represented by those consuming conventional medicines/supplements especially Vitamin C and Zinc. This was mainly the case in South Africa. Globally, females, white people (race) and those affluent (income) had a significantly higher tendency to consume conventional medicines (p<0.05). Up to 70% of the respondents believed the cited special diets/drinks could be helpful in boosting the immune system. The majority reported informing themselves through social media, friends and relatives. A systematic review of the healthy properties and antiviral potential of the identified special foods, therefore, becomes a prerequisite for prioritizing and promoting them in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Medicinal Plants used in the Treatment of Hepatitis in BoboDioulasso: Studying the Availability and Analyzing the Phytochemical Properties of Combretum micranthum G. Don and Entada africana Guill. et Perr.

This paper focuses on studying the inventory of the medicinal plants used in hepatitis care in Bobo-Dioulasso and evaluating their availability in local vegetation and their phytochemical properties. To achieve this objective, several approaches were developed which include: (1) an ethnobotanical survey among 111 traditional health practitioners (THP); (2) a dendrometric study to evaluate the abundance and spatial distribution of these species in Dindérésso Classified Forest; and (3) an evaluation of polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of the two most quoted species roots using three methods such as anti-DPPH*, anti-FRAP, and antiABTS. The results show that Entada africana and Combretum micranthum were the most quoted species among 40 species used in the treatment of liver disease. The availability study revealed that juvenile and adult individuals of E. africana are frequent in woody savannah, shrubby savannah, and grassy savannah. As for juvenile and adult C. micranthum individuals, they are only frequent in wooded savannah (RI<60%). These populations are therefore declining due to anthropogenic pressure. Phytochemical analysis reveal polyphenols contents of 37.91 and 20.71 mg EAG/100 mg respectively for C. micranthum and E. africana and flavonoids contents of 0.85 ± 0.09 and 0.66 ± 0.05 mg EQ/100 mg respectively for C. micranthum and E. africana. Finally, the results show that there is an anti-oxidant activity for the two species. There were about 198 and 13 μmol EAA/g for the two species i.e., ABTS and DPPH, respectively. The results show that the antioxidant activity could partially justify the traditional use of this plant.