Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Various Extracts from Safou (Dacryodes edulis) Cultivated in Côte d’Ivoire

Safou (Dacryodes edulis) is a fruit with very interesting nutritional and pharmacological properties. However, this fruit remains rather unknown to the Ivorian population. Aims: The objective of this study was to highlight the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of the seed and pulp of Safou (Dacryodes edulis) cultivated in Côte d'Ivoire for its valorization. Study Design: Microbiological and biochemical studies Place and Duration of Study: Laboratory of Biotechnology and Food Microbiology,Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, between September 2020 and February 2021. Methodology: Aqueous, ethanolic and methanolic extracts of the pulp and seed of Safou were prepared. Moisture content, pH, yield, total polyphenols,diphényl-2-picrylhydrazyle (DPPH) radical scavenging testof the different extracts were determined.Aqueous, ethanolicand methanolicextracts of the seed and pulp at varying concentrations of 200 mg/mL, 100 mg/mL, 50 mg/mL, 25 mg/mL, 12.5mg/mL and 6.25 mg/mL was tested against human pathogens such asEscherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiellapneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Aspergillus fumigatus and Penicilliumchrysogenum. Results: pH, moisture content and yield ranged from 3.16 to 4.74; 9 to 18.30%; and 10.79 to 18.78%, respectively. Total polyphenol content ranged from 1.45 mgEAG/g to 4.56 mgEAG/g. The highest levels of total polyphenols were observed for the methanolic extracts of pulp. The different extracts strongly scavenged the DPPH radical with percentages of anti-free radical activity that varied from 50.76 to 64.43%.The antimicrobial susceptibility results of the methanolic extracts of D. edulis seed showed highest zones of inhibition to the microbial isolates tested. The microorganisms were resistant to the aqueous extracts of pulp and seed. Conclusion: The presence of bioactive compounds and the antimicrobial activity of Safou extracts could justify its use in the food and pharmaceutical fields.

Optimization of the Formulation of Rice Biscuits Supplemented with D. Edulis (L.) Powder Using Response Surface Methodology

Trends in the food industry are nowadays directed towards the reduction of the level of trans fatty acids in food intended for human consumption. The present study was designed and aimed at valorizing Dacryodes edulis (L.) powder as a substitute for margarine in the production of functional rice biscuits. The effect of substituting margarine and refined wheat flour with D. edulis powder locally called safou and rice flour, respectively, at different proportions was assessed for the sensory and physicochemical properties of the formulated biscuits. For this, statistical models were developed, validated, and optimized using the response surface methodology with the Doehlert design as a tool. The results showed that an increase in the substitution rate of margarine with of D. edulis powder enhanced the aroma while the substitution of refined wheat flour with rice flour led to an improvement of the overall quality of the biscuits. The optimal composition of dough for the production of biscuits with satisfying sensory properties was 20.24% of wheat flour, 24.51% of rice flour, 19.09% of margarine, and 2.47% of D. edulis powder. The optimized biscuit which scored the highest overall acceptability contained proteins (10.33 g/100 g DM), fat (27.66 g/100 g DM), crude fibers (2.5 g/100 g DM), ash (3.55 g/100 g DM), and carbohydrates (54.01 g/100 g DM). It has an energy density of 506.3 ± 0.1 kcal / g and could therefore be suitable for the management of malnutrition. Mineral analysis revealed that the biscuit contained sodium (0.200 mg/100 g), potassium (0.192 mg/100 g), phosphorus (0.123 mg/100 g), iron (33.60 ppm), and zinc (26.81 ppm) at levels satisfying the recommended daily intakes. The results of this study demonstrated the suitability of safou as substitute of margarine in the rice biscuit formulation and suggests the potential of the formulated biscuits in the management of malnutrition and noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases.

Ameliorative effects of aqueous seed-extract of Dacryodes edulis on doxorubicin-induced cardiac tissue damage in albino rats

Ameliorative effects of aqueous seed extract of D acryodes edulis on doxorubicininduced cardiac tissue damage in albino rats were investigated. The animals were divided into groups and fed for 14 days to acclimatize. A single dose of 15 mg/kg body weight doxorubicin was given intraperitoneally to each group except the control group. After 48 hours, two animals were randomly selected from each group and sacrificed under ethylether anesthesia, to harvest their hearts for histological studies. Subsequently, groups 1 and 2 were given normal saline, while groups 3 and 4 were treated with 25 and 100 mg/kg body weight of aspirin and vitamin C respectively. Groups 5-8 received different doses of aqueous seed extract (200, 400, 600, and 800 mg/kg body weight). Treatments lasted for 21 days and the rats were sacrificed under anesthesia, and their hearts harvested and fixed in 10% formol saline for examination. The photomicrograph revealed severe and focal loss of cardiac fiber, intra-myocardial hemorrhages, fragmentation of cardiac muscle, and disorganization of histoarchitecture in the induced but untreated animal groups. Micrographs showed significant ameliorative effects of the extract in a dose-dependent way and healing effects of the standard drugs. These results showed that aqueous seed extract of Dacryodes edulis exhibits therapeutic potentials for cardiac disorders.

Aqueous Extract of Dacryodes edulis (Burseraceae) Leaves Inhibited Tumor Growth in Female Wistar Rats with 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-Induced Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common estrogen-dependent cancer in the world. Hormone therapy for this cancer can be neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant. Herbal remedies with antiproliferative properties are believed to be potential anticancer agents. The aqueous extract of Dacryodes edulis (Burseraceae) leaves (AE), a medicinal plant used against cancer in Cameroon, was found to display antiproliferative effects in ovariectomized rats. Compounds isolated from this plant exhibited anticancer activity in vitro. To determine whether AE has an anticancer potential, its effects were investigated in rats with already developed breast cancer. Mammary tumors were induced by a single subcutaneous administration (under the mammary gland) of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA; 50 mg/kgBW) to immature female rats. After 22–26 weeks of observation, animals with palpable tumors were treated with tamoxifen (3.3 mg/kgBW) and AE at doses of 25 and 100 mg/kgBW. The negative control received distilled water. Treatments were given orally for 21 consecutive days. The volume of mammary tumors was evaluated weekly using a caliper. On day 22, animals were sacrificed. Cholesterol and estradiol levels were assessed in serum, breast tumors, mammary glands, and ovaries. Oxidative status of tumors was evaluated. The histological analysis of mammary glands and breast tumors was performed. Results showed that AE reduced tumor volume and weight ( p < 0.05 ). This effect was associated with reduced cholesterol ( p < 0.001 ) and estradiol ( p < 0.01 ) levels in breast tumors, serum, ovaries, and mammary glands. AE also increased tumors levels of malondialdehyde ( p < 0.05 ) and antioxidant enzymes ( p < 0.01 ). These effects contributed to the decrease in the size of breast alveoli ( p < 0.01 ), the density of cancer cells in breast tumors, and the invasion of these cells into the tumor connective tissue. In conclusion, the aqueous extract of D. edulis leaves, thanks to its ability to inhibit tumor growth, could be considered as a potential alternative for the neoadjuvant treatment of estrogen-dependent breast cancer.

Study of the Antimalarial Activity of the Leaf Extracts and Fractions of Persea americana and Dacryodes edulis and Their HPLC Analysis

In the present study, the antimalarial activity of the extracts and fractions of the leaves of Persea americana and Dacryodes edulis as well as their phytochemical compositions were examined. Each of the extracts of the plants was successively fractionated to obtain hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water fractions. The extracts and fractions were tested against Plasmodium berghei in both curative and suppressive antimalarial mouse models. Their major phytochemical composition was studied by the standard chemical tests and HPLC analysis. The extracts and fractions of P. americana and D. edulis demonstrated significant ( p < 0.05 ) maximal plasmodial inhibition as 52.16 ± 2.77% and 57.10 ± 1.98%, respectively, and chemosuppression of parasitemia as 64.01 ± 0.08% and 71.99 ± 0.06%, respectively. The major secondary metabolites identified in the plants include alkaloids, flavonoids, and saponins. It was concluded that P. americana and D. edulis possess promising antimalarial activity and they are potential sources of new lead compounds against malaria.

Evidence of an Eleventh-Century AD Cola Nitida Trade into the Middle Niger Region

Kola nut (Cola cf. nitida) and Safou fruit (Dacryodes edulis) remains have been discovered in eleventh- to fourteenth-century archaeological contexts at Togu Missiri near Ségou in Mali. These remains are evidence of early trade in perishable foodstuffs from the West African forest zone into the Middle Niger region. On the basis of these finds, this paper argues that long-distance trade links were well established by the end of the first millennium AD. It thereby supports the hypothesis that dates the inception of trade between the West African forest zone and the savanna regions to the first millennium AD. The circumstances of the find are discussed, as are the implications for our understanding of the wider exchange network based on the Niger River system in the late first and early second millennium CE.

Functionalized MWCNTs-quartzite nanocomposite coated with Dacryodes edulis stem bark extract for the attenuation of hexavalent chromium

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes/quartzite nanocomposite modified with the extract of Dacryodes edulis leaves was synthesized and designated as Q, which was applied for the removal of Cr(VI) from water. The adsorbents (PQ and Q) were characterized using the SEM, EDX, FTIR, TGA, XRD, and BET analyses. The XRD revealed the crystalline composition of the nanocomposite while the TGA indicated the incorporated extract as the primary component that degraded with an increase in temperature. The implication of the modifier was noticed to enhance the adsorption capacity of Q for Cr(VI) by the introduction of chemical functional groups. Optimum Cr(VI) removal was noticed at a pH of 2.0, adsorbent dose (50 mg), initial concentration (100 mg dm−3), and contact time (180 min). The kinetic adsorption data for both adsorbents was noticed to fit well to the pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption equilibrium data were best described by the Langmuir model. The uptake of Cr(VI) onto PQ and Q was feasible, endothermic (ΔH: PQ = 1.194 kJ mol−1 and Q = 34.64 kJ mol−1) and entropy-driven (ΔS : PQ = 64.89 J K−1 mol−1 and q = 189.7 J K−1 mol−1). Hence, the nanocomposite demonstrated potential for robust capacity to trap Cr(VI) from aqueous solution.