Chrysophyllum albidum and Irvingia gabonensis have been reported to possess several medicinal values. Most studies on these plants have focused on the fruits rather than the leaves. The present study therefore, evaluated the phytochemical constituents and in vitro antioxidant activity of methanol leaf extracts of Chrysophyllum albidum and Irvingia gabonensis. Photochemical screening was carried on the plant samples using established protocols.The results of the phytochemical screening of both extracts revealed the presence of saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids and tannins. Terpenoids and cardiac glycosides were below detectable levels in both extracts. Irvingia gabonensis extract showed significantly higher (p<0.05) levels of total phenol, total flavonoid and total tannin than the Chrysophyllum albidum extract. However, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the proanthocyanidin content of both plant extracts. Irvingia gabonensis extract had a significantly higher (p<0.05) ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) value and was a better 1,1–diphenyl–2–picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenger than Chrysophyllum albidum extract. The results of the study revealed that extract of Irvingia gabonensis had more phytochemicals and consequently, possessed higher antioxidant activity than Chrysophyllum albidum extract.

Dryland herders traditionally move to the wettest areas including southern Benin in search of pasture and water to ensure the survival of their livestock. The main objective is to characterize the cattle herds in transhumance in the municipality of Djidja in Southern of Benin. Inquiry data has been collected through semi-structured interviews of 61 cattle herds with a total of 4,772 heads. Using the methods of factorial analysis of multiple correspondences (FAMC) and ascending hierarchical classification (AHC), a typology of three types of transhumant cattle herds were established. The cattle herds of type 1 have carried out cross-border transhumance and mostly consist of Hausa (75.7%) from Nigeria. They are led by herdsmen whose average age was 26 ± 5 years. They had a high size (102 ± 33 heads) and taking part in decisions-making with the herds’ managers. The type 2 had in transhumance in the municipality outside of its home area. This was mostly consisting of two to three relatively young Fulani herdsmen (24 ± 4 years) and mostly of herds’ managers. They were not involved in decision-making. These herds had an average size of 80 ± 28 head. The cattle herd of type 3 has been in transhumance in the municipality since more than one year. They are led by young herdsmen (25 ± 3 years) relative to herds’ managers. These herds have led by one or two herdsmen with a low rate of (53 ± 24 heads) with Borgou race in majority. The typology implementation will allow us to analyze the different transhumance management modes in the municipality of Djidja.

Protected areas are increasingly frequented by transhumant cattle herds. This phenomenon has grown in recent decades in West Africa. In order to make a state of play of the use of areas protected by cattle herds, through its history, the causes of their presence and the consequences on natural resources and propose mechanisms for managing transhumance in protected areas, a bibliographical review of scientific work carried out in this direction has been made. It shows that the search for pastoral resources during the drought has been the basis for the entry of transhumant herders into these protected areas. From an ecological point of view, the debate is between those who claim that livestock is in direct competition with wildlife for access to forage resources and those suggesting that livestock and wildlife interact through a complex combination of competition / facilitation depending on the season and abundance of resources. The mode of management of transhumance in West African forests depends on the category of protected areas. Some protected areas have opted for strict management and others for concerted management. This is the case for Park W, which, through the regional project (ECOPAS) has developed a common strategy for the management of transhumance in this protected area. Despite these various proposals, the protected areas of West Africa continue to suffer pastoral pressure. It is then necessary to propose a sustainable management mode which will make it possible to make judicious use of the pastoral resources of these protected areas without compromising their biodiversity.

The faster growth of aquaculture has ensued in a series of developments harmful to the human and aquatic animal health as well as environment. People are using various prophylactic antibiotics indiscriminately in aquaculture mainly developing countries to prevent different bacterial infections resulting from sanitary shortcomings in fish and shellfish rearing. Also, the abuse of wide variety human non-biodegradable antibiotics remains in aquatic environment. It directly causes development of antibiotic-resistance bacteria and transferable resistance genes can be transferred to disease-causing bacteria, resulting in antibiotic-resistant infections for humans, fish and other aquatic animal. The greater the volume of antibiotics used, the greater the risks that antibiotic-resistant populations of bacteria will prevail in the contest for survival of the fittest at the bacterial level. The use of large amounts of antibiotics that have to be mixed with fish food also forms problems for industrial health and rises the opportunities for the presence of residual antibiotics in fish meat as well as fishery products. So, to overcome this global problem; strict measures, legislations and regulations for the use of antimicrobials in aquaculture should be developed and implemented especially in developing countries, to avoid such negative impacts in human, fish, animals and environment.

This work characterizes the growth of mangrove oyster, Crassostrea gasar of two lagoons of Côte d’Ivoire: the Ebrié lagoon; on the level of Grand-Bassam and Azito and the Aby lagoon; on the level of Assinie. Thus, a monthly sampling of 30 oysters per site for 12 months (October 2015 at September 2016), during which the physico-chemical parameters of water were recorded. The results of the study show an almost similar evolution of the physico-chemical parameters of the three sites. However, the sites of Assinie and Azito recorded a salinity, although lower than 10‰, high compared to that of Grand-Bassam. The results of morphometric analyses plead in favour of a negative allometry for the two relations in particular, size-sizes relations and size-weight relations. However, the individuals of Assinie present the best values of growth coefficient (b). According to PCA, the individuals of Assinie are identifiable by a weight of flesh and a width of higher bodies. Those of Azito are characterized by a thickness of body, a weight of shell, and a body weight more marked. As for the individuals of Grand-Bassam, they don’t present any distinguishing mark making it possible to characterize them. This study shows, the necessity to install a durable strategy of management of oyster stocks of our lagoons. It would be interesting to envision the culture of the oyster which remains an important food product of socio-economic interest.

This study was conducted at the Demonstration Farm of Fuculty of Agriculture , Kassala University during 2014/2015 and 2015/ 2016 seasons in the Halfah Elgadidah, Sudan. Randomized complete plot design with four replications was used in this study. The treatments were four sowing dates (S1, S2, S3 and S4) corresponding to 1rst Nov,15th Nov, 1rst Dec and 15th Dec and two diverse sesame cultivars “Promo” V1, Um shagara V2. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effects of sowing dates on morpho-phonologial traits and seed yield in two sesame cultivars. The obtained results showed that V2 possessing higher stem diameter, larger leaf area, higher number of fruiting branches and capsules per plant as well as seed yield as compared with V1. Sowing dates significantly influenced the different morphological attributes in this study viz, plant height, stem diameter and leaf area. Most of these characters were significantly higher when sesame sown during 15th Nov but the highest leaf area was achieved in last sowing date. Among the varying dates of sowing S2 and S3 significantly recorded higher number of fruiting branches and capsules per plant as well as seed yield as compared with first and last sowing dates. It may be inferred that Umshagra cultivar can be adopted and recommended in study area during S2 and S3 if grown as irrigated crop.

The physiomorphological divergence was assessed in twenty-seven soybean genotypes by using cluster mean analysis, principal component and principal coordinate analysis and mean difference to identify parental genotypes for future breeding program in order to develop new high yielding varieties in randomized complete block design with three replications. Plant height, days to first flowering and days to 50% flowering have the highest percent of variations anomg the traits. The genotypes under the experiment were grouped into five clusters. The highest inter cluster distance was found between cluster I and IV followed by I and V. According to principal component scores F-85-11347 and ASSET- 93-19-13 have the prominent influence towards varietal improvement. Selecting genotypes from distant clusters probably provide promising recombinants and better segregants for future breeding platform.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the heavy metal decontaminating activity of Salvinia molesta from municipal waste water. The waste water was treated with the plant specimen for five and ten days consecutively after which it was analyzed for the estimation of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The waste water was also analyzed before the treatment. The results of the investigation showed that the non-treated samples indicated higher content of Fe followed by Zn in sample Nitta gelatin (NG). It was found that Cu and Ni were present in similar quantities in all samples. A favorable decrease was seen in Zn in all samples and Fe in sample NG after five days of treatment. The concentration of Cu and Fe were found to be below the detection limit in samples collected from Chalakudy (CH), Ernakulam (ER) and Kokkala (KK) after ten days of treatment. Ni was found to be below the detection limit in samples ER and KK. Zn was found to be at a reduced level in samples CH, ER, KK and NG. Cd and Pb were found to be below the detection limit (0.01 and 0.05 ppm) in all four samples before treatment, after five and ten days of treatment. The present findings revealed that S. molesta was efficient in reducing the heavy metal concentration in the waste water, suggesting being a bioaccumulator of these metals.