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Terminalia ivorensis and Mansonnia altissima is an important tropical timber tree plant, but poor germination is an important factor militating its regeneration. Effects of pretreatments on germination of seeds of Terminalia ivorensis and Mansonia altissima were studied. Four hundered and eighty matured seeds of Terminalia ivorensis and three hundred and sixty seeds of Mansonia altissima were obtained from Forest Reserve Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Ibadan. The seeds were divided into twenty-one equal portions of 10 seeds each. Twelve pretreatments were investigated on Terminalia ivorensis and nine pretreatments on Mansonia altissima. The seeds were sown inside plastic basket containing sterilized river sand under high humidity propagator with four replicates each. Germination counts were taken daily for eighty days. Percentage germination was computed for each treatment and the data were subjected to analysis of variance. Germination was first observed among the scarified Terminalia ivorensis seeds at 14 days after sowing (DAS) and this treatment group had the highest percentage germination of 82.5%, while seeds soaked in hot water recorded the least germination. Germination was first observed in decoated Mansonia altissima and this treatment group had the highest percentage germination of 45%, whereas the least was observed among the treatments with H­2SO4. The effect of pretreatment was highly significant (p≤0.05) on the germination of both species. It is therefore recommended that mechanical scarification of Terminalia ivorensis and decoating seed of Mansonia altissima will enhance the germination of the two species.

Background Terminalia ivorensis (TI) is used in West African ethnomedicine for the treatment of conditions including ulcers, malaria and wounds. Despite its widespread use, the phytochemical profile of TI remains largely undetermined. This research investigated the effects of extraction method, season, and storage conditions on the phytochemical composition of TI to contribute towards understanding the potential benefits. Methods TI bark was collected in September 2014, September 2018 and February 2018 during the rainy or dry seasons in Eastern Region, Ghana. Samples were extracted sequentially with organic solvents (petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and ethanol) or using water (traditional). Metabolites were identified by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry and compared statistically by ANOVA. Results A total of 82 different phytochemicals were identified across all samples. A greater yield of the major phytochemicals (44%, p < 0.05) was obtained by water as compared with organic extraction. There was also a higher concentration of metabolites present in cold (63%, p < 0.05) compared with hot water extraction. A significantly (p < 0.05) higher number of phytochemicals were identified from TI collected in the dry (85%) compared to the rainy season (69%). TI bark stored for four years retained 84% of the major phytochemicals. Conclusion This work provides important information on composition and how this is modified by growing conditions, storage and method of extraction informing progress on the development of TI as a prophylactic formulation or medicine.

Background Echoviruses, a serotype of enteroviruses, infect millions of people globally and there is no specific drug treatment or vaccine available for its management. The screening of medicinal plants used locally for the treatment of infectious diseases, can provide a reliable option in the discovery of potent therapeutic compounds. This study was carried out to investigate the antiviral activities of 27 medicinal plant extracts, belonging to 26 different plant species, selected from Nigerian ethnobotany, against echovirus 7, 13 and 19 serotypes (E7, E13 and E19, respectively). Methods The plants were macerated in methanol and the cytotoxicities of the crude extracts were evaluated on the rhabdomyosarcoma cell line using the MTT assay. The antiviral activity of the plant extracts and fractions against echoviruses (E7, E13, and E19) was determined using the neutralisation assay, an assay that measures the inhibition of cytopathic effect on cell culture. Results The crude extract of Macaranga barteri leaves had the highest cytotoxicity with CC 50 value of 0.27 μg/mL. This was followed by Crinum jagus (9.88 μg/mL) and Terminalia ivorensis (12.14 μg/mL). The antiviral screening showed that ten out of the 27 crude plant extracts tested were active on E7 and E19, inhibiting the cytopathic effect of the virus in tissue culture. None of the extracts inhibited the cytopathic effect caused by E13 serotype. Amongst the active plant extracts, the methanol extract of M. barteri leaves had the highest antiviral activity on both E7 and E9 with IC 50 values of 0.028 and 0.0017 ng/mL, respectively, followed by the Ageratum conyzoides extract (0.208 μg/mL, E7; 0.006 μg/mL, E19) and Mondia whitei extract (0.038 μg/mL, E7; 0.005 μg/mL, E19). Amongst the fractions of M. barteri, the DCM fraction was most the active and selective on E7 (IC 50  = 0.0075 ng/mL; SI = 19,896.54) and E19 (IC 50  = 0.0175 ng/mL; SI = 8581.24). Conclusion Our research has demonstrated that Macaranga barteri extracts has potent antiviral activity against echoviruses E7 and E19, and our findings suggest that this extract may have potential as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of enteroviral infections.

ABSTRACT Background Breast cancer is a major public health issue. In 2022, approximately 4,207 new cases and 2,285 deaths were reported in Cameroon. Given the limited accessibility and various issues associated with conventional treatments, herbal medicine has emerged as a promising alternative. Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the potential anticancer activity of naturally occurring compounds isolated from Terminalia ivorensis A. Chev. Methods and Results This was done by fractionating the methanolic extract of T. ivorensis and purifying the constituents obtained using conventional chromatographic techniques. Thereafter, the crude extract and its 5 isolates were subjected to in vitro MTT bioassay to assess their potential to kill human (MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231) and murine (4T1) breast cancer cell lines. Furthermore, the potential of the most active compound (arjunolic acid) to mitigate DMBA‐induced breast cancer in rats was tested. Treatments were administered for a period of 121 days; the group of rats treated with arjunolic acid (1 mg/kg) was compared to the group that received tamoxifen at 3.3 mg/kg (standard), as well as to the normal and negative control groups. Key parameters assessed included survival, tumor burden, cytokine profiles, as well as hematological, hepatic, and renal functions. Out of the 5 isolates [lupeol (1), betulinic acid (2), Arjunolic acid (3), 3,3'‐Di‐O‐methylellagic acid‐4'‐O‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside (4) 3,3’,4’‐Tri‐O‐methylellagic acid‐4‐O‐β‐Dglucopyranoside (5)] from T. ivorensis, compound (3) had the most significant inhibitory effect against breast cancer cells growth with an average CC50 of 20 μg/mL. In vivo, a significant reduction (~89%) in tumor burden and favorable modulation of inflammation, characterized by a decrease in pro‐inflammatory cytokines (TNF‐α, IFN‐γ, IL‐6, VEGF) and an increase in anti‐inflammatory IL‐10 was observed. Moreover, treatment with arjunolic acid led to improved survival and maintenance of body weight, without inducing any notable adverse effects. Conclusion Arjunolic acid should receive more attention as a candidate for an effective therapeutic option, combining anticancer effects with beneficial anti‐inflammatory activity. We encourage further studies on this compound to better understand its mode and mechanism of action.

The properties of an adsorbent prepared from cost effective materials were discussed and analyzed in this research work. A ubiquitous biomass, Terminalia ivorensis biomass modified with MnO 2 (MTIB) was used for the adsorption of two anionic dyes (methyl orange (MO) and congo red (CR)). To adequately understand the viability of MTIB to adsorb MO and CR from contaminated water, it was characterized with some surface characterization techniques, which were bulk density, Boehm titration, pH point of zero charge, Fourier Transform Infra-Red and field emission-scanning electron microscopy. Surface characterization buttressed the experimental findings from multifarious data got from this research, which revealed that the major mechanisms for the adsorption of MO and CR onto MTIB were π-π stacking interaction and the adherence of these anionic dyes onto the functional moieties on the surface of MTIB. The experimental data most fit into the Langmuir-Freundlich equilibrium and Mixed-1,2-order kinetic models. The adsorption capacities, of MTIB for MO and CR were 81.32 and 92.84 mg g −1 respectively. Desorption study showed that MTIB could be used as a suitable adsorbent to treat water contaminated with toxic anionic dyes.

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) root systems are typically assumed to contribute a small portion of carbon (C) to total C stocks in cocoa agroecosystems. Yet there are almost no direct measurements of cocoa coarse root biomass to support this assumption, presumably due to the difficulty of measuring coarse roots in situ and the risk to farmers’ livelihoods. Instead, root biomass is commonly estimated using allometry based on forest data, which might not be accurate for perennial crops given their range of management conditions. In this study, we bridge conventional methods of quantifying coarse root biomass with non-destructive application of ground penetrating radar to estimate cocoa belowground biomass (BGB) and C stocks in an agroforestry system in Ghana. BGB was measured for cocoa grown with shade trees (Entandrophragma angolense or Terminalia ivorensis) and in monoculture. BGB estimates showed good accuracy, with a relative root mean square error of 7% from excavated plants. It was estimated that 15-year-old cocoa hold approximately 6.0 kg C plant−1 in coarse root biomass and have a root to shoot ratio of approximately 0.23. However, the results indicate that proportionally more biomass was allocated to roots for cocoa grown in mixture with shade trees. Plot scale estimates show that cocoa roots contributed 5.4–6.4 Mg C ha−1, representing 8–16% of C stocks in all live tree biomass (cocoa + shade trees), depending on shade tree management. Our findings illustrate a promising approach for non-destructive BGB inventories of perennial crops. It is highlighted that although commonly used pan-tropical allometric equations may broadly function in estimating BGB for cocoa, this approach assumes proportional allocation between aboveground biomass and BGB, which may translate into inaccuracies in C stock inventories across diverse cocoa agroecosystems.

Wood is one of the extensively used goods on the earth due to its large accessibility and usage in a wide range of human life. When woods are exposed to aquatic media, leachates are generated which may affect the quality of water and damage aquatic life into which they are discharged. This research seeks to evaluate the toxicity of linden ( Tilia cordata ), larch ( Larix decidua ) from the Czech Republic, cedrela ( Cedrela odorata ) and emire ( Terminalia ivorensis ) from Ghana wood leachates to two aquatic organisms ( Desmodesmus subspicatus and Lemna minor ). In algal and duckweed toxicity tests, these plants were exposed to different concentrations of wood leachate with nutrient medium creating concentration rates, 20, 30, 45, 67, and 100% v/v. High concentration of phenols and heavy metals may have contributed to toxicity. It was observed that the various wood leachates were inhibitory to the growth rate of algae and duckweed with emire exhibiting the highest toxicity with IC 50 of 30.04% and 28.58% and larch the lowest toxicity with IC 50 of 51.18% and 49.57% in relation to growth rate and chlorophyll respectively, hence indicating confirmed and potential toxicity of the various wood leachates to the aquatic organisms.

Wood is an important natural resource used for various human activities. Toxicity of wood leachate in aquatic organisms has been previously established, but whether storage over time has an impact on the quality of leachate has not been assessed. Hence, this research seeks to assess the toxicity of aged wood leachate in aquatic organisms. Five fresh wood samples were randomly selected from the Oboyow forest reserve in the eastern region of Ghana: Mahogany (Khaya ivorensis), Cedrela (Cedrela odorata), Emire (Terminalia ivorensis), Wawa (Triplochiton scleroxylon), and Ceiba (Ceiba pendandra) to assess their toxicity to aquatic organisms. Algal (Desmodesmus subspicatus) duckweed (Lemna minor) and daphnia (Daphnia magna) were carried out using exposures to concentrations of 20%, 30%, 45%, 67%, and 100% v/v of wood leachate with control media, because they represented various concentration rate levels of wood leachate toxicity in the test organisms. The toxicity of the various wood leachates might be due to high levels of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total organic carbon (TOC), i.e., metals and phenols. The % IC50 of the various wood leachate ranged from 21.51–66.77% with mahogany exhibiting the highest toxicity and wawa the lowest. It was also observed that toxicity of wood leachates decreased as the wood leachate aged. The % IC50 showed both confirmed and potential toxicity among the various wood leachates.

Environmental remediation has been a strategy employed by scientists to combat water pollution problems that have led to the scarcity of potable water. Hence, in this study, Terminalia ivorensis seed waste (TISW) was explored for the removal of Congo Red, Methylene Blue, Cadmium and Lead from aqueous solutions. Some experimental variables such as pH, biosorbent dose, initial solute ion concentration, agitation time and temperature were optimised. The surface microstructures of TISW were studied using proximate analysis, bulk density, specific surface area, pH of Point of Zero Charge, Fourier Transform Infra Red Spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric/Differential Thermal Analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-ray. The maximum Langmuir monolayer saturation adsorption capacity, q max L , was obtained as 175.44 mg/g for the removal of Methylene Blue by TISW. Also, the q max L for CR, Cd(II) ion and Pb(II) ion were 85.47, 12.58 and 52.97 mg/g, respectively. Also, the pseudo-first-order constant, k 1 , and pseudo-second-order rate constant, k 2 , are 0.008–0.026 min −1 and 0.012–0.417 mg g −1 min −1 , respectively. Hence, TISW is recommended as a good adsorbent for the removal of both toxic industrial dyes and toxic metal ions from polluted water.

Notulae Scientia Biologicae (http://www.notulaebiologicae.ro), Issue 2, Volume 12, 2020: The papers published in this issue represent interesting novelties in different topics of life science. Among the exciting researches, we invite readers to find news about: evaluation of phytochemical constituents and in vitro antimicrobial activities of leaves extracts of Calotropis procera against certain human pathogens; in vitro anti-urease, antioxidant, anticholinesterase, cytotoxic and in vivo anti-inflammatory potential of Satureja cuneifolia; impact of essential oils of clove Syzygium aromaticum in rats exposed to stress by nickel; young capitulum as important explant in in vitro mass propagation of gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii); a comparative study between temporary immersion system and semi-solid cultures on shoot multiplication and plantlets production of two Moroccan date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) varieties in vitro; effect of pretreatments on germination of seeds of the timber plant, Terminalia ivorensis and Mansonnia altissima; abundance, frequency and distribution pattern of tree species in recorded forest area of Western Himalaya; role of active transport of potassium to leaves in the mechanisms of tolerance to salinity in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).