Benefits of antibiotics are threatened by the self-medication, people’s lack of knowledge and inappropriate use of antibiotics, especially in developing countries. This study was designed to determine knowledge; attitudes and practices toward antibiotics use in an urban community, and evaluate the factors that are associated with antibiotic use. Between January and March 2015, a cross sectional and prospective study was conducted in all pharmacies within the Douala IV health district, Cameroon. Anonymous interviews including both open and closed ended questions were conducted in participants selected by convenience sampling Descriptive and logistic regression analysis were performed using StataSE11 software (version 11 SE) and R software (version 3.1.1) in data analysis. Overall 402 (33.7%) of 1,192 customers purchased antibiotics and of these, 47% bought antibiotics without a prescription. 60.7% of purchased antibiotics was for adult ‘patients and around 60% of parents carried out self-medication on their children. The vast majority reported that all microbes can be treated with antibiotics (88.3%). The belief that antibiotics are appropriate for bacterial infections was more common among those with a higher level education (OR = 4.03, 95%CI:1.89–8.57, p<0.0001) and among public/private servants (OR = 2.47, 95%CI:1.21–5.08, p = 0.013). Physicians provide less explanations about antibiotics are and their potential side effects than the pharmacy auxiliaries (OR = 0.205, 95%CI = 0.09–0.46, p<0.0001), but more than pharmacists (OR = 3.692, 95%CI:1.44–9.25, p = 0.005). Indications on antibiotics use were 7 times more given to customers with a prescription compared to those without a prescription (OR = 7.37, 95% CI = 2.13–25.43, p = 0.002). Adult male (OR = 2.32, 95%CI:1.24–4.34, p = 0.009) and higher education (OR = 2.05, 95%CI:1.08–3.89, p = 0.027) were significantly associated with self-medication. Misuse, little "practical knowledge" and high self-medication confirm the unsatisfactory prescription and dispensing practices of the antibiotics in our country. These results highlight the important of the development and implementation appropriate guidelines for the responsible use of antibiotics for health care providers and health education targeting community members themselves.

Guedje et al., J. Appl. Biosci. 2017 Garcinia lucida Vesque (Clusiaceae): from traditional uses to pharmacopeic monograph for an emerging local plant-based drug development 10594Journal of Applied Biosciences 109: 10594-10608 ISSN 1997-5902 Garcinia lucida Vesque (Clusiaceae): from traditional uses to pharmacopeic monograph for an emerging local plant-based drug development ABSTRACT Objectives: This paper seeks to assess information on the identity, traditional uses, safety and efficacy of Garcinia lucida Vesque (Essok in Boulou and Ewondo local language), in order to highlight it potential as species to be registered in medicinal plant list and formularies needed for the development of monographs leading to local production of phytomedicines. Methodology and Results: Ethnobotanical survey was carried in the Bipindi-Akom II region (South Cameroon) with the help of interviews based on standardised questionnaires addressed to key-informants. Bark and seeds were the major parts used, highly appreciated due to its properties in preventing consumers from poison, diarrhoea and headaches. The most important therapeutic indications were additive to palm wine, antidote to poisoning, gastritis and snake bite. Other uses in treating included gynaecological pains and infections, sexual diseases and cancers. The bark was also believed by local people to act on the stability of chemical antibiotic drugs in pharmacy, while leaves were used as insect repellent against mosquitoes and cockroaches. Conclusions and application of findings: As an additive in palm wine processing, poisoning antidote, aphrodisiac and medicines, bark and seeds are widely used in the Bipindi-Lolodorf-Akom II area, in the Centre and South regions of Cameroon, in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, in Central Africa and West Africa. This similarity of use across many regions is considered as important biological activity marker tools guiding plant parts or species selection in drug discovery and development using ethnopharmacological approach. Through the ethnobotanical and biological tests, assessed, accurate information is provided to substantiate safety and efficacy of G. lucida and to satisfy the requirements of official compendia such as pharmacopoeia. Further studies are needed to understand the effects of bark and seeds as additive to palm wine, as well as the interaction between bark and chemical antibiotic drugs.

Objective: In order to contribute to the knowledge of medicinal plants used for diseases treatments and symptoms affecting rural populations of the Sanaga Maritime division, ethnobotanical and ethno pharmacological investigations have been carried. Methodology and results: Only people aged between 29-70 years with a confirmed knowledge of medicinal plants and their usage in curing and willing to take part of the study have been interviewed. The study realized in 94 homes allowed making an inventory of 94 vegetable species belonging to 92 genera and 54 families. The most representative were Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Asteraceae respectively 9 and 6 for the two others. Among those species, 10 genera have been the most representative namely: Aframomum, Alchornea, Allium, Carica, Citrus, Entandrophragma, Ocimum, Solanum, Urera and Vernonia in the following proportions 14% for Allium and Ocimum and 9% for others. Ecological parameters of plants species allowed the identification of 12 types of biotopes with 28.85% species harvested and 21.15% species of primary forests. Sixteen phytogeographical types have been listed to with 24.04% of "pantropicales", 20.19% "Afro tropicales" and 19.23% "guineo congolaises". Exploited species have been in majority herbaceous 37.50%, followed respectively by trees and shrubs with 29.81% and 27.88%. Sarcochores and Slerochores were the high majority of diaspores with the following proportions 43.27% and 13.46%. Decoction and maceration have been the preparation method most used by traditional practitioners with 27.46% and 23.94%. The oral route was the most used for the administration of medicinal plants recipes. 80 recipes have been retained for the treatment of diseases and symptoms affecting people of this division. The consensus factor permitted to confirm that troubles caused by protozoa and mycoses were raging in that division with 0.71 and 0.50 respectively. Have been identified as secondary metabolites: alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, phenols, tannins, saponins and terpenoids. Leaves represented the most used part for the preparation of recipes. Conclusion and applications of results:The usage of medicinal plants by African people and others in the world for the multiple diseases pushed researchers to explore this way to find new molecules.

In this study, Strychnos phaeotricha liana bark extract was used as a metabolite container both on the surface of metallic nanosilver and encapsulated by a chitosan polymer. The plant extract was able to reduce Ag+ into Ag0 efficiently, and the encapsulation rate was determined. The synthesized nanoderivatives were characterized using ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. These methods allowed for the determination of grain size, elemental mapping, form, and the presence of secondary metabolites at the interface of the silver. Antimicrobial properties and the oral acute toxicity profile of the generated nanoderivatives were assessed. Overall, the results show plasmon resonance bands 380–550 nm in range and metabolites at the interface of a spherical nanosilver grain of 13.5 nm diameter in size. The hybrid nanosilver and encapsulated chitosan exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against Salmonella spp, Echerichia coli, and Candida spp. Both nanosilver grains and nanocapsules were found to be nontoxic at the tested doses and are potential models to prevent microbial resistance.

Poor-quality medicines are the cause of many public health and socioeconomic problems. We conducted a review to acquire an overview of the situation concerning such medicines in Cameroon. Different searches were performed on databases from several websites of the WHO, the Ministry of Public Health of Cameroon, the Anti-Counterfeit Medicine Research Institute, the Global Pharma Health Fund, and the Infectious Disease Data Observatory. We identified 92 publications comprised of 19 peer-reviewed studies and 73 alerts. Based on studies completed, 1,664 samples were analyzed, and the prevalence of substandard and falsified (SF) medicines could be estimated for 1,440 samples. A total of 67.5% of these samples were collected from the informal sector, 20.9% from the formal sector, and 11.6% from both sectors. We found a prevalence of SF medicines across the peer-reviewed studies of 26.9%, whereas most of the SF medicines belonged to the anti-infective class. The problem of SF medicines is not studied sufficiently in Cameroon; therefore, efforts should be made to conduct adequate studies in terms of representativity and methodology.