Cette étude a été menée dans le but de déterminer l’effet antihyperglycémiant des extraits aqueux et méthanoliques des feuilles de Vinca rosea sur les cobayes. Les expériences ont été menées sur des cobayes diabétiques (induction par injection d’une dose unique dans la veine pénienne de 65 mg/kg de streptozotocine après injection intrapéritonéale du nicotinamide à la dose de 110 mg/kg). 14 jours après induction du diabète, les cobayes considérés diabétiques ont été répartis en 4 lots de 6 cobayes chacun recevant 4 types de traitements, quotidiennement en dose unique à l’aide d’une sonde œsophagienne. Les résultats ont révélé que l’administration orale des extraits aqueux et méthanoliques des feuilles de Vinca rosea entraînaient une diminution de la glycémie (p < 0.05), de manière similaire à l’action antidiabétique de la molécule de référence : Captopril (60 mg/kg). Des études plus avancées restent recommandées pour approfondir non seulement les connaissances sur les différents flavonoïdes pourvus de cette activité mais aussi pour cerner d’une manière plus fine, les différents mécanismes d’actions possibles de ces composés.

Gastrointestinal parasite (GIP) infections control has an important role to play in increasing livestock production from a limited natural resource base and to improve animal health and welfare. This study aimed to collect indigenous knowledge and identify wild plants locally used by goat smallholders of three territories of Haut-Katanga province for treating signs of gastrointestinal parasitism. Ethnoveterinary surveys were conducted by semi-structured interviews and a bibliographic screening of the biological activities relating to cited plants was carried out. Our interviews showed that ethnosemantic diagnoses of GIP diseases are based on signs. Eighty-seven informants reported that 27 plant species from 15 families, dominated by Fabaceae (29.6%) and Lamiaceae (18.5%) were commonly used in their goats treatment. Among these plants, five species with palmately compound leaves were considerably more used. From those, we noted a substitution of Vitex congolensis De Wild. and T. Durand (Lamiaceae) by Oldfieldia dactylophylla (Welw. Ex Oliv.) J. Leonard (Picrodendraceae) and of Vitex mombassae Vatke by Vitex madiensis Oliv. Subsp. Milanjiensis (Britten) F. White. Roots (46.9%), leaves (28.0%) and seeds (12.5%) were the most frequently used plant organs, and maceration is applied for most of the medicinal preparations (62.2%). Recipes were administered by oral route, for GIP 1) prevention (33.3%), by macerating the ground plant material in drinking water for 2 weeks at the start of each season (dry and rainy); and 2) treatment (66.7%). According to the literature, some of these plants have few or no studies investigating their anthelmintic activity. The cited plants are worth investigating further as they could constitute an effective alternative strategy in maintaining animal productivity. Studies on the biological activity of these plants can also provide indications of promising leads for extracts that could be developed into commercial standardized medications.

Fresh leaves of sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) are among the most consumed vegetables in the Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). According to the literature, this vegetable shows the chemical variability depending on the culture area. Two varieties of this species, cultivated and consumed in Lubumbashi have not yet been studied for their micronutrient content, of which fruits and vegetables are the main sources. This study investigated the mineral and total flavonoid content of fresh leaves from red and green varieties of H. sabdariffa L., consumed as a vegetable in the aforementioned city. Fresh leaves of red and green variety of H. sabdariffa were purchased in 10 main markets of the Lubumbashi city. Gravimetric and spectrophotometric methods were used for analyzes of water, mineral and total flavonoids content. Three of the major mineral elements (Na, Ca, Mg) and several trace elements (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Se, Co, Cr) were found in both varieties in elevated quantity in leaves of red variety. These latter were marked by a high content of iron (7 mg/100 g of fresh material) and Manganese (600 µg/100 g of fresh material). Total flavonoids quantification revealed that the leaves of red variety have a high value (28.2 ± 0.3 mg Quercetin Equivalent per g of extract) in total flavonoids compared to the leaves of green variety. Fresh leaves of the red variety of H. Sabdariffa consumed in Lubumbashi could be a source of iron for adults and manganese for children.