BackgroundPicralima nitida Stapf (Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant used traditionally in Cameroon to cure various ailments such as gastrointestinal disorders and dysentery. This study reports the in vitro and in vivo anti-shigellosis activity of the methanol extract of this plant on rats.MethodsThe antimicrobial activity of the extract against pathogenic strains was evaluated using the disc diffusion assay and broth microdilution method. After oral administration of a suspension of Shigella dysenteriae type I (sd1), diarrheic rats were divided into 5 groups; the control group received the vehicle of the extract and the four others 125, 250, 500 mg/kg of the plant extract and ciprofloxacin (20 mg/kg) respectively for 7 days. The frequency of faeces emission as well as the weight of normal and diarrheic faeces was recorded. The presence of stools containing mucus or blood and the number of sd1 in faeces were also recorded.ResultsIn vitro, the extract had an antimicrobial effect on 11 out of the 17 pathogenic strains tested. The values of CMI and CMB obtain against Shigella dysenteriae type I were 800 and 6400 μg/ml respectively. In vivo, diarrhoea induction was effective and we notice an increase in faeces frequency and weight (p < 0.05), increase in the percentage of diarrheic stool released as well as the mucus contained in stool (p < 0.05), an increase in bacterial population in stool (p < 0.05). Picralima nitida extract, like ciprofloxacin markedly reduces the frequency faeces released and sd1 density from 100% (diarrheic rats) to 47.22 and 61.69% (500 mg/kg) respectively. It also slowed down the movement of charcoal meal through gastro-intestinal tract with the percentage of intestinal length covered of 60.54 (500 mg/kg).ConclusionThis anti-shigellosis activity in vitro and in vivo attests the usefulness of Picralima nitida in the traditional treatment of gastrointestinal disorders such as dysentery.

Background Chronic inflammation has been reported as one of the novel coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors. Knowing that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) provokes a local inflammation, the relationship between H. pylori infection and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has received considerable attention. However, the attempt to demonstrate the association between H. pylori and specific cardiovascular disease risk factors is always a challenging issue due to the conflicting reports in the literatures. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study of 363 consecutive dyspeptic subjects in three reference health facilities in Cameroon from October 2020 to October 2021. Each participation gave a written consent and the study was approved by the local Ethical Committee. Check-up for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as dyslipidemia-related parameters, obesity-related parameter, high blood pressure as well as H. pylori detection was done for each participant. Data was analyzed using SSPS statistical package. Results Helicobacter pylori infection was significantly associated with higher total cholesterol level (OR: 2.3324, p = 0.0002) and higher LDL cholesterol level (OR: 2.3096, p = 0.0006). The crude OR of H. pylori status on the prevalence of high body mass index (BMI) was 1.0813 (p = 0.7300) and the adjusted OR for confounding factors was 1.1785 (p = 0.5095). The strength of the association between H. pylori infection and blood pressure, shows an OR of 1.3807 (p = 0.2991), 1.0060 (p = 0.9855) and 1.4646 (p = 0.2694) for diastolic pressure, hypertension and high heart rate respectively, while that of systolic pressure was 0.8135 (p = 0.4952). H. pylori infection is associated with dyslipidemia in our milieu.

The objective of this study was to evaluate in vitro synergy of extracts from Picralima nitida, Cylicodiscus gabunensis, Cassia arereh and Trichilia emetica and known antimicrobial agents against clinical isolate of vibrio cholerae.The in vitro antibacterial activity of plant-extracts was evaluated alone and in combination with standard antibiotics against Vibrio cholerae using disc-diffusion and microdilution method.Only antibiotics acting by inhibiting proteins synthesis shown strong bactericidal activity with inhibition zone diameter ranging from 11 ± 0.0 to 26 ± 0.6 mm. we also noticed that methanolic extract of Cassia arereh and Trichilia emetica and ethyl acetate extract of Cassia arereh contain bioactive compounds. These extracts were effective anticholeric agents with MIC ranging between 12.207 and 97.656 µg/ml and MBC between 48.828 and 781.25 µg/ ml. Cassia arereh extract showed the greatest activity with MIC and MBC values of 12.207 and 48.828 µg/ ml respectively. Synergism was observed between antimicrobial agents and the best anticholeric plant-extract with significant reduction in the MICs of antibiotics against the strains tested. Administration of both compounds together resulted in an MIC ranging from 0.078 to 10 µg/ ml which represents a 2 to 16-fold reduction in the MICs of the antibiotics tested alone. This change in MIC was noticed even with antibiotics showed weak antibacterial activity.