REMERCIEMENTS Les auteurs adressent leurs remerciements au Projet de Productivité Agricole en Afrique de l'Ouest (PPAAO) du Bénin pour avoir mis à leur disposition des moyens financiers pour la réalisation de la présente étude. RESUMEAu Bénin, plusieurs technologies sont utilisées pour la conservation du maïs. Ces technologies utilisées ne contrôlent pas toujours les pertes fongiques enregistrées. L'objectif de l'étude est d'évaluer l'impact des facteurs socio-économiques des producteurs sur les technologies de prévention des pertes fongiques et leur niveau de connaissance des mycotoxines du maïs en stockage. Pour ce faire, une enquête a été réalisée dans sept zones agro-écologiques du Bénin. Au total, sept technologies de stockages du maïs ont été inventoriées (de A à G). La technologie B est non seulement présente dans toutes les zones parcourues mais aussi, elle est fortement représentée dans les zones III, IV et VIII avec des proportions respectives de 51,33%; 62,86% et 69,83%. La population agricole ayant un niveau secondaire (27%) et les alphabétisés (15%) ont la chance de connaître les mycotoxines. Les enquêtés (100%) ne connaissent pas le danger lié à la consommation du maïs contaminé et n'ont jamais reçu une formation sur les mycotoxines. L'observation de la couleur verte (61% des enquêtés) et la couleur noire (28% des enquêtés) témoigne bien de la persistance des mycotoxines dans le maïs en stock au Bénin. © 2016 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Mots clés : Technologie, conservation, céréales, contamination, moisissures.R. BA et al. / Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 10(1): 155-166, 2016 156 Perception of maize producers in Benin and impact of the socio-economic factors on the knowledge of the mycotoxins of maize in storage ABSTRACTIn Benin, various technologies are used for the conservation of the maize. Those technologies don't often control the recorded fungal losses. The objective of the study is to value the impact of the socioeconomic factors of producers on technologies of fungal loss prevention and their level of knowledge of mycotoxins of the maize in storage. A survey has been achieved in seven agro -ecological zones of Benin. Thus, a total of seven maize storage technologies were inventoried (A to G). The use of technology B is not only apparent in all the zones covered but it is also significantly used in zones III, IV and VIII in the respective proportions of 51.33%; 62.86% and 69.83%. The agricultural population, i.e. those with secondary education (27%) and the literates (15%) happen to have some knowledge about mycotoxins. People investigated (100%) do not have knowledge of the danger associated with the consumption of contaminated maize and have never received training on mycotoxins. The observation of a green colour (by 61% of respondents) and black colour (by 28% of respondents) is testimony to the persistence of mycotoxins in maize under storage in Benin.

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Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal diseases affecting people, most of whom live below the poverty threshold. Several control strategies are defined against these diseases, including chemotherapy and Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH). This study assesses the effect of promoting hygiene and sanitation on soil-transmitted helminthiasis s and NTDs of the skin. It took place in the communes of Ze, Lalo, and Zangnanado, three municipalities located in the south of Benin. This is a formative research that took place in three phases. The first phase entailed a baseline informations and situational analysis of the state of hygiene and health, using soil-transmitted helminthiasis and wound hygiene practices as cases studies. In the second phase, interventions to promote improved hygiene and sanitation were implemented. The third phase was devoted to post-intervention evaluation. The situation analysis showed that the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis was 6.43 and 7.10% in the municipalities of Ze and Lalo, respectively. In the communes of Zangnanado, the most common wound management practices identified were: putting sand or ashes in the wounds to keep flies away, the use of medicinal plants and the application of powder from antibiotic capsules for wound dressing. The post-intervention evaluation showed a decrease in the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis from 6.43 to 1.19% in the municipality of Lalo and from 7.10 to 1.75% in the municipality of Ze. In the commune of Zangnanado, a significant shift in wound management practices was noted, which led to the healing of several chronic wounds. This research supports the evidence that WASH-based interventions are very important to tackle neglected tropical diseases NTDs in addition to specific diseases based interventions.

: Given that cancer is a disease that is rampant in the world and especially in Africa where the population has enormous difficulty in treating it, plants are a safer and less expensive alterna-tive. Cassava is one of the plant species valued in Benin because of its numerous medicinal and nutritional virtues. This study evaluated the biological activities of amygdalin from the organs of three cassava varieties most produced in Benin (BEN, RB, and MJ). HPLC analysis was used to quantify amygdalin in cassava organs and derivatives. Phytochemical screening was performed to determine secondary metabolite groups. DPPH and FRAP methods were used to assess anti-oxidant activity. Cytotoxicity of the extracts was tested on Artemia salina larvae. The an-ti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in vivo on albino mouse paw edema model induced by 5% formalin. The anticancer activity was evaluated in vivo on Wistar rats rendered cancerous by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) using 5-fluorouracil as reference molecule. The results showed that the organs of all three-cassava varieties contained glycosides, flavonoids, saponosides, ster-oids, tannins, coumarins, and cyanogenic derivatives. Young stems and fresh leaves of cassava had the highest amygdalin concentration with 11142.99 µg 10 g-1 and 9251.14 µg 10 g-1 respec-tively. The Agbeli derivative was more concentrated in amygdalin with a content of 401.56 µg 10 g-1 than the others derivatives. The antioxidant activity results showed that the amygdalin ex-tracts were found to be DPPH radical scavengers with IC50 values ranging from 0.18 mg mL-1 to 2.35 mg mL-1. The cytotoxicity test showed no toxicity of the extracts toward shrimp larvae. Ad-ministration of amygdalin extracts from the leaves of BEN and MJ varieties prevents inflamma-tory edema. The percentages of edema inhibition varied between 21.77% and 27.89%. These val-ues are similar (p> 0.05) to that of acetylsalicylic acid (25.20%). Amygdalin extract of BEN variety significantly (p<0.0001) reduces edema. Cancer induction with DMH was inhibited by both BEN extract. In both preventive and curative treatments, rats fed with amygdalin extracts showed low anti-cancer activity under the effect of DMH and the significant difference in biochemical results. Thus, the organs of all three cassava varieties studied have secondary metabolites and good an-tioxydant activity. The leaves contain high levels of amygdalin and can be used as an-ti-inflammatory and anticancer agents.

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