Honey is a very complex biological product. It has great diversity, giving it a multitude of properties, both nutritionally and therapeutically. This study aimed to study the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of honeys collected during the dry and rainy seasons in the different phytogeographical areas of Benin. The study revealed that all honeys had pH, water content, electrical conductivity, ash content, free acidity, total sugars, and reducing sugars, respectively, ranging within 3.65-4.09; 12.07-13.16%; 530.25-698.50 s/cm; 0.42-0.53%; 35.67-40.52 meq/kg; 60-70%; and 58-70%. Moisture content, total sugars, and reducing sugars varied very significantly ( < 0.05 to < 0.001) from one area to another and from one season to another. However, only the production season has a significant influence ( < 0.05) on the pH of the honey. With regard to the ash content, free acidity, and electrical conduction, no significant difference ( > 0.05) between the zones or between the seasons was observed. The results of the microbiological characterization showed that there is heterogeneity in the microbial load. These results have shown that these honeys meet international standards and their characterization will make it possible to obtain Beninese quality labels.

Objective: This study aims to search the secondary metabolites of Crateva adansonii (leaves and bark) and evaluate some biological activities (antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxicity’s property) of these extracts.Methods: The phytochemical screening was made with standard method. Agar diffusion method was used for antibacterial activity coupled with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Bactericidal (MBC) determination. The antifungal test was performed by the mycelial development reduction method. DPPH method was used to evaluate the extracts antioxidant activity. Artemia salina larvae were use as support to evaluate the toxicity of the extracts.Results: The results of the phytochemical screening reveal the presence of polyphenols, triterpenoids, and glycosides in the both organs (leaves and bark) of C. adansonii. All the extracts have low activity on the reference strains with a larger diameter of 17±00 mm (S. oralis). Only the ethanolic and hydroethanolic leaf’s extracts inhibited respectively 20% and 10%, of the clinical strain S. aureus. The ethyl acetate leaf’s extract shows the best antifungal activity (89,19%) with A. clavatus. All extracts present dose-dependent antiradical properties and are non-toxic for the cells of Artemia salina. C. adansonii bark extracts had the best reducing power (23,80±0, 137 mmol/g EqAA EAA) of the DPPH radical.Conclusion: C. adansonii is therefore an active principle source for the development of drugs to antimicrobial and antioxidant activities

Objective: The present study aims to document the indigenous Knowledge associated with the production of starters culture to be used for opaque sorghum beers manufacturing in Benin Methodology and results: A quantitative survey was carried out in the central and the northern regions of Benin. A total of ninety (90) processors of traditional beers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The collected information was related to the processing method of the starters' production, its shelf life as well as sociodemographic data on the producers. Five types of starters were identified during this investigation. Apart from the beer itself which can be used as starter, we can distinguish kpètè-kpètè; the fermentation calabash, the bag and the belt of fermentation. Among them, the fermentation calabash was mostly used by 74% (67/90) of beer producers followed by kpètè-kpètè 21% (19/90). In some cases, these starters were used in association with each other to speed up the fermentation process. All the producers were women with an average age of 38 years old. Among those women, about 73% (66/90) produce and sell the beer as principal activity. According to 56% (51/90) of the producers, the quality of the manufactured beer depends on the quality of the starter used. Many other factors such as the sorghum variety, the brewing technique can also affect the beer quality. It is reported by 70% (63/90) of producers that the storage duration reduces the fermentative ability of kpètè-kpètè. Some health-related properties such as the treatment of diarrhoea have been attributed to kpètè-kpètè by 73% (66/90) of the producers interviewed. Conclusion and application of results: the fermentation calabash is the most used starter by traditional beer producers because of the quality of the derived beer. The kpètè-kpètè comes in the second position but possesses the advantage of being used by people to cure humans and animals diseases. Further Journal of Applied Biosciences 88:8223-8234 ISSN 1997-5902 N'tcha et al. . J. Appl. Biosci. Indigenous knowledge associated with the production of starters culture used to produce Beninese opaque sorghum beers 8224 investigations are needed to identify the functional microorganisms involved in the kpètè-kpètè to better understanding its health-related attributes.

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen present on a third of the healthy population. The bacterium possesses an extensive arsenal of virulence factors. The pathogenicity is linked with S. aureus high plasticity and its exceptional ability to incorporate foreign genetic material. The aim of the present study was to perform molecular characterization of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from the clinical environment of the CHU-Z Abomey-Calavi/Sô-Ava. Isolation of Staphylococcus aureus bacterium was performed on Chapman agar. Toxin production by isolated S. aureus strains was investigated using the radial immunoprecipitation technique. A colorimetric assay was used to evaluate Staphylococcus aureus lipase (SA-Lipase) production. Finally, the expression of antibiotic resistance genes and genes encoding toxins production was investigated. Our data suggest that none of the isolated Staphylococcus aureus strains expressed the investigated toxin genes. Interestingly, SA-Lipase was produced by 14.28% of our isolated S. aureus strains. The mecA gene was present in 57.14% of the isolated strains, while PVL and TSST-1 genes were identified in 2.85 and 7.14% of S. aureus, respectively. Significant genetic diversity was observed along the hospital environment S. aureus strains. The present study reveals the level of virulence of S. aureus strains isolated in the different units of CHU-Z Abomey Calavi/Sô-Ava through the production of lipase, PVL, and epidermolysins. The molecular study has favored a genetic characterization within the isolated strains.

Escherichia coli is a commensal bacterium and one of the first bacteria to colonize the digestive tract of newborns after birth. It is characterized by great versatility and metabolic flexibility that allows its survival in different niches. The present study aims at analyzing the diversity of E. coli strains isolated from the intestinal microbiota of children aged from 0 to 5 years in the commune of Abomey-Calavi in Benin. For this purpose, a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 135 stool samples were collected from the pediatric clinic of Abomey-Calavi. Microbiological analyses were performed according to standard microbiology analytical techniques. The molecular characterization of E. coli was performed by investigating eight genes (dinB, icdA, pabB, polB, putP, trpA, trpB, and uidA) using the PCR technique. The results showed that the average loading rate on stool samples was 3.74 × 107 CFU/g for TAMF. A total of 7 species of bacteria were identified at different proportions: Staphylococcus spp (55.36%), E. coli (14.29%), Klebsiella ornithinolytica (12.5%), Serratia odorifera (5.36%), and Enterobacter aerogenes (5.36%). Interestingly, isolated E. coli presented a resistance of 100% to cefotaxime and aztreonam. In addition, resistances of 95.24% and 50% were observed against erythromycin and nalidixic acid, respectively. The molecular characterization of the isolated E. coli strains allowed us to discover another molecular variation within the isolated strains. Genes encoding the enzymes isocitrate dehydrogenase (icd) and DNA polymerase II (polB) were detected at 96.30% in the isolated E. coli strains. Moreover, the genes encoding the enzymes beta-D-glucuronidase (uidA) and DNA polymerase (dinB) were detected at 88.89% in the isolated E. coli strains. Interestingly, 81.48%, 85.19, 92.59%, and 100% of isolated E. coli strains expressed the genes encoding the enzymes tryptophan synthase subunit A (trpA), proline permease (putP), p-aminobenzoate synthase, and tryptophan synthase subunit B (trpB), respectively. The diversity of E. coli strains reflects the importance of regulatory mechanisms in the adaptation of bacteria to the gut microbiota.