Background In seasons of food shortage, local communities across Africa use wild edible plants and mushrooms (WEPM) that contribute significantly to food security by supplementing households’ diets and providing alternative income. In the Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon, their biodiversity is believed to be rapidly declining as a result of land use change. Despite their potential beneficial values, there has been only limited research on this topic in this area. This study aims to document traditional knowledge related to the use of plants and mushrooms for food purpose by indigenous people of the Bamenda highland. Method Ethnobotanical surveys were conducted in 6 localities (Mbengwi, Bafut, Nkwen, Mankon, Bambili, and Widikum) of the Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon, and 121 individuals were interviewed on commonly gathered and eaten WEPMs and their perception on their availability. Respondents were permanent residents selected based on their willingness to participate in the study. Specimens of recorded plants were collected and processed for future identification at the National Herbarium of Cameroon. Their nutritional potentials are discussed based on available literature. Results A total of 47 species were recorded including leafy vegetable, spices, fruits, roots/tubers, and mushrooms. The top 5 most frequent are Amaranthus sp. (6.6%), Termitomyces clypeatus (6.4%), Irvingia gabonensis (5.2%), Ricinodendron heudelotii (5.1%), and Aframomum sp. (4.5%). Leafy vegetable and spices are the most diversified group with 13 species each. All recorded species are important from nutritional and pharmaceutical points. However, many of their values remain uninvestigated, while their natural populations are facing threats of degradation. Conclusion WEPMs have great potential to contribute to food and nutritional security in the study area. Sound nutrients and metabolites profiling of poorly known species can enhance their contribution in addressing food insecurity.

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BackgroundUnderstanding the variation in distribution and abundance of non-timber forest products (NTFP) species is a crucial step in achieving their conservation and sustainable use. At the northern periphery of the Boumba-Bek National Park in Southeast Cameroon, little is known about which habitat type contain the highest abundance of NTFP species. In this study, we assessed habitat diversity and variation in the abundance of eight priority NTFP species comprising: Afrostyrax lepidophyllus, Baillonella toxisperma, Irvingia gabonensis, Panda oleosa, Pentaclethra macrophylla, Ricinodendron heudelotii, Scorodophloeus zenkeri and Tetrapleura tetraptera. The inventory was done along 16 linear transects of 5000 m × 20 m, and all the individuals, from juveniles (DBH < 5 cm) to mature trees (DBH > 5 cm) of the eight NTFPs were recorded. Habitat types were characterized along transects following basic forest classification system used in ecology and then measured.ResultsIn total, 13 different habitat types were identified with young secondary forests and periodically flooded forests representing 32.70% and 26.31% respectively. The least represented habitat was young fallows with Chromolaena odorata (0.08%). Seven NTFPs (A. lepidophyllus, B. toxisperma, I. gabonensis, P. oleosa, P. macrophylla, R. heudelotii and T. tetraptera) were predominantly represented in young secondary forests whereas S. zenkeri was more abundant in young Marantaceae secondary forests. The different types of young secondary forests identified seem to be favourable for the growth of the eight NTFPs.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that habitat fragmentation driven by human activities such as industrial logging and shifting cultivation destroy the forest ecosystems and has a strong influence on the sustainability of the major NTFPs in the locality.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12898-019-0219-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Since the outbreak in December 2019, in Wuhan (China) of COVID-19, approved drugs are still lacking and the world is seeking effective treatment. The purpose of this article is to review the medicinal plants with potential to be used as complementary therapies against COVID-19. Bibliographic information was searched in several databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, PROTA, ResearchGate and GLOBEinMED), to retrieve relevant papers on (1) plants used to manage common symptoms of COVID-19, (2) plant secondary metabolites with confirmed inhibitory effects on COVID-19 and (3) plants exhibiting pharmacological activities of relevance for COVID-19 management. A total of 230 species was recorded as potential source of ingredients for the fight against the 2019 novel corona virus. Of these species, 30 contain confirmed antiCOVID-19 secondary metabolites, 90 are used traditionally to manage at least 3 common symptoms of COVID-19, 10 have immunostimulant activity, 52 have anti-inflamatory activity, 14 have antiviral properties and 78 species are documented as used to treat malaria. A PCA analysis showing cluster formatting among the recorded species indicates 4 groups of species and an array of possibility of using individual species or a combination of species for their complementary effects. The authors argue that Cameroonian medicinal plants can be of potential contribution to the fight against COVID-19. Further applied research is needed to provide more scientific evidence for their efficacy, to establish standard formulations and clinical studies as part of efforts to develop therapies for COVID-19.

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