Pineapple, one of the most popular tropical fruits, is consumed in various forms including pasteurized pineapple juice. However, the heat treatment applied during pasteurization has an impact on the microbiological and nutritional qualities of these juices. This study consisted of evaluating the effects of artisanal practices on the microbiological and physicochemical properties of two pasteurized pineapple juice (70, 80 and 90°C for 10, 15 and 20 min). The produced juice had a satisfactory microbiological quality according to KEBS criteria. Physicochemical analyses revealed that the pH was similar for both juices, however the Brix degree of the preheated juice was significantly high (≈ 17.3 ± 0.2) than that of the non-preheated juice (≈ 15.3 ± 0, 2). The vitamin C content significantly decreased in the preheated juice (8.81 ± 0.22 mg/100 ml) than in the unheated one (11.45 ± 0.44 mg/100 ml) at the same time and as the time and temperature increased. Artisanal production practices allowed to obtain pineapple juice with a satisfactory microbiological quality but the nutritional quality was compromised.

The population of the canton of Sédomé, a locality bordering the Togodo-Sud National Park (PNTS) (District of Yoto in Togo), uses a diversity of plant species for which little scientific work has been done. This study is devoted to the inventory of plants and plant recipes with therapeutic potential in Sédomé, with the aim of enhancing the value of these plants. From March to September 2020, an ethnobotanical survey, based on a semi-structured questionnaire, was carried out with 72 practitioners of traditional medicine. 141 species belonging to 60 families have been identified. The most represented families were Fabaceae (12 species), Euphorbiaceae (09 species), Asteraceae and Poaceae (08 species each). The most cited species were: Citrus aurantifolia (Christm. & Panzer) Swingle (7.23%), Newbouldia laevis Seem, (4.22%) and Momordica charantia L. (3.61%). 290 recipes have been inventoried and are used in the treatment of 92 diseases. The decoction (35.86%) and the powder (23.68%) are the main methods of preparation of the recipes which are administered mainly by the oral route (65.34%) and by the cutaneous route (23.93%). The leaves (54.04%) and roots (16.47%) are the most used organs. Most of the organs are collected in riparian vegetation at the PNTS (29.73%), in the gardens (23%) and in the PNTS (20.58%). This study provides a database on plants with therapeutic potential in Sédomé. Future pharmacological studies are possible on these recipes.

The objective of this study was to assess the antimicrobial properties of the extracts of two leafy vegetables Amaranthus spinosus and Tridax procumbens traditionally used in the maritime region of Togo for their therapeutic properties. The agar well diffusion and Mueller Hinton broth microdilution methods were used to estimate the antimicrobial potential of the hydroethanolic extracts of the leaves of these plants on six reference strains and nine clinical strains including three multi-resistant and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests have shown that these tested extracts variously inhibit the growth of the used strains. The extract of T. procumbens was the most active and inhibited the growth of all strains except Candida albicans 1581 with diameters of inhibition zones varying from 9 to 31 mm. The extract of A. spinosus inhibited the growth of 11 strains out of the 15 with inhibition zones diameters ranging from 7 to 17.5 mm. The minimum inhibitory concentrations varied from 0.39 to 3.12 mg/mL and the total activities from 42.43 to 339.48 mL/g. The extract of T. procumbens, which is very active on the strains used, could be used to search for new active molecules to fight against microbial infections. These results show that the hydroethanolic extracts of the leaves of the two plants have antimicrobial activities and support their traditional use in the treatment of microbial infections.