Wild Edible Mushrooms Depict a Dissimilar Biogeographical Distribution in Humid Forests of Cameroon

For millennia, wild edible mushrooms (WEM) had always been considered as substantial food and medicinal sources, for local communities, both Bantu and indigenous peoples. However, few information and sparse data are available on useful mushrooms of Cameroon. A study was undertaken to update the checklist of WEM in humid forests of Cameroon. From mushroom excursions, surveys and inventories, thousand fungal specimens were collected in situ, described and identified using key features and references. Wild edible mushrooms were recruited in three trophic groups. They denoted a dissimilar national biogeographical distribution. Saprophytes and Termitomyces were encountered throughout the country; ectomycorrhizal mushrooms occurred in forest clumps, only in three regions: South, Southeast and Southwest. 117 WEM were listed belonging to 17 families and 43 genera, including nearly 22 Termitomyces, 32 ectomycorrhizal and 63 saprophyte species. 15 WEM were also claimed to have medicinal properties. This vast mushroom diversity related to various specific habitats and ecological niches. Five fungal groups were considered as excellent edible. Amanita and Boletus species were seldom consumed. Most mushroom species were harvested solely for home consumption, with the exception of Termitomyces, the only marketed mushroom. In fine, the diversity of WEM was high but poorly known and valorized. To fulfill the Nagoya convention, it is recommended to pursue mycological inventory of macrofungi in Cameroon, including the use of molecular tools and to cultivate local wild edible saprophyte mushrooms.

Application of multivariate techniques in the evaluation of melt granulation products

In this work, principal component analysis and cluster analysis were applied as helping tools to extract useful information in the development of formulations and manufacturing processes of melt granulates. Two melt granulation processes that differ in the shear stress applied to the solid bed during melting step were designed. These processes employ equipment frequently used in the local pharmaceutical industry. The selected binders include both hydrophilic and hydrophobic excipients, which were used alone or in binary mixtures. Granulates were characterized regarding their physicomechanical properties, including their compaction behavior. The resulting tablets were also evaluated. The selected multivariate statistical methods proved to be useful in facilitating the interpretation of the collected data and the study of the properties of granulates and tablets, as well as the selection of more efficient production processes.

Neste trabalho, foram aplicadas as técnicas de análise de componentes principais e de análise de agrupamentos para extrair informações úteis no desenvolvimento de formulações e de processos de produção de granulados por fusão. Desenharam-se dois processos de granulação por fusão que apresentam diferenças na tensão de cisalhamento aplicada ao leito sólido durante a etapa de fusão. Esses processos empregam equipamentos frequentemente usados na indústria farmacêutica local. Os ligantes escolhidos incluíram excipientes tanto hidrofílicos quanto hidrofóbicos, utilizados de forma individual ou em misturas binárias. Os granulados foram caracterizados quanto às suas propriedades físico-mecânicas, incluindo seu desempenho no processo de compactação. Os comprimidos resultantes também foram avaliados. Os métodos de análise multivariada escolhidos provaram ser úteis para facilitar a interpretação dos dados coletados e o estudo das propriedades dos granulados e dos comprimidos, bem como a seleção de processos de produção mais eficientes.