Amino acid, mineral and fatty acid content of pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita spp) and Cyperus esculentus nuts in the Republic of Niger.

Dried seeds and nuts are widely consumed by indigenous populations of the western Sahel, especially those who inhabit rural areas. In light of the need for quantitative information regarding the content of particular nutrients in these plant foods, we collected dried pumpkin (Cucurbita spp) seeds and nuts of Cyperus esculentus in the Republic of Niger and analyzed them for their content of essential amino acids, minerals and trace elements, and fatty acids. On a dry weight basis, pumpkin seed contained 58.8% protein and 29.8% fat. However, the lysine score of the protein was only 65% relative to the FAO/WHO protein standard. The pumpkin seed contained useful amounts of linoleic (92 microg/g dry weight) and the following elements (on a microg per g dry weight basis): potassium (5,790), magnesium (5,690), manganese (49.3), zinc (113), selenium (1.29), copper (15.4), chromium (2.84), and molybdenum (0.81), but low amounts of calcium and iron. Except for potassium (5,573 microg/g dry weight) and chromium (2.88 microg/g dry weight), the C. esculentis nuts contained much less of these same nutrients compared to pumpkin seeds. In conclusion, pumpkin seeds represent a useful source of many nutrients essential to humans. The data in this report should of practical value to public health officials in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

[Pathology of injuries due to snow surfing]. / La pathologie traumatique du surf des neiges.

The amount of injured snowboarders is increasing each year. The reason is due to the success of snowboarding for teenagers. Accidents occur more during the first hours of practice. Upper limb is the first location: fore-arm breaks and wrist fractures are very common. Elbow and shoulder dislocations also occur often for snowboarders. The location of most injuries for lower leg is the ankle; we found many ankle sprains and astragalus's breaks. The knee sprain is rare unlike alpine ski. Prevention has to be developed to give a better image of this sport, in fact the attitude of the participants is the main reason for the accidents.