Annual Research & Review in Biology

A Review on Uses of Bhilwa (Semecarpus anacardium) in the Indian Context

Dipika Ayate — 2025-09-26

Semecarpus anacardium, commonly known as Bhilwa or the Marking Nut Tree, is a medicinally significant deciduous tree found throughout India and neighbouring regions. This review explores its ethnomedicinal legacy, botanical traits, phytochemistry, and multifaceted pharmacological activities. Bioactive constituents such as biflavonoids, bhilawanols, and phenolic compounds contribute to its documented anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiatherogenic, and neuroprotective effects. The species demonstrates potent antimicrobial, antihyperglycemic, and antispermatogenic activities, supporting wide-ranging traditional and contemporary therapeutic applications. Despite promising preclinical evidence, challenges persist regarding standardization, clinical validation, and safety profiling. Additionally, S. anacardium’s role as a boundary tree and host for lac insects provides ecological and socioeconomic benefits. Awareness of its cultivation and responsible utilization is crucial for meeting increasing pharmaceutical demand and sustaining traditional knowledge. Bridging the gap between ethnobotanical practices and evidence-based medicine remains a key priority for future research on this versatile medicinal species.

Sarcopenic Obesity in Gastroduodenal Ulcer Disease: A Cross-sectional Study of Nutritional and Biochemical Profiles in Lomé, Togo

Kponou Mathieu Bienvenu TOBOSSI — 2025-09-25

Background: Gastroduodenal ulcer disease (GUD) is a significant health burden in urban West Africa, a region undergoing a rapid nutritional transition. Conventional assessment using Body Mass Index (BMI) may fail to detect complex malnutrition phenotypes like sarcopenic obesity that could impair ulcer healing. This study aimed to characterize the detailed nutritional and metabolic profiles of GUD patients in Lomé, Togo, to unmask these underlying disorders.

Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study, conducted from July to October 2024, recruited 127 patients with endoscopically confirmed GUD. Data were collected on sociodemographic, clinical, and dietary characteristics, with dietary quality assessed via a Dietary Diversity Score (SDA). Body composition, including visceral fat and skeletal muscle mass, was evaluated using multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Fasting venous blood was analyzed for key biochemical markers, including albumin, folate, and homocysteine.

Results: The cohort (mean age 43.7; 35.4% Helicobacter pylori positive) presented a paradoxical nutritional profile. While BMI classified only 31.5% as overweight or obese, BIA revealed a high prevalence of sarcopenic obesity: 46.5% exhibited a low protein index and 39.4% had visceral obesity. Poor dietary quality (SDA ≤ 4) was significantly associated with lower concentrations of prealbumin and albumin (p<0.05), reduced serum folate (p<0.01), and consequently higher, detrimental levels of homocysteine (p<0.01). Regular fruit consumption was protective against H. pylori infection (OR = 0.42), while a low education level was an independent risk factor (OR = 2.85).

Conclusion: Patients with GUD in Lomé are affected by a severe "double burden of malnutrition." The high prevalence of sarcopenic obesity, entirely masked by BMI, fosters a systemic metabolic environment of pro-inflammatory visceral adiposity and depleted protein reserves that is fundamentally antagonistic to mucosal healing. These findings highlight the inadequacy of BMI and underscore the urgent need to integrate body composition analysis and key biochemical markers into clinical assessment to guide effective nutritional interventions.

Study of the Effects of Sorghum bicolor (Poaceae) on Duodenal Motility in Rabbits

KAMBOU Sansan Philippe — 2025-09-29

In this study,carried out to evaluate the gastrointestinal tolerance of the aqueous extract of Sorghum bicolor leaf sheath used in the treatment of anemia in Côte d'Ivoire. An aqueous extract of whole Sorghum bicolor seeds was prepared using cold maceration method. Segments of rabbit duodenum were used for the experiment. Aqueous extracts of Sorghum bicolor induce a dose-dependent reduction in duodenal muscle contractions. Aqueous extracts of Sorghum bicolor inhibit acetylcholine-induced tonic concentrations by 94% at a concentration of 1000 µg/mL. The aqueous extract of Sorghum. bicolor had intestinal muscle relaxant properties. These results support its pharmacological potential as an antispasmodic agent.