Background: The study of phenolic compounds and their potential to contribute to health is a major interest in research. This work was to determine phenolic compound contents as well as antioxidant properties of roasted maize-peanut snack product with and without spices. Methods: HPLC was used to determine the phenolic composition of the maize flours, peanut flour and their composite snacks with and without spices. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), tannin content (TC) and radical scavenging activity (measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis (3- ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonicacid) (ABTS) and hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging assays was also used. Results: TPC of the extract of roasted maize flour, roasted peanut flour and composite roasted maize-peanut flour ranged from 48.93 to 178.31 mg GAE/100 g, while the TFC was 3.18–25.94 mg CE/100 g and TC (0.22 – 0.73 mg CE/g). The dominant phenolic acid was protocatechuic acid ranged from 13.73 to 1643.54 µg/g. Among the flavonoids, quercetin and catechin were dominant. The extracts of the free soluble fraction exhibited 23.88 – 81.52 %, 49.59 – 85.17 % and 0.58 -5.13 µmol AAE/g of DPPH, hydrogen peroxide and ABTS radical scavenging abilities respectively. Conclusion: Maize–peanut product showed potential ability in contributing to alleviating radical induced oxidative stress.

This study aimed to assess the floristic composition, vegetation structure and species associations of Cashew agro-ecosystems in the North region of Cameroon. The data were collected in 100 m x 20 m transect methods. An analysis of the data collected in the field was conducted around the diversity and richness of the flora, but also the structure of Cashew agro-ecosystems. For the analyzes of vegetation structure, tree density, basal area and biovolume were calculated. The inventory included trees with a dbh greater than or equal to 5 cm on an area of ​​1 ha per plot. The experimental device installed is a complete random Fisher block with five repetitions. A total of 7849 individuals in 17 families, 20 genera and 38 species were recorded. Species Important value of vegetation cover indicated that Diospyros mespiliformis, Anogeissus leiocarpus, Annona senegalensis and Terminalia laxiflora are the most represented. Combretaceae are the most ecologically important families. Additionally, the grouping of species into four subdivisions showed that the Shannon diversity index varies from 2.18 ± 0.09 - 3.47 ± 0.17 bits, Pielou index vary from 0.98 ± 0.01 - 0.99 ± 0.01, Simpson's index ranges from 0.70 ± 0.18 - 0.93 ± 0.11, density ranges from 102 ± 1.92 - 128 ± 6.36 indiv/ha, basal area ranges from 2.02 ± 0.31 - 12.68 ± 2.01 m²/ha, biovolume ranges from 11.58 ± 1.29 - 68.03 ± 13.21 m³/ha. The Sörensen similarity index is very high with floristic affinities greater than or equal to 90%. The diameters and heights structure show a predominance of young individuals for the diameter and height classes on all plots. The most represented species associations are legumes (Arachis hypogeae: 40.54%) and native fruit trees (Vitellaria paradoxa: 15%). These results show the contribution of Cashew agro-ecosystems in biodiversity conservation.