Discovery Phytomedicine Journal
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EVALUATION OF ANTIEMETIC ACTIVITY OF AQUEOUS LEAF EXTRACT OF Chrysophyllum albidum GEORGE DON (SAPOTACEAE) IN RODENTS
Get PDFABSTRACTEmesis or vomiting is a means by which gastrointestinal tract gets rid of its content when the upper portion of the tract is excessively irritated, over-distended or even over-excited. A large amount of stomach contents is pushed upwards to flow back into the oesophagus, which then exits through the mouth or nose. Medicinal plants have been much widely employed, and they have proved reliable in the treatment of various diseases, as well as in the discovery of newer agents.The plant, Chrysophyllum albidum (Linn), also known as African star apple, belongs to the family Sapotaceae. It is primarily a forest tree species with its natural occurrences in diverse ecozones in Uganda, Nigeria and Niger Republic (Bada, 1997). Across Nigeria, it is known by several local names and is generally regarded as a plant with diverse ethno-medicinal uses (Amusa et al., 2003). The plant is known as ‘Agbalumo’ in Yoruba.The present aim was to evaluate antiemetic activities of Chrysophyllum albidum (in copper sulphate-induced emesis, cisplatin-induced emesis in chicks, as well as in ipecac-induced emesis in rats.Both copper sulphate (50 mg/kg, orally) and cisplatin (10 mg/kg i.p) were administered to seven groups (n = 5) of chicks, while ipecac (0.03 ml orally) was used to induce emesis in rats (n = 4). Group 1 received distilled water (control), groups 2, 3, and 4 were given doses of C. albidum (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o), while groups 5, 6 and 7 were treated with standard antiemetic drugs (promethazine 25 mg/70kg, p.o; metoclopramide 50 mg/kg, i.p; and ondansetron 24 mg/70 kg, p.o). Emesis was induced thirty minutes later, and number of retching was counted for ten minutes. Chrysophyllum albidum at the doses employed showed significant (p<0.001) antiemetic when compared to the control and standard antiemetic drugs in all the models employed.The findings in this study validate the folkloric use of the plant in treating emesis.  Â
Traditional uses, Physical properties, Phytochemistry and Bioactivity of Lippia multiflora Moldenke (Verbenaceae): A Mini-review
Get PDFIn the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), medicinal plants represent the main product for both urban and rural populations for their health care needs due to the high costs of conventional medicine. These plant species contain bioactive compounds also called phytochemicals that are capable of modulating metabolic processes and resulting in the promotion of better health. In the present paper, the aims were to give updated inforÂmation on the physical properties, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of L. multiflora, medicinal plant in Republic Democratic of the Congo (DR. Congo). A literature search of this specie was conducted to obtain information about the nutritional value, phytochemistry and biological activities from various electronic databases (PubMed, PubMed Central, Science Direct, Google scholar and Sci-hub). The chemical structures of L. multiflora naturally occurring compounds were drawn using ChemBioDraw Ultra 12.0 software package. In this study, the bibliographic references were using bibliographic software Mendeley. L. multiflora Moldenke is a tropical to subtropical herbaceous aromatic plant widely distributed in West and Central Tropical Africa. It has been traditionally used in ethnomedecine against various disorders. It has been reported that the essential oil composition of L. multiflora from some locations were characterized by high terpenoids content, in particular: 1,8-cineole, linalool, geranial and neral, ipsdienone and (Z)- and (E)-ocimenone, thymol and thymyl acetate, p-cymene, sabinene, α-terpineol, α-phellandrene, myrcene and epoxymyrcene, myrtenol, limonene, (E)- and (Z)-tagetone and ipsenone, nerolidol, geraniol, γ-terpinene, (E)-caryophyllene, and β-farnesene). Many study reported that the plant possess various biological properties like anti-hypotensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-analgesic, anti-pyretic, anti-malaria, anti-oxydant, anti-microbial activities. The present review can therefore help inform future scientific research towards the development of novel drugs of relevance from L. multiflora for the improvement of human health and wellbeing
Phytochemical Screening and in vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Dracaena Afromontana Leaves
Get PDFDracaena afromontana is a native species grown in the high mountain rainforest of Rwanda. This plant finds many traditionally medicinal uses in the treatment of chest pain, dermatitis, liver diseases and malaria. In this report, the dried Bay leaves were extracted with n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol by maceration giving 0.717 g (1.434%), 1.457 g (2.914%) and 6.319 g (12.64%) respectively. The extracts were concentrated for further phytochemical screening and evaluated for antimicrobial activity against E. coli and S. aureus using well diffusion method. In addition, the dracaena afromontana extracts were analyzed using thin layer chromatographic separation techniques leading to the identification and characterization of bioactive compounds including, terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, saponins, reducing sugar and quinones. The results from TLC indicate that the higher retention factor (Rf2 = 0.77) was obtained via the use of ethyl acetate, whereas n-hexane gave a retention factor (Rf3 = 0.558). On the other hand, the methanol extract did not show any separation. The antimicrobial assay for the extracts was carried out using Lurial broth agar and Manitor salt over lay method. The findings of antimicrobial assay showed that methanolic extract of dracaena afromontana leaves has an antibacterial activity against the gram negative bacteria E.coli with the zone of inhibition of 16 mm, while the antibacterial activity of ethyl acetate extract against E. coli showed a smaller inhibition zone of 10 mm for diluted inoculums (10-2 and 10-1). For the gram positive bacteria S. aureus the inhibition zone by Dracaena afromontana was insignificant, whereby the methanolic and ethyl acetate extracts showed a maximum inhibition zone of 4 mm and 3 mm respectively. The n-hexane extract did not show any antibacterial activity against both pathogenic organisms
Microscopic Studies, Mineral composition and Bioactivity of Vitex madiensis Oliv. (Lamiaceae)
Get PDFEthanol and organic acid extracts from the leaves of Vitex madiensis Oliv. were evaluated for their antihelminthic activity using the animal model of Benhamia rosea and B. itoleisis (Kinshasa/DRC earthworms), antibacterial activity and antioxidant activity. Different concentrations (5 mg/mL, 2.5 mg/mL, 1.25 mg/mL and 0.625 mg/mL) of standard Albendazole (positive control) and sample solutions (organic acid extracts and ethanol extracts) were used for this study which involved the determination of the paralysis time (vermifuge) and mortality time (vermicidal activity) of the worms. The presence of different secondary metabolites was determined by the thin layer chromatography. The results obtained showed that the ethanolic extract and the organic acid extracts showed significant antihelminthic activity. Microscopic examination of the parts used revealed the presence of various histological elements. Its phytochemical profile remains dominated by various secondary metabolites such as coumarins, anthraquinones, flavonoids, phenolic acids and terpenoids. The mineral composition was determined by inductively coupled argon plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-EOS) showed the abundance of various elements, namely calcium, iron, potassium, selenium, sodium, magnesium, manganese, nickel, phosphorus, cobalt, copper, barium and zinc in this plant. The antibacterial activity of the extracts of this plant was weak against the bacterial strains tested. The organic acid and ethanol extracts showed interesting antioxidant activity. The leaves extracts of Vitex madiensis Oliv. showed good antihelminthic, antibacterial and antioxidant activities related to their phytochemical compositions. All these results constitute scientific evidence validating the use of this medicinal plant for the management of parasitic infections of small ruminants in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Antioxidant Potential and Brine Shrimp Lethality bioassay of Spilanthes acmella Flower Extract
Get PDFThe current research study has been carried out to explore the antioxidant activity and brine shrimp lethality bioassay of different fractions from the flower extract of Spilanthes acmella. Besides, this experiment was also assessed to find out the proximate analysis and phytochemical screening by following the perfect protocol. To fractionate by soxhletion using sequential extraction techniques powdered flower of the plant were treated with different solvents including n-hexane, chloroform, ethanol and water. For the evaluation of antioxidant activity, total antioxidant capacity determination, determination of total phenolic content and total Flvonoids contents by aluminium tricholoride method were used. In addition, ascorbic acid and gallic acid was used as a standard antioxidant compound in these studies. Concerning the proximate analysis, moisture content, total ash value, acid insoluble ash and water soluble ash value were found 8.6%, 3.76%, 3.30%, 3.20% respectively. To evaluate cytotoxicity, the brine shrimp lethality bioassay was used. For phytochemical screening different extract of those solvents were utilized that disclosed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, Tannins, amino acids on different fractions but the absence of reducing sugar and saponins. The results of all assay showed that all the extracts of Spilanthes acmella flower possess significant antioxidant activity. In brine shrimp lethality bioassay, ethanol extract of flower effect to brine shrimp nauplii and exhibiting highest toxicity having LC50 value 1.20 μg/ml as compared to standard dimethyl sulfoxide (LC50 1.31 µg/ml). These evaluations suggest that Spilanthes acmella flowers might be a better source of antioxidants and possess important cytotoxic effect
Antinociceptive Activities with the Possible Mechanisms of Action of Hydroethanol Leaf Extract of Eclipta prostrata Hassk (Astraceae) in Mice
Get PDFABSTRACTEclipta prostrata belongs to the family of plants known as Astraceae. It is a species of plant in the sunflower family, popularly known as "false daisy" in English. The whole plant contains the alkaloids nicotine and ecliptine; and used locally for treating bruises, cuts, wounds, liver disorders and pain, among others. This study investigated the analgesic activities of hydroethanollic leaf extract of Eclipta prostrata in rodents using standard laboratory protocols. Doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg were separately administered via oral route to the animals used in the various models - acetic acid-induced mouse writhing test, formalin - induced pain, hot plate-induced pain, and tail clip test. The effect of the extract was comparable to that produced by peripheral analgesics like aspirin and centrally acting analgesics like morphine used as positive control in the various models employed. The mechanism of action was elucidated through pre-treatment with naloxone (1 mg/kg), yohimbine (1mg/kg), ondasetron (0.2 mg/kg), atropine (2 mg/kg), glibenclamide (2 mg/kg).The extract activity was significant in all the models employed, however, it was more intense via the peripheral than the central pathway. Glibenclamide and atropine antagonized the activity of the decoction, which suggests that the herbal drug’s antinociceptive effect is mediated via potassium ion channel opening and cholinergic receptor.Phytochemical analysis of the leaf extract indicated the presence of flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, phlobatanin, steroids, cardiac glycoside, and which probably contributed to the analgesic activity of the extract.   Â
Selenium content, antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-sickling activities of Zanthoxylum gilletii (De Wild) P.G. Waterman (Rutaceae)
Get PDFAim: The aim of this study was to identify bioactive compounds, to determine the mineral content and to evaluate the antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-sickling activities of different parts of Zanthoxylum gilletii.Methods: Phytochemical composition was evaluated by general tests as well as chromatographic technics (TLC and HPLC), the mineral micronutrient content was quantified by spectroscopy ICP-OES. The antioxidant activities of the infusions extracts from leaves, stem bark and root bark of Z. gilletii were evaluated using ABTS an DPPH assays, the antibacterial activity against four bacteria strains using the micro-dilution method; and the anti-sickling activity was assessed by the Emmel test.Results: Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of polyphenols such as anthocyanins and flavonoids (stem bark) while stem and root barks contained tannins. Alkaloids were found in the leaves, saponins in leaves, stem and root barks. Leaves and root bark also contained triterpenoids and steroids, while only stem bark contained quinonic derivatives. For phenolic acids and flavonoids, stem and root barks could contain luteolin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and only stem bark could contain rutin. Mineral analysis revealed the presence of macronutrients and micronutrients including calcium, iron, zinc and selenium. All aqueous extracts displayed high ABTS and DPPH radical-scavenging activities at the concentration range of 1–25 ug/mL. The in vitro Emmel test showed that the aqueous extracts of the different parts had anti-sickling properties at the concentration of 10.42 µg/mL, 20.83 µg/mL, 83.30 µg/mL for the stem bark, the leaves and the root bark respectively. The stem bark was the most active extract. The results of antibacterial activity test indicated that the all extracts exhibited the highest activity against Staphyloccocus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Stem barks showed moderate activity against P. aeruginosa and root barks against S. aureus and Enterococcus spp respectively.Conclusions: The bioactivities of the different parts could be attributed to alkaloids, phenolic compounds and terpenes. Stem bark showed the best antioxidant, antibacterial and anti sickling activities. Z. gilletii contains the phytochemicals that validate its use in Traditional Medicine for the management of sickle cell disease
In vitro and in vivo Activity of Mist Amen Fevermix and Edhec Malacure, Polyherbal Antimalarial Products on Field Isolates of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium berghei
Get PDFBackgroundMalaria is a life-threatening infectious disease, which pose a public health challenge. Currently, reports of parasites resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies is widespread. This has renewed calls for new antimalarial medications including  herbal products for the treatment of malaria. This study was undertaken to scientifically assess the antiplasmodial potentials of Mist Amen Fevermix and Edhec Malacure, two polyherbal antimalarial products used for the management of uncomplicated malaria, and establish their phytochemical constituents.MethodsQualitative phytochemical screening based on standard analytical methods. The antiplasmodial activity was assessed in vitro by using Plasmodium falciparum. The SYBR® Green assay was used to measure parasite growth inhibition. In vivo activity was assessed with Plasmodium berghei parasites using the Rane’s curative method with artesunate as positive control.ResultsThe phytochemical screening of the products revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannin, steroid and saponin. In the in vitro studies, the IC50 values for Edhec Malacure was 70.89 ng/mL and 112.5ng/mL for Mist Amen Fevrmix. Artesunate exhibited an IC50 value of 1.571ng/mL. Edhec Malacure suppressed parasitemia by 76.17% (at 4.25mg/kg-1) and Mist Amen Fevermix by 69.03% (at 1.56 mg/kg-1) in vivo.  ConclusionMist Amen Fevrmix and Edhec Malacure Mixture demonstrated antiplasmodial activity and may be useful alternative antimalarial agents.Â
Assessment of antiplasmodial activity of Anthocleista grandiflora on Plasmodium berghei infected mice
Get PDFMedical plants are used traditionally as alternative treatment for malaria. Anthocleista grandiflora (A. grandiflora) is used traditionally for the treatment of malaria.  This study attempt to scientifically validate its traditional use for malaria treatment by evaluating the antiplasmodial activity of its aqueous leaf extract (AAG) in Plasmodium berghei infected mice. P. berghei infected mice were orally treated with AAG (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) daily in curative, suppressive and prophylactic studies. The untreated parasitized control (UPC) and the (PC) positive control were orally treated with normal saline (0.2mL) and chloroquine (CQ) (10mg/kg) respectively. At the end of treatment, blood samples were analyzed for parasitamia levels, hematological parameter and lipid profile. No morality was observed in acute toxicity evaluation of AAG in mice. AAG showed significant dose-dependent curative, suppressive and prophylactic activities via reductions in parasitamia levels at 100 mg/kg (p<0.05), 200 mg/kg (p<0.01) and 400 mg/kg (p<0.001) when compared to UPC. Mean survival time was increased in a dose-dependent fashion at 100 mg/kg (p<0.05), 200 mg/kg (p<0.01) and 400 mg/kg (p<0.001) when compared to UPC. AAG increased red blood cells, hemoglobin, pack cell volume, high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, but decreased white blood cells, total cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels  in a dose-dependent fashion at100 mg/kg (p<0.05), 200 mg/kg (p<0.01) and 400 mg/kg (p<0.001) when compared to UPC. Comparatively the effects of AAG (400 mg/kg) were statistically at par with (CQ) 10mg/kg. Based on the observations in this study, AGA seems safe and has antimalaria activit
Biosynthesis, Characterization and Biological Applications of Silver Nanoparticles using Celosia trigyna and Solanum nigrum Extracts: Neglected Vegetables in Nigeria
Get PDFPlant-mediated synthesis is gaining acceptance in many fields i.e. biology and pharmaceutical fields. This aim of this study is synthesizing Ag nanoparticles using air-dried leaves of two (2) neglected vegetables i.e. Celosia trigyna and Solanum nigrum. Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The anti-inflammatory properties of these AgNPs were evaluated using Cell Stabilization Membrane (CSM) and lipoxidase assays, their antioxidant activity were established on DPPH and ABTS+ assays. The positive control employed are indomethacin and ascorbic acid for these activities. Nanoparticles synthesized were labelled for Celosia trigyna (CT-AgNPs) and Solanum nigrum (SN-AgNPs) were noticed through visual color change. The UV–Vis spectra of the synthesized nanoparticles displayed absorption bands at around 360-440 nm, which is a characteristic band for Ag and FTIR displayed possible functional groups responsible for Ag nanoparticles synthesized by these plants. The SEM image of the AgNPs formed displayed were spherical in morphology. CT-AgNPs exhibited the most significant inhibitory activity against HRBC (IC50: 32.2 µg/ml) while SN-AgNPs displayed the most significant inhibitory activity against lipoxygenases (IC50: 32.8 µg/ml) when compared to the positive control used indomethacin (IC50: 28.1 µg/ml). SN-AgNPs exhibited the most significant antioxidant effect against ABTS (IC50: 11.4 µg/ml) while CT-AgNPs displayed the most significant antioxidant activity against DPPH (IC50: 4.6 µg/ml) when compared to the positive control used ascorbic acid (IC50: 4.7 µg/ml). This work showed that the synthesized AgNPs from non-cultivated vegetable can find relevance and application in health, drugs, food and environmental science