4 research outputs found
Variations in antimalarial components of Artemisia annua Linn from three regions of Uganda
Introduction: Artemisia annua plant from the family Asteracea is a
powerful antimalarial plant introduced to Uganda around 2003. In
addition to the artemisinin component, the plant also contains
flavonoids which work in synergy to artemisinin against malaria
parasites. The plant also contains aromatic oils which repel
mosquitoes. In this paper we report the variations in antimalarial
components of A. annua samples from the regions cultivating it in
Uganda. Methods: Artemisia annua samples were obtained from three
regions that cultivated the plant at the time of this study. The
samples were brought to laboratory, authenticated and processed. The
levels of artemisinin, total flavonoids and aromatic components were
quantified using high performance thin layer chromatography, ultra
violet spectrophotometry and gas chromatography respectively. Results:
Artemisinin and total flavonoids levels were higher in samples obtained
from high land areas (western and south western region) compared to
that obtained from lowland regions (central) i.e 0.8% Vs 0.4% and 2.6%
Vs 1.5% respectively. The aromatic oils (mosquito repellent components)
were similar with camphor component being highest and levels ranging
from 75.4% to 79.0%. Conclusion: Our findings show that the active
components in Artemisia annua cultivated and used in the Uganda vary
with geographical regions and this calls for standardisation by source
Preclinical efficacy and safety of herbal formulation for management of wounds
Background: Medicinal plants in Uganda and other developing countries
have been scientifically demonstrated to have medicinal benefits but
few or none have been translated to products for clinical use. Most
herbal products developed by local herbalists and sold to the public
are not standardized and lack efficacy and safety data to support use.
Objective: To formulate from two Ugandan medicinal plants a herbal
product for wound management and test its preclinical safety and
efficacy using rat models. Methods: Thirty (30) Wistar albino rats were
randomly divided into three groups and wounds were surgically created
on the mid-dorsal region. The wounds were treated topically with
distilled water (group I), Jena® (group II)and Neomycin sulfate
cream (group III). The effects of the treatments on rate of wound
closure, epithelialisation time and histological organization of tissue
were assessed. Results: The herbal formulation (Jena) had a
significantly higher rate of wound closure than neomycin (p<0.05)
which itself was better than distilled water. Epithelialisation time
was also significantly shorter for the herbal product (p<0.01).
Histological picture revealed more collagen fibers, less inflammation
and better tissue remodeling for rats treated with herbal product.
Conclusion: The herbal formulation Jena® systematically designed
and formulated based on two Ugandan medicinal plants is according to
this study better than neomycin and probably other imported products
for wound management in Uganda. We recommend its trial in a clinical
setting as an alternative in wound management
In Vitro Antiosteoporosis Activity and Hepatotoxicity Evaluation in Zebrafish Larvae of Bark Extracts of Prunus jamasakura Medicinal Plant
Osteoporosis is one of the main health problems in the world today characterized by low bone mass and deterioration in bone microarchitecture. In recent years, the use of natural products approach to treat it has been in the increase. In this study, in vitro antiosteoporosis activity and hepatotoxicity of P. jamasakura bark extracts were evaluated. Methods. Mouse bone marrow macrophage (BMM) cells were incubated with tartrate-resistant acid phosphate (TRAP) buffers and p-nitrophenyl phosphate and cultured with different P. jamasakura bark extracts at concentrations of 0, 6.25, 12.5, 25, and 50 μg/ml in the presence of the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand (RANKL) for 6 days. The osteoclast TRAP activity and cell viability were measured. Nitric oxide (NO) assay was conducted using murine macrophage-like RAW 264.7 cells treated with P. jamasakura ethanolic and methanolic bark extracts at concentrations of 0, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, and 200 μg/ml. For hepatotoxicity assessment, zebrafish larvae were exposed to P. jamasakura bark extracts, 0.05% dimethyl sulfoxide as a negative control, and 5 μM tamoxifen as a positive control. The surviving larvae were anesthetized and assessed for hepatocyte apoptosis. Results. TRAP activity was significantly inhibited (p < 0.001) at all concentrations of P. jamasakura extracts compared to the control treatment. At 50 μg/ml, both ethanolic and methanolic extracts of P. jamasakura exhibited significant (p < 0.01) BMM cell viability compared to the control treatment. P. jamasakura ethanolic and methanolic extracts had significant inhibitory (p < 0.01) effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO production at 200 μg/ml and exhibited significant (p < 0.01) and (p < 0.05) stimulative effects, respectively, on RAW 264.7 cell viability. No overt hepatotoxicity was observed in the liver of zebrafish larvae in any of the treatments. Conclusion. The TRAP activity of P. jamasakura bark gives a foundation for further studies to enhance future development of antiosteoporosis drug