Ethnomedicinal plant knowledge and practice of the Oromo ethnic group in southwestern Ethiopia

An ethnomedicinal study was conducted to document the indigenous medicinal plant knowledge and use by traditional healers in southwestern Ethiopia from December 2005 to November 2006. Data were collected from 45 randomly selected traditional healers using semi-structured interviews and observations. Sixty-seven ethnomedicinal plant species used by traditional healers to manage 51 different human ailments were identified and documented. Healers' indigenous knowledge was positively correlated with their reported age but not with their educational level. High degree of consensus was observed among traditional healers in treating tumor (locally known as Tanacha), rabies (Dhukuba Seree) and insect bite (Hadhaa). The use of more than one species was significantly cited for remedy preparations. The reported abundance of the ethnomedicinal plant species varied significantly with respect to the presence of multiple uses of the reported species. Our results showed that ethnomedicinal plant species used by healers are under serious threat due to several factors, which indicates the need for urgent attention towards their conservation and sustainable utilization

Antiseizure Activity of Hydro-Ethanol Leaf Extract of Ficus Thonningh in Albino Mice

The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of antiseizure claims of Ficus thonningii (FT) leaves by some people in Nigeria. Hydro-ethanol leaf extract of FT was obtained by hot extraction and the LD50 value was determined using Lorke’s method. Pentylenetetrazole, maximal electroshock and pilocarpine seizure models were employed to assess the antiseizure activity of the extract using Swiss albino mice. The acute toxicity test showed the extract to be fairly safe with LD50 of 2154 mg/kg. The extract offered protection against pentylenetetrazole and pilocarpine-induced seizures at doses of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg body weight but did not protect mice with maximal electroshock seizures. The observed antiseizure effect of the extract in pentylenetetrazole and pilocarpine seizure models could be due to stimulation of GABA-mediated inhibition in the brain and/or blockade of glutamatergic neurotransmission mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate. Ficus thonningii leaf is therefore a potential source of drug for management of epilepsy.Keywords: Seizures, antiseizure, Ficus thonningii leaf extract, albino mic

Formulation of tablets of Xylopia parviflora benth (annonaceae) leaves-a potential antimalarial drug

Xylopia species are widely available in West Africa. Xylopia parviflora (Benth) plant is used in folk medicine in the management of a number of ailments, one of these is the use of the leaves in the treatment of malaria fever for which a number of patients have reported its beneficial effects. This study was designed to investigate the possibility offormulating the dried leaves of Xylopia parviflora (Benth) into tablets for convenience of administration and consistency of dose. The powdered dried leaves were granulated using three binding agents gelatin, maize starch, and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). The granules were evaluated for size distribution, moisture content and flow properties while the tablets were tested for hardness, friability, disintegration and dissolution. Results show that the flow properties of all batches of granules are good. The tablets met pharmacopoeial requirement for weight uniformity, disintegration time and dissolution rate. But formulations containing PVP possessed poor disintegrationand dissolution properties. Xylopia parviflora leaves a potential anti malarial drug can thus be formulated into tablets. Good tablets are obtained when gelatin or maize starch at 0.4% is employed as a binde

The Effect Of Ricinus Communis Variety Minor On Reproductive Organs Of The Wistar Rat And Haematological Indicies In Women Volunteers

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of the extract on reproductive organs of the wistar rat and its reproductive cyclicity and also to determine the safety of the extract in women volunteers who have been on it for between 1 10 years with respect to their haematological indicies. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The seed extract of Ricinus Communis variety minor given in a dose of 1.2kg/kg body weight to female wistar rats subcutaneously. The oestrous cycle were studied and the ovaries and uteri were obtained , fixed in Boiun`s fluid and prepared for Haematoxylin and Eosin(H&E) stining for histology. Similarly, the ante cubital venous blood of women already on the seed as a means of family planning were obtained and their haematological indices determined. RESULTS.: Thee estrous cycle of the rats were distorted. Furthermore, this seed extract induced changes in the ovarian and uterine histology, which may be due partly to alteration in the estrogen/ progesterone balance, as well as direct effect on these reproductive organs. Hematological indices were not affected in women volunteers who have been on the plant seed of as 3 seeds as a single dose as a means of family planning. CONCLUSION: The seed extract distorted the oestrous cyclce of the female wistar rat. It did not adversely affect the haematologic indicies which may suggest its safety from some known haematological complications of family planning pills such as thrombo embolism etc. KEY WORDS: Ricinus communis, Reproductive organs, women volunteers. Highland Medical Research Journal Vol.1(3) 2003: 31-3

Neurocognitive impairment associated with predominantly early stage HIV infection in Abuja, Nigeria

Detailed neuropsychological testing was performed on 134 HIV seropositive (SP) and 77 HIV seronegative (SN) individuals, 86% with early stage HIV infection in Nigeria, to determine the frequency of HIV-related neurocognitive impairment among the HIV-infected group. Twenty-two tests were administered to assess the following seven ability domains: speed of information processing (SIP); attention/working memory (AWM); executive functioning (EF); learning (LN); memory (MEM); verbal fluency (VF); and motor speed/dexterity (MSD). Demographically corrected individual test scores and scores for each domain or reflecting a global deficit (a global deficit score, or GDS) were compared for the SP and SN groups. SP participants were older, had fewer years of education, were more likely to be married, differed in ethnicity and had higher depression scores than SN individuals. On the testing, SP performed worse than SN on four tests that individually assessed LN, VF and MSD (the timed gait). SP subjects, however, performed better than SN on the finger-tapping test, also a motor task. Within the seven ability domains, SP performed worse than SN with respect to SIP, EF, LN, MEM and VF and also on the global measure. SP were also more frequently impaired on tests of SIP, and there was a borderline increase in the frequency of global impairment. Performance by SP subjects was not associated with CD4 counts. However, there were significant correlations between viral load measurements and individual tests of SIP, EF, LN and VF and with overall EF and a borderline correlation with the GDS. Depression scores for SP were associated with impairment on only a single test of EF. These results demonstrate that the ability of these assessments to identify areas of impairment that may be specifically linked to a history of HIV infection among individuals in Nigeria. Confirmation of these findings awaits analyses using data from a larger number of control subjects