Aphrodisiac effects of methanolic leaf extract of Pseudopanax arboreus (Araliaceae) (L.F. Phillipson) in normal male rats

Background: The leaves of Pseudopanax arboreus have been used traditionally for decades as aphrodisiac without scientific investigation. In this study, the effects of methanolic leaf extract of P. arboreus were evaluated on sexual behavior of normal male rats.Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight adult male rats were randomly grouped into 4 groups of 7 rats each. Rats in group 1 were treated with 10 ml/kg body weight distilled water, group 2 rats received 6mg/kg body weight Viagra™, while the rats in groups 3 and 4 were given 46.5 mg and 93mg/kg body weight respectively of the methanolic extract of the leaves of P. arboreus. Female rats were made receptive by ovariectomy and subsequent hormonal treatment. Sexual behavior parameters were monitored on days 1, 7, 14 and 21 by pairing each male rat to a receptive female. Relative weight of sex organs and hormonal (FSH, LH and testosterone) profile were also determined.Results: Doses of 46.5 mg/kg and 93 mg/kg, the extract significantly increased the mount and intromission frequencies, penile licking and relative weight of sex organs and enhanced testosterone production; and significantly reduced mount and intromission latencies, mean intromission interval, when compared to the distilled water group. The 93 mg/kg body weight dose prolonged ejaculation latency and reduced post-ejaculatory interval. However, the reference drug, Viagra™ proved more efficient than the extract.Conclusion: The methanolic extract of the leaves of P. arboreus possesses aphrodisiac properties which may be due to the actions of bioactive compounds present in the extract.Keywords: Pseudopanax arboreus; sexual behavior; methanolic extract; aphrodisia

Purification and characterization of circulating Onchocerca volvulus antigens from epileptic and non-epileptic onchocerciasis patient sera

Studies conducted during the past 25 years to investigate the possible relationship between onchocerciasis and epilepsy have led to contradictory results. In the present study aimed at contributing to the investigation of a possible relationship between onchocerciasis and epilepsy, we proceeded to purify and characterize circulating O. volvulus antigens from sera of onchocerciasis patients with and without epilepsy. Out of 539 onchocerciasis patients included in the study, sera from 78 epileptics and 20 non epileptics with high antigen titres were separately pooled and subjected to affinity purification using immunosorbent columns prepared using human and rabbit anti-O. volvulus IgG antibodies. Eluates of purified circulating O. volvulus antigens were concentrated, and then the protein contents were determined using the Bradford method. The antigenicity of the purified antigens was evaluated in a direct ELISA using onchocerciasis patient sera. Finally, the molecular composition of the purified proteins was determined by SDS-PAGE. The purified antigens were highly antigenic and there was no significant difference in the reaction profiles of the two groups or categories of patients. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the purified antigens ranged from 31.63 to 102.40 KDa and there was no difference in the molecular composition of antigens purified from sera of the two classes of patients. Based on this antigen profiling between epileptic and non-epileptic onchocerciasis patients, we cannot conclude with certainty whether onchocerciasis is really a cause of epilepsy in areas where it is hyperendemic as predicted by some epidemiological studies.Keywords: Antigen-detection ELISA, Immunoadsorbent columns, Affinity chromatography, Antigenicity, SDS-PAG

APHRODISIAC EFFECTS OF METHANOLIC LEAF EXTRACT OF PSEUDOPANAX ARBOREUS (ARALIACEAE) (L.F. PHILLIPSON) IN NORMAL MALE RATS

Background:  The leaves of Pseudopanax arboreus have been used traditionally for decades as aphrodisiac without scientific investigation. In this study, the effects of methanolic leaf extract of P. arboreus were evaluated on sexual behavior of normal male rats. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight adult male rats were randomly grouped into 4 groups of 7 rats each. Rats in group 1 were treated with 10 ml/kg body weight distilled water, group 2 rats received 6mg/kg body weight Viagra™, while the rats in groups 3 and 4 were given 46.5 mg and 93mg/kg body weight respectively of the methanolic extract of the leaves of P. arboreus. Female rats were made receptive by ovariectomy and subsequent hormonal treatment. Sexual behavior parameters were monitored on days 1, 7, 14 and 21 by pairing each male rat to a receptive female. Relative weight of sex organs and hormonal (FSH, LH and testosterone) profile were also determined. Results: Doses of 46.5 mg/kg and 93 mg/kg, the extract significantly increased the mount and intromission frequencies, penile licking and relative weight of sex organs and enhanced testosterone production; and significantly reduced mount and intromission latencies, mean intromission interval, when compared to the distilled water group. The 93 mg/kg body weight dose prolonged ejaculation latency and reduced post-ejaculatory interval. However, the reference drug, Viagra™ proved more efficient than the extract. Conclusion: The methanolic extract of the leaves of P. arboreus possesses aphrodisiac properties which may be due to the actions of bioactive compounds present in the extract

Leaf-Methanolic Extract of Pseudopanax arboreus (Araliaceae) (L. F. Phillipson) Reverses Amitriptyline-Induced Sexual Dysfunction in Male Rats

The people of the Bayangi tribe (Manyu Division) of Cameroon have used the leaves of Pseudopanax arboreus (Araliaceae) traditionally for decades as an aphrodisiac. In order to scientifically investigate this folk claim, we evaluated the effects of the leaf-aqueous extract of P. arboreus on the sexual behavior of normal male rats. The present study was designed to assess the effects of the leaf-methanolic extract of P. arboreus on amitriptyline-induced sexual dysfunction in male rats. Sexually impaired male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups of 8 rats each. Group 1 received 10 ml/kg distilled water, while group 2 was given 6 mg/kg Viagra. Groups 3 and 4 received 46.5 and 93 mg/kg of the leaf-methanolic extract, respectively. Female rats were made receptive by ovariectomy and subsequent hormonal treatment. Sexual behavior parameters were monitored on days 1, 7, 14, and 21 by pairing each male to a receptive female. The extract-treated rats registered significant decrease in mount latency (ML) and intromission latency (IL); nonsignificant increase in mount frequency (MF), intromission frequency (IF), and penile licking (PL); significant decrease in postejaculatory interval (PEI); contrasting effects in ejaculation latency (EL); and mean intromission interval (MII). Both doses of the extract also provoked a significant increase in relative weight of testes, but had no significant effect on the plasma hormonal profile. These findings are similar to those obtained with normal male rats and show that the leaf-methanolic extract of P. arboreus could constitute a potential solution to male sexual impairment

Effets de la toxicité des pesticides Maneb et Chlorpyrifos-Ethyl sur un poisson d’eau douce, Oreochromis niloticus

Maneb et Chlorpyrifos-Ethyl sont des pesticides utilisés en grande quantité dans les cultures vivrières au Cameroun. Pour évaluer les risques de toxicité et leur influence négative sur la biodiversité aquatique, desbioessais de toxicité aiguë sur des individus d’Oreochromis niloticus ont été réalisés séparément avec six concentrations (0 ; 1,80 ; 1,85 ; 1,90 ; 1,95 et 2 mg/l) de Maneb et (0 ; 0,15 ; 0,16 ; 0,17 ; 0,18 et 0,19 mg/l) de Chlorpyrifos-Ethyl en trois répétitions en milieux statiques dans des aquariums pendant 24h. Des mortalités minimales (20,00 ± 0,00%) et maximales (100,00 ± 0,00%) ont été enregistrées chez les alevins (taillemoyenne 3,86 ± 0,04 cm et de poids moyen 0,74 ± 0,02 g) avec respectivement 1,85 et 2 mg/l de Maneb puis 0,15 et 0,19 mg/l de Chlorpyrifos-Ethyl. Des corrélations (r = + 0,96 pour le Chlorpyrifos-Ethyl et r = + 0,98 pour le Maneb) ont été positives et fortes entre les taux de mortalité et les concentrations. La concentration létale 50% pendant 24 heures d’exposition (CL50-24h) a été relativement élevée avec le Maneb (1,93 mg/l) et faible avec le Chlorpyrifos-Ethyl (0,154 mg/l) qui s’avère le pesticide le plus toxique et qui provoque de plus un habitus particulier chez les poissons survivants.Mots clés : Maneb, Chlorpyrifos-Ethyl, toxicité, CL50-24h, Oreochromis niloticus

ANTIDIARRHOEAL AND IN VITRO ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF LEAVES EXTRACTS OF HIBISCUS ASPER. HOOK. F. (MALVACEAE).

Objective: To evaluate the antidiarrhoeal and antibacterial activities of aqueous and methanolic leaves extracts of Hibiscus asper.Materials and Methods: The effect of aqueous and methanolic extracts of Hibiscus asper was assessing on the in vitro growth of 06 reference bacteria strains and 02 clinical isolates by determining the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations, using broth microdilution method as well as on the Shigella flexneri induced infectious diarrhoea, castor oil induced secretory diarrhoea and magnesium sulphate induced osmotic diarrhoea models in rats.Results: The methanolic extract was the most active, it inhibited the in vitro growth of 05 reference Gram (-) bacteria strains (Escherichia coli ATCC 11775, Escherichia coli ATCC 8789, Escherichia coli ATCC 10536, Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048 and Salmonella typhi ATCC 6539) and one clinical isolate (Shigella flexneri). The MICs values were between 512 and 1024 μg/ml.  In vivo, methanolic and aqueous extracts, administered at the same dose (500 mg/kg) caused a significant decrease (p<0.05) in the bacteria load in the faeces of rats, 08 and 12 days of treatment respectively. The methanolic extract was the most active, it reduced bacteria load within a shorter duration of treatment (08 days). The results of this study indicate that the methanolic and aqueous extracts of leaves of Hibiscus asper after 06 hours of observation, significantly inhibited (p<0.05; p<0.001) in vivo, diarrhoea induced experimentally by castor oil and magnesium sulphate, such as extending the latency, reducing the water content of faeces, the frequency of defecation and the number of wet defecations, compared to the negative control and to the dose 2.5 mg/kg of loperamide used as reference substance.Conclusion: We can therefore conclude that the leaves of Hibiscus asper possess antibacterial and antidiarrhoeal effects, resulting from their activity leading to the antibiotic mechanisms, the reabsorption of electrolytes (Na+, K+ and Cl-) and water. These results reconcile the ethnopharmacological use of Hibiscus asper in the treatment of gastro-intestinal infections.Key words: Antidiarrhoeal, Antibacterial, Hibiscus asper