Use of Ethnobotanical Data in the Search for and Identification of Potential Drug Plants

Traditional medicine has utilized plants to palliate, cure and/or prevent diseases in both humans and animals. The acquisition of knowledge has been through trial and error, and observation. Today, the enhanced search for botanical drugs throughout the world has increased the need for accurate means of identifying plants with possible pharmacological and biological activity. A number of methodologies have been used in selecting plants likely to possess pharmacological properties, but many have recorded low success rates. Data reported in this paper reveal that the accuracy of identification of these herbal drugs for pertinent ailments using ethnobotanical data is almost as accurate as techniques applied in modern medical practice. This paper discusses the value of ethno-botanical data in the preliminary search for potential drug plants

Influence of soil lead (Pb) levels on fungal occurrence, growth and sporulation

The emission of exhaust fumes into the environment, which are eventually deposited in to soils, contributes to the increasing hazardous levels of lead in the soil ecosystem. Kenya has a high number of automotives that emit high levels of exhaust fumes that make lead a major environmental pollutant. At high levels, lead has adverse effect on the soil microbiota. This study was designed to investigate the effect of lead on mucoraceous fungi in a roadside habitat. Mucoraceous fungi are mostly saprophytes and play an important role in nutrient cycling, elemental storage and transport in the soil. Soil plate and dilution methods were used to isolate fungi from the topsoil collected from the Kiambu roadside habitat and forest stand. The soil lead content was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The effect of lead on the occurrence, growth and sporulation of the fungi was studied. Lead concentration of up to 160 μg g-1 was recorded from the roadside, habitat soils. This decreased with increase in distance away from the road. The mucoraceous fungi showed a decline in frequency of occurrence and species diversity with increasing lead pollution load in the soil. However, Cunninghamella spp. were predominantly present in the heavily contaminated soils and showed good in vitro growth in lead agar medium. Cunninghamella. elegans, which was the most common species showed tolerance for lead. Theses results showed that lead negatively affected the occurrence and diversity of mucoraceous fungi. The presumed tolerance of lead by species of Cunninghamella presents them as candidates for use in remediation of contaminated soils. Key Words: Mucorales, soil fungi, soil contamination, lead, pollution, exhaust fumes. J. Trop. Microbiol Vol.2 2003: 27-3

Antifungal activity of crude extracts of selected medicinal plants used in combinations in Lake Victoria Basin, Kenya

Use of herbs as combinations is a common practice with many herbal practitioners. The main idea behind this usually is the synergistic action expected to take place by the traditional healer hence being able to give better results as compared to one herb and also treat more than one ailment, even those not mentioned by the patient. However, other interactions such as additive and antagonism too take place when herbs are used in combinations. In this study, anti-aspergillus and anti-candida efficacy of crude extracts of five plants used in combination to treat malaria were investigated. Toddalia asiatica (root), Rhamnus staddo (root) , Momordica foetida (shoot), Podocarpus falcatus (bark), Aloe sp (secculent leaves) used by traditional health practitioners in the Kalenjin community were extracted using water and dichloromethane/methanol (1:1) and the crude extracts tested for in vitro antifungal activity singly and in combinations against Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. Dichloromethane/methanol extracts of P. falcatus showed the highest activity (77.77% inhibition) against A.niger while M. foetida showed the highest activity (77.78% inhibition) against C. albicans. Aloe sp. Showed no activity against A. niger when tested singly. A.niger was more sensitive to the plants extracts than C.albicans. Aqueous extracts did not show any activity. Antagonism, additive and synergism were observed when combinations of the herbal plants were assayed. Findings in this study are a preliminary verification of the usefulness of using herbal plants in combinations as a prevalent practice among the traditional healers

Biodegradation Properties of White Rot Fungi in Karura Forest, Kenya

No Abstract Available Discovery and Innovation Vol.16(1&2) 2004: 76-8