Traditional Methods for Treatment and Management of Measles in Northern Nigeria: Medicinal plants and their molecular docking

Background: Measles is one of the major causes of death among young children worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, measles affects more than 20 million people globally each year, with around 17 millions of them being children. In Nigeria, traditional herbal medicine has long been employed to treat this disease. Methods: Purposive sampling was used with the aid of an open-ended interview guide, from March–December 2021. In addition, a literature search was carried out on the reported plants. Molecular docking-based virtual screening was employed to identify possible compounds with higher affinity to the target enzyme. Results: Twenty-four medicinal plants and three traditional methods were documented for the treatment and management of measles in Northern Nigeria. Cow dung and fermented Sorghum had the highest Fidelity Level at 100 %, respectively. Leaves were the most common plant part used for the treatment of measles, likely due to the presence of secondary metabolites. Decoction and oral application were the most effective methods of preparation and administration, respectively. The binding affinities of the investigated compounds ranged from -1.3 Kcal/mol to -9.3 Kcal/mol, respectively. From the molecular docking, Quinoline and Amyrin were identified to have the highest binding affinity of -9.3 Kcal/mol, respectively. Conclusion: This study adds to our understanding of the plants utilized by Northern Nigerians in the prevention and treatment of measles. These data may be used to further pharmacological research on these therapeutic plants, with a focus on safety, standardization, and effective dose

In Vitro Screening of Seed Extracts of Medicinal Plants for Protease Inhibitory Activity

Protease inhibitors (PIs) are deployed in the plant kingdom as storage proteins or peptides, regulators of endogenous proteases, and plant protection agents against insect pests and pathogen attack. In humans, they are identified as chemopreventive agents against a range of cancers and have potential as drug to treat an array of disease associated with aberrant activity of proteases. The present investigation reports PIs activity data from 30 medicinal plants. The screening for PIs activity was done by dot blot assay using X-ray film coated with gelatin. Among screened seed extracts, Albizia lebbeck, Raphanus sativus, Mucuna pruriens, Achyranthes aspera, and Coffea arabica showed high inhibitory activities with trypsin protease. Most of seed extracts exhibited moderate activity, whereas Ocimum sanctum showed moderate to low activity against trypsin. The presence of varied protein content is reported from all seed extracts with highest in A. lebbeck (50.0 ± 3.4 mg/ml). The data produced in the present investigation could be helpful for further exploration of PIs as therapeutic agent

Natural therapies utilisation in Ranya, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Natural products are an important way to treating the disease in the whole earth. It has been estimated that more than 70% of the earth population relies on natural products. Unfortunately, the knowledge is passed from generation to generation verbally without documentation. The study aims to document the natural therapies used by the Kurdish people in the treatment and management of various ailments. Non-purposive sampling was employed in the study with an in-depth interview guide. One hundred and thirteen respondents were interviewed from the period of September 2021-June 2022. Qualitatively, excel 2016 was used to calculate descriptive statistics of socio-demographic information of the respondents and quantitatively the data were subjected to the following indices: Use Value (UV) and Relative Frequency Citation (RFC). Fourty two medicinal plants were documented and used for the management of various ailments: diabetes, fever, immune booster, aphrodisiac, stomach pain, headache, fungal, and bacterial infections. Leaves were reported as the most used part of the plant (25.5 %), oral as the most form of administration (80.5%). Plants with 0.05 are considered with have the highest UV and 0.8 for RFC. Ranya has a varied range of medicinal plants, according to the current study, and the use of medicinal plants and plant-based therapies is still common in the area. The study aimed to comprehensively document the traditional medicinal plants utilised by the people of Ranya. It will serve as an avenue for further development of herbal formulations and modern medicines in the region

Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used in the Management of COVID-19 in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Coronaviruses are infectious respiratory tract illnesses, but they can also affect the digestive tract and infect both humans and animals. The new coronavirus results in complicated health problems all over the world. The most urgent concern of all researchers around the world has been the treatment of the virus. The following study aimed to use quantitative ethnobotany to help scientist in addressing the deadly virus. Expert sampling method was adopted with the aid of an in-depth interview guide. Thirty-nine respondents were interviewed. Eighty-one medicinal plant species from 35 families were documented. Males 25 (64.1%) constitute the greater percentage of the total respondents. Majority of the respondents had formal education. Eighty-one medicinal plant species from 35 families were documented. Leaves are the most utilized 25.8 followed by seed 17.7 and fruits 12.1%, respectively. Relative frequency of citation ranged from 0.5 to 0.9, whereas the FL value ranged from 0.4 to 0.85, revealing how effective the documented plant species are in the management of COVID-19 in the region. A greater amount of research into documented medicinal plants is warranted because of the high likelihood that they contain many active ingredients

Antioxidants, Anti-inflammation, Anti-hyperglycemia and Chemical Evaluation of the whole plant extracts of Anisopus mannii N.E.Br.

Anisopus mannii from the family Asclepiadaceae is a perennial herb that is currently utilized in the traditional Northern Nigerian medicinal system. The study document comprehensive In Vitro biological evaluation and chemical profiling of A. mannii whole plant crude extracts. Qualitative phytochemical, antioxidants, anti-inflammation, anti-hyperglycemia and chemical profiling was determined. The results revealed the presence of phenols, alkaloids, tannins, glycosides flavonoids, and saponins. The plant has the inhibition capacity to convert Fe3+ to Fe2 at 18.9 mmol/gm, scavenging at 75.5, injured tissues 28.4 75.5, -amylase 62.7 and α-Glucosidase 89.5 µg /mL respectively. 9-Octadecenoic acid, methyl and Lup-20(29)-en-3-ol, acetate, (3. beta) are the major compounds found in the whole plant extract. The current groundbreaking research revealed ethanolic extract from the whole plant is an effective medicinal agent. It provides the possibility for different therapy regimens to be developed from it. Research is needed to discover and purify the active chemicals that are responsible for therapeutic efficacy

Ethnopharmacology, Biological Evaluation, and Chemical Composition of Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf.: A Review

Medicinal plants are the primary raw materials used in the production of medicinal products all over the world. As a result, more study on plants with therapeutic potential is required. The tropical tree Ziziphus spina belongs to the Rhamnaceae family. Biological reports and traditional applications including management of diabetes and treatment of malaria, digestive issues, typhoid, liver complaints, weakness, skin infections, urinary disorders, obesity, diarrhoea, and sleeplessness have all been treated with different parts of Z. spina all over the globe. The plant is identified as a rich source of diverse chemical compounds. This study is a comprehensive yet detailed review of Z. spina based on major findings from around the world regarding ethnopharmacology, biological evaluation, and chemical composition. Scopus, Web of Science, BioMed Central, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Springer Link, and Google Scholar were searched to find published articles. From the 186 research articles reviewed, we revealed the leaf extract to be significant against free radicals, microbes, parasites, inflammation-related cases, obesity, and cancer. Chemically, polyphenols/flavonoids were the most reported compounds with a composition of 66 compounds out of the total 193 compounds reported from different parts of the plant. However, the safety and efficacy of Z. spina have not been wholly assessed in humans, and further well-designed clinical trials are needed to corroborate preclinical findings. The mechanism of action of the leaf extract should be examined. The standard dose and safety of the leaf should be established

Ethnopharmacology, Biological evaluation and Chemical composition of Boswellia dalzielii Hutch: A Review

The Burseraceae family consists of 18 genera and 540 species. Boswellia dalzielii is a medicinal plant used in tropical and subtropical areas for the treatment and management of various ailments. Despite the medicinal value of B. dalzielii, there is no comprehensive documentation. The study aimed to review the ethnopharmacology, biological evaluation and chemical composition of B. dalzielii. Scopus, Web of Science, BioMed Central, Science Direct, PubMed, Springer Link, and Google Scholar were searched to find published articles. The results showed that the leaves, stem bark, and root of B. dalzielii have been traditionally used in Nigeria, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Benin, Sudan, and Guinee for the treatment and management of antirheumatic, antispasmodic, analgesic, antiseptic, hypotensive, malarial mental illness, ulcer, pain, and fever. It is also found that leaves, stem bark, and root have antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and antimalarial properties with stembark having the highest activity. Chemically, it was revealed the leaf has high contents of monoterpenes hydrocarbons with alpha-pinene as the major compound. The species were largely studied in vitro, according to the literature survey. A well-designed clinical experiment is required to obtain conclusive evidence on the efficacy of stembark. The standard dose and safety of the stembark should be established

One and a half million hematopoietic stem cell transplants: continuous and differential improvement in worldwide access with the use of non-identical family donors

The Worldwide Network of Blood and Marrow Transplantation (WBMT) pursues the mission of promoting hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for instance by evaluating activities through member societies, national registries and individual centers. In 2016, 82,718 first HCT were reported by 1,662 HCT teams in 86 of the 195 World Health Organization member states representing a global increase of 6.2% in autologous HCT and 7.0% in allogeneic HCT and bringing the total to 1,298,897 procedures. Assuming a frequency of 84,000/year, 1.5 million HCT were performed by 2019 since 1957. Slightly more autologous (53.5%) than allogeneic and more related (53.6%) than unrelated HCT were reported. A remarkable increase was noted in haploidentical related HCT for leukemias and lymphoproliferative diseases, but even more in non-malignant diseases. Transplant rates (TR; HCT/10 million population) varied according to region reaching 560.8 in North America, 438.5 in Europe, 76.7 in Latin America, 53.6 in South East Asia/Western Pacific (SEA/WPR) and 27.8 in African/East Mediterranean (AFR/EMR). Interestingly, haploidentical TR amounted to 32% in SEA/WPR and 26% in Latin America, but only 14% in Europe and EMR and 4.9% in North America of all allogeneic HCT. HCT team density (teams/10 million population) was highest in Europe (7.7) followed by North America (6.0), SEA/WPR (1.9), Latin America (1.6) and AFR/EMR (0.4). HCT are increasing steadily worldwide with narrowing gaps between regions and greater increase in allogeneic compared to autologous activity. While related HCT is rising, largely due to increase in haploidentical HCT, unrelated HCT is plateauing and cord blood HCT is in decline

Diabetes mortality and trends before 25 years of age: an analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Diabetes, particularly type 1 diabetes, at younger ages can be a largely preventable cause of death with the correct health care and services. We aimed to evaluate diabetes mortality and trends at ages younger than 25 years globally using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. Methods We used estimates of GBD 2019 to calculate international diabetes mortality at ages younger than 25 years in 1990 and 2019. Data sources for causes of death were obtained from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and other surveillance systems for 1990–2019. We estimated death rates for each location using the GBD Cause of Death Ensemble model. We analysed the association of age-standardised death rates per 100 000 population with the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and a measure of universal health coverage (UHC) and described the variability within SDI quintiles. We present estimates with their 95% uncertainty intervals. Findings In 2019, 16 300 (95% uncertainty interval 14 200 to 18 900) global deaths due to diabetes (type 1 and 2 combined) occurred in people younger than 25 years and 73·7% (68·3 to 77·4) were classified as due to type 1 diabetes. The age-standardised death rate was 0·50 (0·44 to 0·58) per 100 000 population, and 15 900 (97·5%) of these deaths occurred in low to high-middle SDI countries. The rate was 0·13 (0·12 to 0·14) per 100 000 population in the high SDI quintile, 0·60 (0·51 to 0·70) per 100 000 population in the low-middle SDI quintile, and 0·71 (0·60 to 0·86) per 100 000 population in the low SDI quintile. Within SDI quintiles, we observed large variability in rates across countries, in part explained by the extent of UHC (r2=0·62). From 1990 to 2019, age-standardised death rates decreased globally by 17·0% (−28·4 to −2·9) for all diabetes, and by 21·0% (–33·0 to −5·9) when considering only type 1 diabetes. However, the low SDI quintile had the lowest decline for both all diabetes (−13·6% [–28·4 to 3·4]) and for type 1 diabetes (−13·6% [–29·3 to 8·9]). Interpretation Decreasing diabetes mortality at ages younger than 25 years remains an important challenge, especially in low and low-middle SDI countries. Inadequate diagnosis and treatment of diabetes is likely to be major contributor to these early deaths, highlighting the urgent need to provide better access to insulin and basic diabetes education and care. This mortality metric, derived from readily available and frequently updated GBD data, can help to monitor preventable diabetes-related deaths over time globally, aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Targets, and serve as an indicator of the adequacy of basic diabetes care for type 1 and type 2 diabetes across nations.publishedVersio

The global burden of adolescent and young adult cancer in 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the global cancer burden in adolescents and young adults (aged 15–39 years) are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, with a focus on the outcome of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), to inform global cancer control measures in adolescents and young adults. Methods: Using the GBD 2019 methodology, international mortality data were collected from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and population-based cancer registry inputs modelled with mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Incidence was computed with mortality estimates and corresponding MIRs. Prevalence estimates were calculated using modelled survival and multiplied by disability weights to obtain years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated as age-specific cancer deaths multiplied by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. The main outcome was DALYs (the sum of YLLs and YLDs). Estimates were presented globally and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintiles (countries ranked and divided into five equal SDI groups), and all estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). For this analysis, we used the age range of 15–39 years to define adolescents and young adults. Findings: There were 1·19 million (95% UI 1·11–1·28) incident cancer cases and 396 000 (370 000–425 000) deaths due to cancer among people aged 15–39 years worldwide in 2019. The highest age-standardised incidence rates occurred in high SDI (59·6 [54·5–65·7] per 100 000 person-years) and high-middle SDI countries (53·2 [48·8–57·9] per 100 000 person-years), while the highest age-standardised mortality rates were in low-middle SDI (14·2 [12·9–15·6] per 100 000 person-years) and middle SDI (13·6 [12·6–14·8] per 100 000 person-years) countries. In 2019, adolescent and young adult cancers contributed 23·5 million (21·9–25·2) DALYs to the global burden of disease, of which 2·7% (1·9–3·6) came from YLDs and 97·3% (96·4–98·1) from YLLs. Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death and tenth leading cause of DALYs in adolescents and young adults globally. Interpretation: Adolescent and young adult cancers contributed substantially to the overall adolescent and young adult disease burden globally in 2019. These results provide new insights into the distribution and magnitude of the adolescent and young adult cancer burden around the world. With notable differences observed across SDI settings, these estimates can inform global and country-level cancer control efforts. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities, St Baldrick's Foundation, and the National Cancer Institute