Antitrichomonal activity of Acanthospermum hispidum D. C. (Asteraceae)

Acanthospermum hispidum (Asteraceae), used ethnomedically in the treatment of inflammatory conditions and fever, was evaluated for antiprotozoal activities such as trypanocidal and antiplasmodial effects. This study was carried out to investigate the anti-trichomonal potential of the plant. The air-dried leaf was extracted successively with petroleum ether, chloroform, ethylacetate and methanol using the soxhlet extraction method. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the most active extract was carried out using the vacuum liquid chromatographic technique for antitrichomonal activity using Trichomonas gallinae in vitro. The ethyl acetate extract (A3) was the most active extract with LC50-LC90 values of 0.58-1.06 and 0.58-1.05 mg/ml at 24 and 48 h, respectively.  Subfraction C7 had the highest antitrichomonal activity with 0.25-0.66 and 0.25-0.54 mg/ml at 24 and 48 h, respectively comparable to the activity of metronidazole at 0.20-0.39 and 0.16-0.36 mg/ml at 24 and 48 h, respectively. A. hispidum possessed antitrichomonal activity which resided in the chloroform portion of the ethyl acetate extract of the plant.Keywords: Trichomonas gallinae, vacuum liquid chromatography, antiprotozoalAfrican Journal of Biotechnology, Vol 13(11), 1303-130

GRANDIFOLIN FROM KHAYA GRADIFOLIOLA STEM BARK

The antimalarial n-hexane fraction of K. grandifoliola stem bark on fractionation gave methyl-6-acetoxy angolensate and novel grandifolin characterized by spectroscopic methods. Key Words: Khaya grandifoliola, Meliaceae, antimalarial activity, grandifolin Nig. J. Nat. Prod. And Med. Vol.2 1998: 34-3

Effects of the Ethanolic Extract of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst. on Hbs Red Blood Cells In Vitro

Sickle cell disorder (SCD) is the commonest haemoglobinopathy amongst the people living in sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria has the highest prevalence rate in the world with rates varying between 1.5-3%. Medicinal plants have been used in the treatment of painful crises associated with sickle cell disease (SCD) especially among the lower socio-economic class who cannot afford the high cost of western medicine. Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst. is one of such plants used traditionally in the management of sickle cell anaemia hence the need to prove this claim scientifically. The leaves of C. aconitifolius (CA) were harvested, dried and extracted with different solvents using soxhlet extraction and maceration methods. The ethanolic extract was used for the antisickling, the membrane stability and the antioxidant assays. CA gave an antisickling activity significantly higher than that of Ciklavit®, the positive control (p < 0.05) and gave 96.82 ± 0.009% rate of decrease in polymerization (%RDP) at 4mg/ml. The extract caused a concentration dependent membrane stability of HbS red blood cells in vivo and also showed an increase in free radical scavenging activities as concentration increased..Keywords: Sickle cell Anaemia, Antisickling, Polymerization, Membrane Stabilit

8-(2-Methylbutanoyl)-3, 10 Epoxy-3, 8-Dihydroxyl-4, 11 (13)- Germacradien-12, 6-Olide A New Sesquiterpene Lactone From Tithonia diversifolia

Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray is known to contain sesquiterpene lactones and related compounds. A new sesquiterpine lactone 8-(2-methylbutanoyl)-3, 10 Epoxy-3, 8-dihydroxyl-4, 11 (13)- germacradien-12, 6-olide was isolated from the aerial part of the plant. The structure was established by spectroscopic methods. Key words: Tithonia diversifolia, Asteraceae, sesquiterpine lactone, 8-(2-methylbutanoyl)-3, 10 Epoxy-3, 8-dihydroxyl-4, 11 (13)- germacradien-12, 6-olide, Malaria Nig. J. Nat. Prod. and Med. Vol.8 2004: 74-7

Antisickling Activities of Some Nigerian Medicinal Plants

Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is a genetic condition caused by defective haemoglobin molecules. Symptoms are often associated with painful crisis often accompanied with vaso-occlusion, severe anaemia, acute chest syndrome, stroke, multiple organ failure, etc. In the pursuit of searching for suitable and affordable anti-sickling herbal remedies, aqueous and ethanolic extracts of ten medicinal plants from relevant previous ethnomedical records, were screened using standard methods involving whole HbSS blood and found to possess varying degrees of anti-sickling activities. For example, Anthocleista vogelii Planch (Gentiaceae) gave 12% inhibitory and 61% reversal activities; Cassia sieberiana DC ripe fruit and pericarp (Leguminoseae) gave 54% inhibitory, 90% reversal activities and 71% inhibitory and 54% reversal activities, Harungana madagascariensis Lam. ex. Poir (Hypericaceae) gave 42% inhibitory and 52% reversal activities and Senna alata (L.) Roxb. (Leguminoseae) gave 19% inhibitory and 84% reversal activities. Thus, the pericarp and whole fruit extracts of Cassia sieberiana pericarp gave the best inhibitory activity (71%) and reversal (90%) activities respectively while S. alata appeared to be a competing candidate for reversal activity (84%). Consequently, an appropriate herbal combination research on the three plant materials to achieve the best inhibitory and reversal activities in a single formulation is in progress.Keywords: Anti-sickling, Cassia sieberiana, Senna alat

Chemotherapeutic action between Khaya grandifoliola (WELW) CDC steam bark extract and two anti-malarial drugs in mice

In malarial endemic countries especially in the tropics, conventional antimalarial drugs are used with herbal remedies either concurrently or successively. Khaya grandifoliola is one of such popular herbs used in the treatment of malaria. Various doses of ethanol extract of K. grandifoliola stem bark (50-400 mg/kg/day) were administered orally to Swiss albino mice infected with Plasmodium yoelii nigerense. A dose of 100 mg/kg/day of the extract was also combined with 2.5 mg/kg/day of chloroquine or 6.25 mg/kg/day of halofantrine in both early and established malaria infection test models. The results showed that in the early malaria infection test, K. grandifoliola in combination with chloroquine or halofantrine elicited enhanced antiplasmodial effect in the established infection, there was significantly greater parasite clearance following administration of the combination when compared to the effects of K. grandifoliola or the conventional drugs alone. The mean survival period of parasitized animals was also enhanced by the extract/halofantrine combination. Lower therapeutic doses of halofantrine may be required to potentiate parasite clearance when used in combination with K. grandifoliola. This may constitute great advantage to halofantrine which is associated with cardiotoxicity at high doses.Key words: Khaya grandifoliola, Antimalarial, Chemotherapeutic interaction, Chloroquine, Halofantrin

Food as Medicine: Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory and Toxicity of Carica Papaya Seeds

Food is a great source of medicine because it supports life existence and its absence can lead to death. Carica papaya, a fruit which is popular worldwide, possesses a number of medicinal attributes. The ripe and matured unripe seeds were investigated for their acetycholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity, toxicity and antioxidant activities. AChE inhibitory activities of 70% cold ethanolic extract of the pawpaw seeds were assessed. Partitioned fractions using petroleum spirit and ethyl acetate and the vacuum liquid chromatographed portions of the ethyl acetate fraction were all evaluated in-vitro at 500μg/ml concentration using modified Ellman method. The Brine shrimp lethality test of the extract was used to determine the toxicity profile and DPPH to determine the antioxidant property. The results showed that the crude extract gave 41.16% AChE inhibition. Purification enhanced the activity. The ethyl acetate fraction on analysis produced 60.29% activity and the semi-pure compound from the VLC analysis resulted in 65.25% activity whilst Eserine gave 74.78% inhibition.. The autobiographic antioxidant TLC analysis using DPPH as detection agent showed the unripe matured seeds to possess antioxidant activity. The study is reporting for the first time the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of C papaya. Based on the results obtained, it may be deduced that the fruit can be eaten to manage Alzheimer’s disease

ECOTOXICITY AND SOME PHARMACOPOEIAL STANDARDS OF THE MOLLUSCICIDES: TETRAPLEURA TETRAPTERA

Total, acid-insoluble, water-soluble ash, as well as water-soluble extractive values of Tetraleura tetraptera has been examined. The values were highest in the savanna zone samples. Values of the numerical standards were found to vary as follows: Savanna transitional forest (rainforest frontier) >rainforest. The rank orderof the water-soluble extractive according to location was found to be: Ilora (savanna, 14.64+0.05%), Omuo-Oke (derived savanna, 4,64+0.05%)> Owena (rainforest 5.72+0.15%). The alcohol-soluble extractive was highest (6.63+0.20%) at derived savanna zone (Omuo-Oke). The rank order of the alcoholic extractive was also found to be: Omuo-Oke (savanna, 6.63+0.20%)> Ilugun/Olokemeji (derived savanna 6.46+0.12%)>Abata Egba (rainforest, 4.45+0.06%). T. tetraptera was found to be less toxic to Thermocyclops oblongatus; earthworms and Paramecium spp. than Biomphalaria glabrata snails, but more toxic to cyprids, Clarias spp. and Epiplatys spp. Key Words: Terapleura tetraptera, molluscicide; pharmacopieal values, ecotoxicity. Nig. J. Nat Prod. And Med. Vol.5 2001: 8-1

Anticholinesterase constituents from the leaves of Spondias mombin L. (Anacardiaceae)

Taiwo Olayemi Elufioye,1 Efere M Obuotor,2 Joseph M Agbedahunsi,3 Saburi A Adesanya4 1Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, 2Department of Biochemistry, 3Drug Research and Production Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, 4Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun, Nigeria Abstract: Spondias mombin has been used in traditional medicine for the management of several diseases, including memory loss. This study aimed to evaluate the cholinesterase inhibitory activity of the methanol extract of the leaves and its derived fractions, as well as carry out detailed phytochemical investigations leading to the isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds from the plant. The acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) and butyryl cholinesterase (BUChE) inhibitory activities were evaluated by colorimetric and thin-layer chromatography bioautographic assay techniques. The ethyl acetate fraction was most active against both enzymes, with percentage inhibition of 58.10 ± 1.08% and 52.66 ± 1.34% against AChE and BUChE, respectively. Three compounds, namely, botulin, campesterol and phytol, with IC50 of 0.88 μg/mL (AChE), 4.67 μg/mL (BuChE); 1.89 μg/mL (AChE), 4.08 μg/mL (BuChE) and 12.51 μg/mL (AChE), 23.89 μg/mL (BuChE), respectively, were isolated from the supernatant of the ethyl acetate fraction. The isolated cholinesterase inhibitory compounds correlate with the known memory-enhancing property of the plant and thus support one of its uses in ethnomedicine. Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, acetylcholinesterase, butyryl cholinesterase, neurodegenerative, Spondias mombin&nbsp