Anthelmintic activity of Cassia occidentalis L. methanolic leaf extract on Ascaridia galli and Heterakis gallinarum and its acute toxicity

Background: Cassia occidentalis is traditionally used to treat helminth infestations in poultry. We investigated the in-vitro anthelmintic activity of the methanolic leaf extract of this plant against Heterakis gallinarum and Ascaridia galli worms and its acute toxicity.Methods: Leaves of the plant were air dried, ground into powder and extracted with 70% methanol, filtered and dried at 50  into a dark green semi-solid mass. The worms were isolated from fresh intestines of local chicken and pheasants or turkeys freshly slaughtered in Kampala markets. They were placed in conical flasks containing Goodwin’s solution, kept in a water bath set at 39°C and exposed to 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24mg/ml extract concentrations. Percent worm mortality was determined for each concentration at 12h intervals. piperazine and ivermectin were used as positive controls. For acute toxicity evaluation, Swiss mice were divided into 5 groups (n=6) and administered per os with extract doses of 5,000, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000 and 25,000mg/Kg. The EC50 was determined by a plot of mortality probits against log extract concentration.Results There was a concentration-dependent relationship with worm mortality. The mean worm mortality for A. galli was significantly higher for the extract than for piperazine at 16 and 20mg/ml (p<0.05) and 24 mg/ml concentrations (p<0.01). Activity against H. gallinarum was not significantly different from that of ivermectin. The EC50 of the extract was 11.78mg/ml for A. galli and 17.78mg/ml for H. gallinarum. The extract is safe according to OECD acute toxicity guidelines since no mortality and toxicity signs were observed in mice even at 25,000mg/kg.Conclusions: The study demonstrated the anthelmintic activity of C. occidentalis and this could explain its use in traditional medicine as a remedy against helminth infections over the generations in many parts of Uganda

Crude ethanolic leaf extracts of Citropsis articulata: a potential phytomedicine for treatment of male erectile dysfunction associated with testosterone deficiency

Background: Erectile dysfunction is the inability to sustain erection of the penis firm enough for sexual intercourse in males. Citropsis articulata is used locally by communities in Uganda for the management of erectile dysfunction. The current study evaluated the effect of ethanolic leaf extract of C. articulata on the serum level of testosterone and mounting frequency in Male albino rats.Methods: The study animals were divided into four groups and the extract groups dosed daily orally with 400 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg of extract for three weeks. Sildenafil citrate (1mg/kg) and distilled water (10 ml/kg) were used as positive and negative control respectively. The mounting frequencies of the males exposed to estrus induced females rats on day (7 and 21), testosterone levels (day 21) and phytochemicals present in the extract were determined.Results: At 400 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg, both testosterone level and mounting frequency increased significantly (p<0.05) by third week. The mean testosterone level at 600 mg/kg (2.678 ng/ml) of the extract was higher than that of group treated with 1mg/kg sildenafil citrate (2.18 ng/ml). The aphrodisiac activity of this extract may be associated with presence of saponins and basic alkaloids in the plant extract.Conclusions: Taken together, the crude leaf extracts of C. articulata could be used as a cheap alternative for the treatment of low libido due to testosterone deficiency. However, further studies are needed on the safety profile and the identification of the molecules responsible for the biological activity of the plant extract

Factors Associated with 30-Day in-Hospital Mortality Among Patients Admitted with Severe Covid-19 in Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital

Andrew Mutekanga,1,&ast; Edwin Nuwagira,1,&ast; Elias Kumbakumba,2 Victoria Nyaiteera,3 Stephen Asiimwe,4 Medal Gasumuni,5 Nelson Wandera,5 Robert Natumanya,5 Denis Akena,5 Siraje Senoga,1 Joseph Kyobe Kiwanuka,6 George Kateregga,6 Emmanuel Munyarugero,6 Fardous Charles Abeya,1 Paul Stephen Obwoya,1 Stephen Ttendo,6 Rose Muhindo1,&ast; 1Department of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda; 2Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda; 3Department of ENT, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda; 4Global Health Collaborative, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; 5Department of Medicine, Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Mbarara, Uganda; 6Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Rose Muhindo, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda, Tel +256772406337, Email [email protected]: COVID-19 has created a burden on the healthcare system globally. Severe COVID-19 is linked with high hospital mortality. Data regarding 30-day in-hospital mortality and its factors has not been explored in southwestern Uganda.Methods: We carried out a retrospective, single-center cohort study, and included all in-patients with laboratory-confirmed, radiological, or clinical severe COVID-19 admitted between April 2020 and September 2021 at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH). Demographic, laboratory, treatment, and clinical outcome data were extracted from patients’ files. These data were described comparing survivors and non-survivors. We used logistic regression to explore the factors associated with 30-day in-hospital mortality.Results: Of the 283 patients with severe COVID-19 admitted at MRRH COVID-19 unit, 58.1% were male. The mean age ± standard deviation (SD) was 61± 17.4 years; there were no differences in mean age between survivors and non-survivors (59 ± 17.2 versus 64.4 ± 17.3, respectively, p=0.24) The median length of hospital stay was 7 (IQR 3– 10) days (non-survivors had a shorter median length of stay 5 (IQR 2– 9) days compared to the survivors; 8 (IQR 5– 11) days, p< 0.001. The most frequent comorbidities were hypertension (30.5%) and diabetes mellitus (30%). The overall 30-day in-hospital mortality was 134 of 279 (48%) mortality rate of 47,350× 105 with a standard error of 2.99%. The factors associated with 30-day in-hospital mortality were age: 65 years and above (aOR, 3.88; 95% CI, 1.24– 11.70; P =0.020) a neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio above 5 (aOR, 4.83; 95% CI, 1.53– 15.28; P =0.007) and oxygen requirement ≥ 15L/min (aOR, 15.80; 95% CI, 5.17– 48.25; P < 0.001).Conclusion: We found a high 30-day in-hospital mortality among patients with severe forms of COVID-19. The identified factors could help clinicians to identify patients with poor prognosis at an early stage of admission.Keywords: severe, COVID-19, 30-day in hospital mortalit