Phytochemical Analysis of Polyphenols in Leaf Extract from <i>Vernonia amygdalina</i> Delile Plant Growing in Uganda

Due to the presence of phytochemicals, plants have been known to be used in the treatment and management of various diseases. Vernonia amygdalina, belonging to the Asteraceae family, is a plant known for its many applications in traditional medicine for various purposes. Previous studies on the methanolic leaf extract of this plant have proved the antibacterial, cytotoxic, anticancer and antioxidant effects indicative of promising therapeutic potentials. In this work, chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques along with high-performance liquid chromatography quantitative analysis were adopted to isolate, identify and quantify polyphenolic compounds in V. amygdalina leaf extract. UHPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS and UHPLC-DAD methods were adopted for qualitative and quantitative analysis, respectively. In the case of polyphenol separation, some reference substances were isolated by preparative HPLC. Seven polyphenols were identified and quantified in this study: 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, luteolin hexoside, 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 1,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid and luteolin dihexoside, with 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid being isolated in the highest quantity of 27.49 mg g−1 extract

Wild edible plants used by communities in and around selected forest reserves of Teso-Karamoja region, Uganda

Abstract Background The consumption of wild plants is an ancient tradition which serves multiple purposes. Cognizant that Teso-Karamoja region is frequently affected by food scarcity and is not adequately surveyed for its flora, this study sought to establish an inventory and use of wild edible plants by the communities living in and around the forest reserves. Methods Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires administered to 240 respondents living in and around eight forest reserves between November 2017 and May 2018. One focus group discussion (8–12 members) per forest reserve and field excursions to collect the plant voucher specimens were also conducted. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, relative frequency of citation (RFC), and the factor of informants’ consensus (FIC). Results A total of 100 plant species in 47 families were reported as edible. Carissa spinarum, Strychnos innocua, Balanites aegyptiaca, Tamarindus indica, and Ximenia americana presented the highest RFC, while the families Rubiaceae, Fabaceae, Anacardiaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Moraceae had more than five species each. Grasses (Poaceae) comprised only 1% of the edible species and trees 35%, while shrubs were the most important source of wild food (RFC = 0.47). The fruits contributed 63% while leaves (29%), seeds (9%), tubers (5%), and gum (1%). The fruits were considered as the most important use category (RFC = 0.78). Respondent homogeneity was none for gum but very high for seeds (FIC - 0.93). Only 36% of species are cooked, while 64% are eaten in raw. Harvesting is done rudimentarily by digging (5%), collecting from the ground (fruits that fall down) (13%), and plucking from mother plants (82%). Only 9% of the species were collected throughout the year, 27% in the dry season, and 64% in the rainy season. The consumption of these plants is attributed to food scarcity, spicing staple food, nutri-medicinal value, cultural practice, and delicacy. Conclusion A high diversity of wild edible plant species exists in the forest reserves of Teso-Karamoja region. The shrubs and fruits are the most locally important life forms and use category, respectively. These edible plant species are important throughout the year because their consumption serves multiple purposes

Treatment-seeking behavior and practices among caregivers of children &lt;5 years with presumed malaria in rural Uganda

BackgroundWe aimed to determine the rate of herbal medicine usage and the treatment-seeking behaviour of caregivers of children under 5 years of age with presumed or confirmed malaria in in an endemic area of Uganda. MethodsWe interviewed parents/ guardians of 722 children aged 6 months to 5 years, who had experienced an episode of presumed malaria in the previous 3 months, about treatments taken and the associated outcomes. ResultsAlthough 36.1% of patients initially took herbal medicine, most then sought modern medical care. Overall, 79.2% received Artemether-Lumefantrine (AL), but only 45.7% had a diagnostic test to confirm the diagnosis and 42.7% received the correct dose of AL. Of the 36.6% of patients treated in drug shops, few had a diagnostic test (9.8%) or received the correct dose of AL (30.2%). Co-trimoxazole (CTX ) was taken by 38%, in most cases together with AL. At day 7, only 74% of patients who had taken AL felt “cured”. However, there were no significant differences in the self-reported outcomes associated with different treatments.ConclusionAlmost all patients who took herbal medicine also took modern antimalarials, so further research is needed to explore potential interactions between these. . Although formal health facilities provide correct diagnosis and dose of AL to a majority of children with malaria, many children still received inappropriate antibiotics. Quality of care was worse in drug shops than in formal health facilities