Ethnopharmacological survey of Samburu district, Kenya

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ethnobotanical pharmacopoeia is confidently used in disease intervention and there is need for documentation and preservation of traditional medical knowledge to bolster the discovery of novel drugs. The objective of the present study was to document the indigenous medicinal plant utilization, management and their extinction threats in Samburu District, Kenya.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Field research was conducted in six divisions of Samburu District in Kenya. We randomly sampled 100 consented interviewees stratified by age, gender, occupation and level of education. We collected plant use data through semi-structured questionnaires; transect walks, oral interviews and focus groups discussions. Voucher specimens of all cited botanic species were collected and deposited at University of Nairobi's botany herbarium.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Data on plant use from the informants yielded 990 citations on 56 medicinal plant species, which are used to treat 54 different animal and human diseases including; malaria, digestive disorders, respiratory syndromes and ectoparasites.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The ethnomedicinal use of plant species was documented in the study area for treatment of both human and veterinary diseases. The local population has high ethnobotanical knowledge and has adopted sound management conservation practices. The major threatening factors reported were anthropogenic and natural. Ethnomedical documentation and sustainable plant utilization can support drug discovery efforts in developing countries.</p

Bioavailability of cobalt, zinc and selenium and anthelmintic effects of fortified and non-fortified albendazole in Sheep

The present study was carried out to compare the use of liver and plasma analysis as methods of assessing the status of cobalt, zinc and selenium in sheep, and to assess the anthelmintic efficacy of fortified and non-fortified albendazole preparations. Plasma and liver samples were collected in duplicate from fourteen sheep aged nine to twelve months. Plasma samples were collected on days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 and liver samples on days 0, 14 and 28 post treatment, upon sacrifice of the study animals. Various trace elements were isolated from the organic matrix by wet oxidation for mineral estimation using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Data was statistically analyzed using repeated measurement test. Significance was noted at p &lt; 0.05. Both the fortified albendazole and non-fortified albendazole cleared all the worms in the treated sheep by day 14 day post treatment. All the trace elements were shown to be more bioavailable in the liver and plasma of fortified albendazole (Group B) treated sheep compared to the non-fortified albendazole (Group A) treated sheep. The study has shown that the liver is a better indicator of cobalt, zinc and selenium status in sheep compared to plasma

Pesticide Residues in Beef and Camel Meat From Slaughterhouses in 13 Districts in Kenya

One hundred and fifty one beef (n=136) and camel (n=15) meat samples comprising mainly of adipose tissue were collected from animals slaughtered in 13 districts in Kenya for analysis of organophosphate and organochlorine pesticide residues. Gas chromatographic method (GLC) and ECD and FID was used for analysis of organochlorine and organophosphate residues respectively. Eight organochlorine pesticide residues were detected in the following percentages of the samples:α-BHC-7.3%, β-BHC-5.3%, y-BHC-23.2%, o, p’-DDT- 27.8%, p, p’-DDT-15.8%, p, p’-DDD-0.7%, dieldrin- 20.5% and aldrin-13.2%. None of samples contained quantifiable levels of organophosphate compounds. Most levels of organochlorine residues were below Extraneous Residue Limits (ERL). None of the camel meat samples contained residue levels above the tolerance limits. DDT was found in levels above ERL in 4% of the samples all of which were beef. Samples with the highest levels of DDT were from Nyeri and Nanyuki districts. It was concluded that beef and camel meat analyzed were fit for human consumption

The Pharmacokinetics of Pyrethrins in Lactating and Non-LactatingEwes After Oral and Subcutaneous Administration

Pyrethrins were administered orally and subcutaneously (SC) at 150 mg/kg body weight to 10 lactating and nonlactating ewes in a cross over experimental design. A gas chromatographic method was used for analysis of Pyrethrins in serum and milk samples from the experimentalanimals. The disposition curves were bi-exponential after first-order absorption and fitted 1 and 2 compartmental models. The maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of Pyrethrins following oral and SC administration was 0.08 μg/ml and 0.13 μg/ml respectively withthe corresponding time to maximum concentrations (Tmax) being 1 hr and 2 hrs respectively. At 48 hours, serum Pyrethrins levels were below the limit of detection of 0.005 μg/ml. Absorption was significantly higher for SC route compared to oral routes (p0.05). The mean residence time (MRT) was 9.7 hours. Total clearance was 4,337 and 3,180 litres/kg/hr for oral and SC routes respectively. Pyrethrins were secreted in milk at levels of up to 0.005 μg/ml. It was concluded that in ewes, Pyrethrins are rapidly absorbed after orally and SC, widely distributed and eliminatedfrom the body within 24 hours. Secretion into milk occurs in ewes but the residues in milk are too low to toxic effects in humans.

The antibacterial activity of some medicinal plants used in Meru Central District, Kenya

Five medicinal plants used by traditional medical health practitioners (TMP) in Meru central district namely: Piliostigma thonningii, Ajuga remota, Ocimum suave, Erythrina abyssinica and Harissonia abyssinica were investigated for their antibacterial activity against standard bacterial cultures namely; Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antibacterial activity of the methanolic and water extracts was determined using the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Gram positive bacteria (S. aureus and B. cereus) were more susceptible to the plant extracts than Gram negative bacteria (E. coli and P. aeruginosa). The MIC and MBC of the positive control antibiotics (Ampicillin for gram positive and Gentamycin for gram negative) were less than 1mg/ml. The most susceptible bacteria was S. aureus followed by B. cereus while the most resistant was E. coli followed by P.aeruginosa. Methanolic extracts of P. thonningii stem and Ocimum suave leaves had the best antibacterial activity against the four bacterial species. There was no significant difference between the water and methanolic extracts of all the plants. These results justify the use of these plants by the traditional medical practitioners for management of bacterial conditions and further investigation on their safety and phytochemistry is needed

Research Articles: Pharmacology and Toxicology Acute toxicity of Nicandra physaloides (L) Gaertn in Cattle and Mice

Nicandra physaloides (L) Gaertn (Solanaceae), commonly known as the ‘apple of Peru’ is widely associated with livestock poisoning. The clinical signs associated with its poisoning in ruminants appear within 6 hours of ingestion and are circling, tremors of the hind limbs, tachycardia, bloat, convulsions, coma and death. However, there is no published information on the toxicology of this plant in Kenya. This study documents Nicandra physaloides toxicity in two different zero-grazed dairy cattle herds that were inadvertently fed on Napier grass contaminated with Nicandra physaloides. In addition to the case studies, the toxicity of the aqueous extracts from the different parts of Nicandra physaloides was studied underexperimental conditions in mice. The 24 hour median lethal dose (LD50) was determined after intra-peritoneal injection (i.p.) of the aqueous extracts of the plant into white Swiss mice and found to be 1820, 2580 and 3620 mg/kg body weight for the leaves, fruits and whole plant respectively. The clinical signs in mice appeared within 30 minutes of inoculation and included coat, decreased locomotor activity, increased respiratory rate, gasping for air and leaping into the air before collapsing into coma and death. There were similarities in the symptoms of the spontaneous poisoning in cattle and in the experimentally induced poisoning in mice.Key words: Acute, Nicandra physaloides, toxicity, cattle, mice

A Preliminary Investigation On Suspected Plant Poisoning In The Faculty Of Veterinary Medicine Farm, Kabete, Kenya

An investigation on vegetation was carried out in one grazing paddock of the University of Nairobi, Veterinary Farm to establish the species of plants present and whether some were known to be poisonous. This investigation was carried out after reported cases of young dairy cattle manifesting signs of acute toxicity shortly after being grazed in this paddock. A check-list of the floristic composition of the site was exhaustively recorded and thirty two plant species were collected from the site. Five out of thirty two plants were suspected to be the possible cause of this poisoning as they have been reported before to have toxic effects. These were botanically identified as Ranunculus multifidus Forsk, Cassia didymobotrya Fres, Ricinus communis L., Datura stramonium L. and Momordica foetida Schum. It is concluded that some of these plants may be responsible for the poisoning and further studies on their level of toxicity and distribution in the farm needs to be determined.Une enquête sur la végétation a été conduite dans un enclos de pâturage de l'Université de Nairobi à la Ferme de la Faculté de Médecine vétérinaire pour voir les espèces de plante qui s'y trouvent et vérifier si certaines sont vénéneuses. L'enquête a été menée après que l'on ait signalé des cas de jeunes bovins laitiers avec des signes de toxicité aiguë peu de temps après avoir pâturé dans l'enclos. Une liste complète de la flore sur le site a été dressée et on en a recueilli trente deux espèces de plantes. Cinq des trente deux plantes étaient suspectées d'être la cause probable de l'intoxication parce qu'elles ont déjà été signalées auparavant comme ayant des effets toxiques. Ces plantes étaient botaniquement identifiées comme suit : Ranunculus multifidus Forsk, Cassia didymobotrya Fres, Ricinus communis L., Datura stramonium L. et Momordica foetida Schum. Il a été conclu que certaines de ces plantes peuvent être à l'origine de l'intoxication, et qu'il faudrait entreprendre des études supplémentaires sur leur taux de toxicité et leur répartition dans la ferme.Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa Vol. 56 (1) 2008: pp. 19-2

Ethnoveterinary Medicine: The prospects of integrating medicinal plant products in Veterinary Medicine in Kenya

Animal diseases are a major constraint to livestock production, drought animal power and the acceptability of companion animals. These diseases also impact negatively to the food security in our country. The use of synthetic drugs for disease management is always a challenge because of the unavailability of these drugs especially in rural areas, shortage of foreign exchange to import them, lack of finance to purchase them, drug resistance, misuse due to paucity of knowledge and environmental pollution. Medicinal plants products are part of the natural products that have been in use in traditional medicine and also a source of novel drugs. Therefore, the use of medicinal plant products would be a rational alternative to synthetic drugs. Ethnobotanical surveys carried out in many parts of Kenya have revealed a lot of plants being used in animal disease management. Specific plant extracts have been identified and screened by many researchers for their antimicrobial, anthelmintic, acaricidal, antiprotozoal activity and also their toxicity. There is therefore the need to look for ways on how these plants products will be available in the market and be integrated in the overall veterinary medicine practice in Kenya

Clinical, Haematological, Biochemical and Pathological Manifestations of Sub-Acute Toxicity of Nicandra Physaloides (L) Gaertn in Calves

No Abstract

In vitro and acute in vivo toxicity of the aqueous and chloroformic extracts of Rapanea melanophloeos (L) Mez

This study was conducted to generate a toxicological profile of Rapanea melanophloeos, a medicinal plant widely utilized in traditional medicine to treat helminthiasis,using brine shrimp (Artemia salina) and Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. The aqueous extract showed potent in vitro toxicity to brine shrimp with a median lethal concentration (LC50) of 59.37μg/ml, while the extract chloroformic extract did not exhibit potent in vitro toxicity (LC50 of 1250 μg/ml), after exposure for 24 h. The acute toxicity study in rats indicated the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) and the lowest-observed-adverse-effect-level (LOAEL) of the aqueous extract to be 300mg/kg and 500mg/kg respectively, 24 h after single dosing. These values were lower than those of the chloroformic extract which had a NOAEL of 500mg/kg and a LOAEL of 1000mg/kg. The median lethal doses (LD50) of both extracts were above 7500mg/kg. The most overt signs of toxicity for both the aqueous and chloroformic extracts were depression, inactivity and somnolence, delayed reaction to stimuli, lethargy, piloerection and lackluster eyes. Recovery was complete in 24 h. Necropsy of the animals that died at the highest dose of both extracts revealed general congestion and enlargement of the liver, spleen and kidneys. There was mucoid content in the gastrointestinal tract of the animals dosed with the aqueous extract. At histopathology, the aqueous extract caused modest congestion of the kidney, liver and lungs, while the chloroformic extract did not change the histological appearance of any of the organs.The study shows that both extracts are harmless at the therapeutic doses and the plant is therefore unlikely to cause single dose toxicity at the curative doses used. This supports safe medicinal use of Rapanea melanophloeos and there is need to study prolonged toxicity of the plant.Key words: In vitro toxicity, in vivo toxicity, LOAEL, NOAEL