Anti-inflammatory activities of dichloromethane-methanolic leaf and stem bark extracts of Ximenia americana in mice models

Introduction: Ximenia americana is a highly branched shrub mainly found in tropics of Asia, Africa, New Zealand, Central and South America among others. In most parts of Africa, X. americana is used in folklore to treat various disorders such as oedema, pain, fever, helminthiasis, diarrhea and burns among others. There is no published data on anti-inflammatory activities of organic extracts of X. americana. It is against this background that this research was carried out. The study tested for the anti-inflammatory activities of dichloromethane-methanolic (DCM-MeOH) leaf and stem bark extracts of X. americana in rats.Methods: The plant materials were collected from Mbeere North sub-county, Embu county, Kenya. Methanol and dichloromethane in the ratio of 1:1 was used to extract the active compounds. Five to 6 weeks old Swiss Albino mice were employed for the anti-inflammatory studies. Animals were divided into 6 groups of 5 rats each: normal, negative, reference and three experimental groups (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg body weight). Inflammation was induced experimentally using carrageenan. The experimental groups were treated with predetermined dose quantities of prepared extracts. Diclofenac was used as the reference drug. Data was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results: The extracts from the leaves reduced hind paw circumference by between 0.91 and 16.90 while the stem bark extracts reduced hind paw circumference by between 5.84 and 29.00. Diclofenac reduced right hind paw circumference by 1.32-29.60. Qualitative phytochemical screening showed presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, phenolics and terpenoids in the extract.Conclusion: The study established that the DCM-MeOH leaf and stem bark extracts of X. americana is effective in management of inflammation and therefore it can be explored as a possible bio-resource in the development of herbal medicines

Phytochemical screening and antipyretic activities of dichloromethane-methanolic leaf and stem bark extracts of Ximenia americana in rat models

Introduction: In most parts of Africa, Ximenia americana is used in folklore to treat various disorders such as oedema, pain, fever, helminthiasis, diarrhoea, burns among other diseases. This study tested the antipyretic activities of dichloromethane-methanolic (DCM-MeOH) stem bark and leaf extracts of X. americana in rats. Qualitative phytochemical screening was also done to evaluate the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, phenolics and terpenoids in the extract.Methods: The plant materials were collected from Mbeere North sub-county, Embu county, Kenya. Methanol and dichloromethane in the ratio of 1:1 was used to extract the active compounds. Two to three months old male Wister rats were employed for the antipyretic studies. Animals were divided into six groups of five rats each: normal, negative, reference and three experimental groups (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg body weight). Pyrexia was induced experimentally using turpentine. The experimental groups were treated with predetermined dose quantities of prepared extracts. Aspirin was used as the reference drug. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results: The extracts from the leaves lowered rectal temperature by 0.45 to 2.11 while the stem bark extracts lowered rectal temperature in the range of 0.71 to 2.13. Aspirin lowered the rectal temperature in the range of 0.74 and 1.67. Qualitative phytochemical screening showed presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, phenolics and terpenoids in the extract.Conclusion: DCM-MeOH leaf and stem bark extracts of X. americana is effective in management of fever and therefore it can be explored as a possible bio-resource in the development of herbal antipyretic medicines

Gender, livestock and livelihood indicators

This guide is a reference point for some of the important indicators that ILRI can use to monitor the changing role of livestock in livelihoods in different production systems and the impact of livestock-related interventions. While this list of indicators is not comprehensive in covering all the areas in which ILRI works, it provides a starting point for the common objectives which most of our projects, be they in markets, biotechnology or the environment, hope to achieve. Some of these indicators are already commonly used in different surveys but their application has not always been consistent or comparable. With time, we expect to develop further common indicators around other areas of research in ILRI. This document should therefore be considered as a living document to which we will add core indicators around the thematic areas covered by ILRI’s research including such areas as partnerships, capacity building and the key thematic areas of markets, biotechnology and environment. This document should be used to guide your data collection within projects. These may include baseline data, evaluation (both internal and external), impact assessments, project appraisals and any other data collection within the projects and programmes across the institute, including surveys conducted by students where possible. Currently, the indicators are designed for data collection at household level and for integration into household surveys. Project teams should ask for assistance in adapting these indicators for use in other types of surveys such as community surveys, focus group discussions, market agent surveys and key informant interviews. Livestock play multiple roles in livelihoods. In deriving these indicators, we have used both the sustainable livelihoods framework, placing livestock within an assets and capital framework, and as a pathway out of poverty. The latter recognizes that for livestock to translate into poverty reduction the necessary conditions i.e. technologies and services to generate productive, sustainable and profitable markets are a pre-requisite. Section 2 of this document identifies 6 categories of indicators and gives a rationale for each of the indicators and how to measure them covering both the tools for data collection on the indicator and its calculation. Section 3 provides the initial basic survey data to capture in ILRI surveys, Section 4 focuses on study meta-data to document and Section 5 on household sampling

Characterization of Sorghum Production and Marketing Systems in Eastern Province, Kenya: Sorghum for Multi-Use (SMU) Baseline Survey Report. Working Paper Series no. 53

A baseline survey was conducted to characterize the sorghum production and marketing system in Eastern Province of Kenya and, in combination with other follow up rapid assessment fora with relevant stakeholders, to aid the setting of project performance targets and implementation of interventions including establishment of a commercial pilot sorghum value chain for testing and upgrading. Eight SMU mandate districts/ sub-counties were grouped into 4 technology-adoption clusters out of which 480 farm households were randomly selected from the most important sorghum producing sub-locations. Women were managers in about 50% of the household farms and about 80% of all farmers reported farming as their main occupation. The mean farm size was 7.8 acres out of which 50% and 30% was under crop and sorghum production, respectively. Farms managed by women were smaller than those managed by men. The farm households exhibited a variable dependency ratio with the women managed farms showing significantly higher dependency ratio (1.3) than male managed farms (0.9) – meaning that labor availability was a more critical constraint in women managed farms. Therefore, labor-saving (mechanization, etc) and land-saving technologies (higher yielding varieties, fertilizer, tied ridges, etc) would enhance sorghum production. The other constraints were poor production and market infrastructure and information asymmetry in which women farmers, with less access to production information than their male counterparts, reporting more dependence on “other farmers” for agricultural information. Majority of farmers depended on agro-dealers, radio and other farmers for agricultural information. Hence innovative information channels such as use of agro-dealers, radio, training of trainers (TOTs) and farmer innovation platforms should be strengthened. Although double the number of male than female farmers reported purchase of seed from markets, use of recycled sorghum seed was the norm by the majority of farmers while use of inorganic fertilizer on sorghum was nil. Sorghum grain production per household was 360 kg out of which 65% was sold, 30% consumed while 5% was kept for seed. Sorghum yield was highest in Mwingi (501 kg per acre) and lowest in Kibwezi (216 kg per acre). Farmers who reported use of farmyard manure reported 35% more sorghum grain yield than those who had not used farmyard manure. Furthermore higher household production and productivity was positively correlated with the practice of row planting and use of soil and water conservation technologies, including dry or early planting. The primary use of sorghum grain at the household level was for making porridge and “ugali” (stiff porridge) while value addition activities were limited to milling of grain or mixtures of sorghum and other grains, wet milling and dehulling. The most important sorghum product marketed was grain, which was bought by brokers, rural assemblers, urban traders and consumers, with the consumers offering the farmers highest prices. Low grain price was the most important marketing constraint and hence, as well as improving market linkage for grain, diversifying value added products of sorghum for household level use and for commercialization would help create demand for sorghum grain and improve prices. Although awareness of collective grain marketing was high, farmers’ participation was minimal and their participation was constrained by low grain production (36%), low grain quality (30%), delayed payment for delivered grain (29%) and restriction on free grain marketing (25%)

Epidemiological profile and clinico-pathological features of pediatric gynecological cancers at Moi Teaching & Referral Hospital, Kenya

Background: The main pediatric (0–18 years) gynecologic cancers include stromal carcinomas (juvenile granulosa cell tumors and Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors), genital rhabdomyosarcomas and ovarian germ cell. Outcomes depend on time of diagnosis, stage, tumor type and treatment which can have long-term effects on the reproductive career of these patients. This study seeks to analyze the trends in clinical-pathologic presentation, treatment and outcomes in the cases seen at our facility. This is the first paper identifying these cancers published from sub-Saharan Africa. Method: Retrospective review of clinico-pathologic profiles and treatment outcomes of pediatric gynecologic oncology patients managed at MTRH between 2010 and 2020. Data was abstracted from gynecologic oncology database and medical charts. Results: Records of 40 patients were analyzed. Most, (92.5%, 37/40) of the patients were between 10 and 18 years. Ovarian germ cell tumors were the leading histological diagnosis in 72.5% (29/40) of the patients; with dysgerminomas being the commonest subtype seen in 12 of the 37 patients (32.4%). The patients received platinum-based chemotherapy in 70% of cases (28/40). There were 14 deaths among the 40 patients (35%) Conclusion: Surgery remains the main stay of treatment and fertility-sparing surgery with or without adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy are the standard of care with excellent prognosis following early detection and treatment initiation. LMICs face several challenges in access to quality care and that affects survival of these patients. Due to its commonality, ovarian germ cell cancers warrant a high index of suspicion amongst primary care providers attending to adnexal masses in this age group