Effect of Morinda Morindiodes Extracts on Organs of Mice Infected with Plasmodium Berghei

Morinda morindiodes is a herb that is widely used locally in southwest Nigeria for the treatment of malaria. The histological evaluation of the effect of Morinda(M.) morindiodes plant part(s) extracts in the treatment of malariausing mice infected with chloroquine sensitive Plasmodium (P) berghei was carried out. Healthy adult albino mice with average weight of 25g were used for the study. Plant part(s) were extracted with distilled water and ‘aqueousfermented maize starch’ (vernacular- ‘omi edun’). Treated groups were administered orally with 100mg/kg and 200mg/kg of plant part(s) extracts respectively. Chloroquine and artesunate were used as control drugs. Control animals were given water for the same period of time. Pathological effects were observed in the liver, kidney, heart, spleen, brain and testis. The leaf and the root extract of Morinda morindiodes prepared with ‘aqueous fermented maize starch’ extract  reduced the  patholog  observed to  be inflicted by the  parasite  similar to the  standard treatment  (chloroquine and artesunate). However when extracts were administered to mice that were without infection, vacuolar degeneration of hepatocytes and periportal mononuclear cells infiltration in the liver were observed. Sperms were not produced during the period of treatment (Spermiostasis) which indicated= reversible infertility in the male mice. The pathological damages caused by the root extracts increased with concentration. Also, the medium of extraction played important role, in that ‘aqueous fermented maize starch’ extractions were better in reducing the pathological effect of the parasite.  The extracts were safer when used in low concentration.Keywords- Morinda morindiodes, Plasmodium berghei,  histology,  organs,  spermiostasis

Assessment of the Antimicrobial Activity of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Sorghum Slurry on Clinical Strains of Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli

Background: Sorghum is a nutrient-rich grain ground into flour to make different types of delicacies, and it has been reported to possess probiotic potentials. Objective: To assess the antimicrobial activity of Lactobacillus plantarum obtained from sorghum slurry on strains of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli from cases of diarrhoea. Methods: A total of 36 samples of wet-milled sorghum slurry and liquor pH were obtained and cultured on MRSA and were, after that, biochemically characterized for Lactobacillus plantarum, which was tested by agar well diffusion against 15 strains of Escherichia coli isolated from cases of diarrhoea. Results: Microbiological analysis of the 36 samples of sorghum explored produced 15 isolates of Lactobacillus plantarum. A progressive increase in acidity in relation to an increase in the period of fermentation was observed. Ninety-five per cent of the Escherichia coli strains showed resistance against some standard antibiotics. At the same time, the isolates of Lactobacillus plantarum obtained inhibited isolates of diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli tested, showing potential usefulness of the sorghum slurry as a probiotic. Conclusion: The inhibitory activity of Lactobacillus plantarum isolated from sorghum slurry showed antimicrobial potentials that could be used for therapeutic purposes in treating diarrhoea caused by   Escherichia coli, pending further investigation