An overview of some medicinal plants and isolated active compounds with potential antiprotozoal activity

Diarrhoea associated illness presents with mortality and morbidity in rural communities in most low income countries especially in children < 5 years of age. The continuous emergence of several opportunistic infections in immuno-compromised individuals has worsened the burden of diarrhoea in most of these countries. Protozoan infections caused by species of Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba spp. Giardia intestinalis, Blastocystis hominis and Trichomonas vaginalis have received insufficient attention because data on their prevalence and incidence are scanty. The commonly used drugs to treat infections caused by these organisms are becoming less effective due to the development of drug resistance. Evidence from literature has shown that natural products from medicinal plants are likely to be suitable alternatives and complimentary therapeutic drugs to combat most protozoan infections. Natural products and their bioactive compounds could be the solution to treat most protozoan infections that have developed resistance to these drugs. This review provides comprehensive information on the potential and limitations on activity of medicinal plants and their isolated compounds used in the treatment of protozoan diseases. Especially those considered as neglected diseases such as Cryptosporidium and other protozoans that are inadequately funded and possibility of lack of interest in drug developments have made them  receive little attention. Isolation and identification of bioactive natural products could be the ultimate panacea to cases of metronidazole resistance and discovery of effective and novel drug for Cryptosporidium infection which is currently suffering inadequate treatment options. Keywords: Protozoan parasites, Diarrhoea, Neglected diseases, Medicinal plants, Bioactive compound

Ethnoveterinary survey of tradomedical importance of Bos taurus L urine, bile and dung in Nigeria and South Africa

Purpose: To evaluate the ethnoveterinary uses of cow by-products from Nigeria and South Africa.Methods: A field survey was conducted from January to September, 2015 by conducting interviews with 110 respondents who provided information in respect of the use of cow urine, bile and dung in their folk medicine in Nigeria and South Africa.Results: Most respondents opined that urine therapy is effective in treating convulsion (50 %), viral infections (29.2 %), and rheumatic arthritis (14.6 %) in Nigeria. In South Africa respondents are of the view that urine is highly effective (28.6 %) in treating diarrhoea while 14.3 % stated that urine can treat fever, sore throat, skin infections. Bile is commonly used in treating general body pain and high blood pressure in Nigeria and used for skin burns in South Africa. Cow dung is specifically used in both countries as pesticides, fertilizers, anti-toxins and treating skin infections. This study documents the ethnoveterinary uses of B. taurus by products by traditional practitioners in Nigeria and South Africa.Conclusion: There is need for further studies to validate the therapeutic potential of these products with regards to each of the ailments listed and isolation of the bioactive compounds in African species of B. taurus by-products.Keywords: Ethnoveterinary, Urine, Bile, Dung, Bos taurus, Tradomedical, Folk medicine, Field surve

Identification and Characterization of Microsporidia from Fecal Samples of HIV-Positive Patients from Lagos, Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites that infect a broad range of vertebrates and invertebrates. They have been increasingly recognized as human pathogens in AIDS patients, mainly associated with a life-threatening chronic diarrhea and systemic disease. However, to date the global epidemiology of human microsporidiosis is poorly understood, and recent data suggest that the incidence of these pathogens is much higher than previously reported and may represent a neglected etiological agent of more common diseases indeed in immunocompetent individuals. To contribute to the knowledge of microsporidia molecular epidemiology in HIV-positive patients in Nigeria, the authors tested stool samples proceeding from patients with and without diarrhea. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Stool samples from 193 HIV-positive patients with and without diarrhea (67 and 126 respectively) from Lagos (Nigeria) were investigated for the presence of microsporidia and Cryptosporidium using Weber's Chromotrope-based stain, Kinyoun stain, IFAT and PCR. The Weber stain showed 45 fecal samples (23.3%) with characteristic microsporidia spores, and a significant association of microsporidia with diarrhea was observed (O.R. = 18.2; CI: 95%). A similar result was obtained using Kinyoun stain, showing 44 (31,8%) positive samples with structures morphologically compatible with Cryptosporidium sp, 14 (31.8%) of them with infection mixed with microsporidia. The characterization of microsporidia species by IFAT and PCR allowed identification of Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Encephalitozoon intestinalis and E. cuniculi in 5, 2 and 1 samples respectively. The partial sequencing of the ITS region of the rRNA genes showed that the three isolates of E.bieneusi studied are included in Group I, one of which bears the genotype B. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: To our knowledge, this is the first report of microsporidia characterization in fecal samples from HIV-positive patients from Lagos, Nigeria. These results focus attention on the need to include microsporidial diagnosis in the management of HIV/AIDS infection in Nigeria, at the very least when other more common pathogens have not been detected