In-Vitro Assessment of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Methanol Extracts of Six Wound Healing Medicinal Plants

In this study, quantitative values of antioxidant activity of crude methanolic extracts of five Wound healing medicinal plants (Amaranthus spinosus, Anogeissus leiocarpus, Spondia monbin, Corchorus olitorius, and Mallotus oppositifolia) were investigated. The investigation used DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) free radical as a substrate and Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay to determine both scavenging ability and the reducing properties. Antioxidant was further analysed quantitatively for flavonoid content, total phenolic content in the crude methanolic extracts using spectrophotometric assay. The result showed that all plants exhibited scavenging ability and strong reducing activity although the ability differed markedly among the various plant samples. The highest scavenging ability (% inhibition) was exhibited by A. leiocarpus (95.86 ± 0.1) followed by C. olitorius (94.19 ± 0.06) while the lowest was from A. spinosus (40.87±2.5). The reducing power was also highest in A. leiocarpus followed by S. monbin; while A. spinosus showed the least reducing power. In quantitative analysis, again A. leiocarpus was found to have the highest phenolic content (1294.81± 3.0 mg/g) with A. spinosus recording the least phenol and flavonoid content. The crude methanol extracts were also screened for their antimicrobial activity against four common pathogenic microorganisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Citrobacter sp.) associated with wound infection by well diffusion method. All the extracts were found to inhibit the growth of both gram (+) and gram (-) bacteria organisms tested. Keywords: Radical scavenging effect, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activit

Ethnobotanical study of wound healing plants in Kpando Traditional Area, ghana.

Background: An ethnobotanical survey was undertaken in the Kpando Traditional Area of Volta Region in Ghana to identify and record information on medicinal plants used for treating wounds. Methods: Traditional Medical Practitioners (TMP’s) and inhabitants both young and adults were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires and open-ended conversations. Field trips were made to the sites where TMP’s harvest plants. Results: The survey identified and recorded 27 plants species from 20 families, used for treating wounds in Kpando. The Euphorbiaceae (30.0 %) was the most represented plant family while herbs made up 57.0 % of the total medicinal plants used. Ten plant species namely; Adiatum veneris capillus L. (Rutaceae), Vernonia colorata (Willd.) Drake (asteraceae/compositae), Combretum dolichopetalum Engl. & Diels (Combretaceae), Coffee arabica (Rubiaceae), Milicia excelsia (Welw.) C. C. Berg. (Moraceae), Anogeissus leiocarpus (DC) Guill and Perr. (Combretaceae), Spondias mombin L. (Anacardiaceae), Bridelia ferruginea Benth. (Euphorbiaceae), Amaranthus spinosus Linn. (Amaranthaceae) and Corchorus olitorius L. (Tiliaceae) have not previously been documented for the treatment of wound in Ghana. The leaf was the most commonly used plant part while grinding the fresh part of plant to form poultice was the most common method of traditional drug preparation. Almost all the medicinal plants (95%) are harvested from immediate surroundings. Knowledge of the use of plants as medicines does not only remain with the older generation but extends to the youth who show much interest. Majority still depends on the use of plants for wound healing as the first choice of medication. Conclusions: Different number of plants species are used for treating wound among the people of Kpando Traditional Area. Several traditional uses of these plants still need to be explored by both in vitro and in vivo bioassays leading to further investigations for the identification of their chemical compounds of therapeutic valu

Ethnobotanical study of wound healing plants in Kpando Traditional Area, ghana.

Background: An ethnobotanical survey was undertaken in the Kpando Traditional Area of Volta Region in Ghana to identify and record information on medicinal plants used for treating wounds. Methods: Traditional Medical Practitioners (TMP’s) and inhabitants both young and adults were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires and open-ended conversations. Field trips were made to the sites where TMP’s harvest plants. Results: The survey identified and recorded 27 plants species from 20 families, used for treating wounds in Kpando. The Euphorbiaceae (30.0 %) was the most represented plant family while herbs made up 57.0 % of the total medicinal plants used. Ten plant species namely; Adiatum veneris capillus L. (Rutaceae), Vernonia colorata (Willd.) Drake (asteraceae/compositae), Combretum dolichopetalum Engl. & Diels (Combretaceae), Coffee arabica (Rubiaceae), Milicia excelsia (Welw.) C. C. Berg. (Moraceae), Anogeissus leiocarpus (DC) Guill and Perr. (Combretaceae), Spondias mombin L. (Anacardiaceae), Bridelia ferruginea Benth. (Euphorbiaceae), Amaranthus spinosus Linn. (Amaranthaceae) and Corchorus olitorius L. (Tiliaceae) have not previously been documented for the treatment of wound in Ghana. The leaf was the most commonly used plant part while grinding the fresh part of plant to form poultice was the most common method of traditional drug preparation. Almost all the medicinal plants (95%) are harvested from immediate surroundings. Knowledge of the use of plants as medicines does not only remain with the older generation but extends to the youth who show much interest. Majority still depends on the use of plants for wound healing as the first choice of medication. Conclusions: Different number of plants species are used for treating wound among the people of Kpando Traditional Area. Several traditional uses of these plants still need to be explored by both in vitro and in vivo bioassays leading to further investigations for the identification of their chemical compounds of therapeutic valu

Analysis of indoor set-point temperature of split-type ACs on thermal comfort and energy savings for office buildings in hot-humid climates

In hot-humid climates, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), ambient temperatures and relative humidity are as high as 35 °C and 84%, respectively, requiring the use of mechanical cooling systems for indoor thermal comfort. Split-type vapor-compression air-conditioners (SVAC) are mainly used for space cooling in SSA and consume 60–80% of total energy consumption in commercial and public buildings. Appropriate control strategy of the indoor set-point temperature of SVAC can result in significant energy savings in these buildings. In this study, modeling and dynamic simulation have been conducted using EnergyPlus to predict the energy saving potential and indoor thermal comfort of buildings in hot-humid climates by controlling set-point temperature of the SVAC. In a case study, climatic data for Ghana, was used to predict the energy saving potential and indoor thermal comfort. The study results revealed that, to ensure indoor thermal comfort at high outdoor temperature condition of 35 °C, the least and optimum set-point temperatures of the SVAC should be 21 °C and 25 °C, respectively. On the other hand, for low outdoor temperature condition, the least and optimum set-point temperatures were 22 °C and 26 °C, respectively. Considering 1-star and 2-star rated SVACs which are dominantly used in Ghana, operating at 21–25 °C in the case of high outdoor conditions, and 22–26 °C for low outdoor conditions relative to the least temperatures resulted in energy savings of 8–33% and 12-44%, respectively

Efficient control of cascade heat pumps using variable speed compressors

Building load varies continuously throughout the year, causing heat pumps to operate at part load. At such situations, the capacity of the heat pump needs to be controlled to meet the building load. The use of variable speed compressors to control the capacity of heat pumps is found to be the most energy-efficient. However, the efficient control of the capacity of the cascade heat pump using variable speed compressors is lacking in the open literature. This study investigates an energy-efficient capacity control method for a cascade heat pump by adopting variable speed compressors to match the rated capacity of a cascade heat pump at varying indoor and outdoor entering water temperature (EWT) conditions. Three capacity control strategies were employed in this study namely: low temperature (LT) compressor speed control, high temperature (HT) compressor speed control, and simultaneous LT and HT compressor speed control. COP of the cascade heat pump was almost similar in simultaneous control of the LT and HT compressor speeds and HT compressor speed control but significantly higher in simultaneous LT and HT compressor speed control than LT compressor speed control at all outdoor EWT conditions. However, the cascade heat pump had no significant difference in its COP at varying indoor EWT using all three capacity control strategies. It is recommended that water-to-water cascade heat pumps adopt variable speed compressors at the HT side and constant speed compressors at the LT side for efficient and cost effective capacity control at varying building loads