Ultra-violet spectroscopic studies of extracts of Loranthus micranthus Linn parasitic on Kola acuminata

The extracts of Loranthus micranthus Linn parasitic on Kola acuminata were studied using ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer. The dried powdered leaves of L. micranthus were extracted with aqueous methanol (90 %), absolute methanol, absolute ethanol, distilled water and ethyl acetate. The respective extracts were scanned between 200 and 700 nm wavelength and their absorption spectra plotted in Microsoft Excel® toolpack. The λmax were also determined. Absorbance values of the extracts were determined at 275 nm wavelength. The absorbance spectra of flavonoids fraction of L. micranthus were also similarly obtained in acidic and basic media. Extractive yields of 14.63 % and 13.92 % were obtained for the crude methanol extract and flavonoids fraction respectively. Aqueous methanol (90 %) afforded the best solvent, among the tested solvents, for the extraction of the flavonoid constituents of powdered leaves of L. micranthus. The flavonoids fraction experienced bathochromic shift in the alkaline medium. The obtained UV-Vis absorption spectra may serve as a useful basis for the identification and characterization of products, extracts or formulations of L. micranthus leaves. Keywords: Loranthus micranthus, Phytomedicines, Flavonoids fraction, Methanol extract Bio-Research Vol. 6 (1) 2008: pp. 308-31

Hypoglycemic Activity of the Extract and Fractions of Anthocleista vogelii (Planch) Stem Bark

Purpose: To investigate the hypoglycemic effect of the methanol extract and fractions of Anthocleista vogelii stem bark.Methods: The methanol extract of A. vogelii stem bark (ME) was subjected to gradient chromatographic separation using four solvents - chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone and water - to afford the respective fractions - CF, EF, AF and WF. ME was administered orally to normoglycemic rats at 200 and 400 mg/kg and fasting blood glucose (FBG) monitored for 6 h. Alloxan-induced diabetic rats were also treated orally with ME and the various fractions (each at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg), with glibenclamide(0.2 mg/kg) and normal saline (2 ml/kg) serving as standard and control, respectively. ME and the fractions were also subjected to phytochemical analysis following standard procedures.Results: The extract possessed comparable hypoglycemic effect to glibenclamide in healthy rats. The extract and its fractions also exhibited significant (p < 0.05) antidiabetic effect. ME, CF, EF, AF and WF each at 400 mg/kg, produced maximum reduction (64.10, 38.53, 36.50, 60.77 and 12.79 %, respectively) in FBG of the animals after 6 h, compared to 53.77 % for glibenclamide. Presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, reducing sugars, saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, steroids, terpenoids, tannins, proteins, fats and oils were observed in ME, EF and AF. Alkaloids,  flavonoids, steroids, terpenoids, fats and oil were also detected in CF while WF showed the presence of carbohydrates, glycosides, saponins and proteins.Conclusion: This study establishes the antidiabetic activity of the stem bark of A. vogelii. The acetone fraction is the most active antidiabetic fraction.Keywords: Anthocleista vogelii, Antidiabetic, Hyperglycemia, Hypoglycemia, Phytochemical analysi

A Comparative Study Of The Phytochemical And Anti-Microbial Properties Of The Eastern Nigerian Specie Of African Mistletoe (Loranthus micranthus) Sourced From Different Host Trees

A comparative study of the phytochemical and anti-microbial properties of leaves of Loranthus micranthus harvested from six host trees, namely, Irvingia gabonensis, Pentaclethra macrophylla, Kola acuminata, Baphia nitida, Persea americana and Azadirachta indica, was carried out using standard methods. The result showed marked variations in phytochemical constituents and anti-microbial activities of the extracts from the different host trees, both kind and in degree. The extracts from K. acuminata, P. americana and to lesser extent, I. gabonensis showed marked broad-spectrum activities against bacteria and fungi. When compared with standard antibiotics (amoxycillin and ketoconazole) as controls, some of the extracts were found to be significantly more active than the control. The extract from P. americana exhibited significant anti-pseudomonal activity (P < 0.01) when compared to amoxycillin while the extracts from I. gabonensis, P. macrophylla and A. indica all showed significant activity (

Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopic Evaluation of Complexation Equilibria of Some Complexes of Loranthus Micranthus Linn Plant Parasitic on Kola AcumiNAnata

Some complexes of crude methanol extract of Loranthus micranthus Linn parasitic on Kola acuminata were evaluated using ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrophotometry. The crude methanol extract was complexed with ferric chloride solution, borate mixture, methanolic aluminum nitrate and aluminum chloride solutions respectively and the absorption spectra of the resulting complexes obtained using UVVis spectrophotometer. The numbers of complexation equilibria of the formed complexes were determined between the pH of 1 and 12. The formed complexes, except the borate complex, showed bathochromic shift in their absorption spectra. While the borate and aluminum chloride complexes had two inflections each, the ferric chloride and methanolic aluminum nitrate complexes had three inflections and one inflection respectively in the pH-absorbance graph. The use of methanolic aluminum nitrate as a complexing agent is recommended for the development of UV-Vis spectrophotometric assay method for the constituents, formulations or extracts of L. micranthus leaves.Keywords: Loranthus micranthus; complexation; phytomedicine; ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry; methanolic, aluminum nitrateNigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, Vol. 8 No 1 pp. 62 - 66 (September 2010

Comparative evaluation of antidiabetic activities of Flavonoids extract and crude methanol extract of loranthus Micranthus parasitic on

The antidiabetic activities of flavonoids extract (FE) and crude  methanol extract (CME) of Loranthus micranthus parasitic on Kola acuminata were studied in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Four groups of rats (n=4) were given 100 and 200 mg/kg of FE and CME respectively by the intraperitoneal route. Glibenclamide (10 mg/kg) and tween 80 (2 ml/kg) were also administered intraperitoneally as positive and negativecontrol respectively. While the FE (200 mg/kg) caused significant (P< 0.001) antidiabetic activity within one hour of administration in the treated rats, the CME (200 mg/kg) caused significant (P< 0.001) antidiabetic activity within three hour of administration in the treated rats. The result shows that the antidiabetic activities of L. micranthus parasitic on K. acuminata may be attributable to the flavonoids contents of the leaves

Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation of Multi-source Piroxicam Capsules Available in Nigeria

The qualitative and quantitative evaluation of eleven brands of piroxicam capsules marketed in Nigeria is presented. The disintegration time, dissolution rate and absolute drug content were determined in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) and simulated gastric fluid (SGF) without enzymes. Weight uniformity test was also performed according to official methods. Data obtained from the dissolution profiles in both media (SIF and SGF) were mathematically treated according to the model proposed by Khan (with slight modification) and the resulting predicted availability equivalent (PAE) was used to quantitatively assess/ predict bioavailability of piroxicam from the various brands. Our results indicate variable PAE with pH. In SGF, four out of the eleven (11) brands could be adjudged to be bioequivalent with the innovator drug, Feldene (Neimeth, Nigeria); In SIF, only three out of the eleven (11) were equivalent with the innovator drug. All the capsules (except one brand) generally disintegrated within 15 min. in both SIF and SGF. The weights were also very uniform with insignificant variations. However, the variation in absolute drug contents were generally wide, with all the capsules having drug contents that are above the label claim Key Words: Piroxicam, Qualitative, Quantitative Evaluation Bio-Research Vol.1(2) 2003: 101-11

Chromatographic and anti-motility studies on extracts of Loranthus micranthus Linn.

The anti-motility properties of the leaves of African mistletoe, Loranthus micranthus (Linn), Loranthaceae harvested from Kola acuminate host tree was studied by the charcoal meal test in mice. The intraperitoneal LD50 of the methanol extract was determined in mice by the Locke's method. The phytochemical constituents of the leaf extract were also determined. An attempt was also made to resolve the extracts into its components using thin layer chromatography (TLC). The leaves of L. micranthus were found to contain alkaloids, cyanogenetic glycosides, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, proteins and resins. The intraperitoneal LD50 of the methanol extract of the leaves in mice was calculated to be 5916 mg/kg. Among the chromatographic solvent systems tested, toluene: diethylamine (19:1) gave the best resolution in all the extracts. The highest number of spots was obtained with the ethanol extract. Result of the charcoal meal test revealed that the methanol extract had a significant dose-dependent anti-motility effect. At a dose of 200 mg/kg, the methanol extract produced a decrease in gastric transit time, which was significantly (P< 0.05) higher than that of atropine (10 mg/kg). Keywords: African mistletoe, anti-motility activity, phytochemical tests, chromatographic studiesJournal of Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences Vol. 3(1) 2006: 263-26

A Review of the Bio-Activity Relationship of Mistletoes and the Leaves of their Host Trees

An investigation into the bioactivity relationship of mistletoes and the leaves of their host trees have been carried out. The following six host trees and their mistletoes were investigated: Azadirachta indica (neem), Psidium guajava (guava), Pentaclethra macrophylla (oil-bean), Kola acuminata (cola nut), Persea americana (avocado), and Baphia nitida (cam wood). The work showed that of the six host trees and their mistletoes studied, four host trees, namely: neem, guava, cola nut and avocado had lots of significant bioactivity, while the other two host trees: oil bean and cam wood had few significant bioactivities. The study revealed that the mistletoes parasitic on the host trees with significant bioactivity possessed some of the reported activities of their host trees. While the mistletoes parasitic on the host trees with few significant bioactivities also showed less significant bioactivities. Also, it was observed from the study that some of the bioactive host trees studied possessed significant insecticidal properties. It could be inferred, that their mistletoes may also possess insecticidal properties. In conclusion, the study has established that there is a relationship between the bioactivity of host trees and the bioactivity of the mistletoes parasitic on them.Keywords: bioactivity, Mistletoes, host tree, leavesNigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, Vol. 8 No 1 pp. 145 - 150 (September 2010

Assesment of the quality and in vitro bioavailability of multisourced chlorpropamide tablets marketed in Nigeria

No Abstract. Bio-Research Vol. 4(1) 2006:36-3

Trypanocidal activity of the aqueous leave extract of Holarrhena Africana (Apocynaceae)

This study evaluated the trypanocidal activity of aqueous extracts of leaves of young Holarrhena africana. The trypanocidal activity was evaluated by treatment of mice infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei at the peak of infection. The aqueous extract was administered intraperitoneally for 5 consecutive days with varied doses (100, 200,400 mg/kg weight). Treatment with the extract led to significant reduction in the level of parasitaemia in infected mice though relapse of parasitaemia occurred later. Parasite clearance by the extract was observed to be dose-dependent, the maximal effects being attained at the dose of 400 mg/kg body weight. There were also significant improvements in the packed cell volume and reduction in the severity of clinical sign / symptom of trypanosomiasis in the treated groups during and after administration ofextracts. A determination of the LD50 in acute toxicity studies showed that the extract was relatively safe at very high doses