Anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory and anti-diarrhoeal properties of Faidherbia albida in rats

Faidherbia albida Del. (local name: Gawo) is employed traditionally to treat disorders such as fever, diarrhoea, urticaria, vomiting, cough, rheumatism and heamorrhage. The present study was carried outto scientifically appraise some of the folkloric uses of the plant. The crude aqueous extract was studied for acute toxicity, its anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory and anti-diarrhoeal effects using yeast-inducedpyrexia, kaolin-induced oedema and castor oil-induced diarrhoeal models in rats. The extract was not lethal to the rats dosed at 5000 mg/kg body weight. At a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight, it significantly(P < 0.05) decreased yeast-induced pyrexia in rats. At doses of 250 and 500 mg extract/kg body weight, the extract significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited kaolin-induced acute inflammation and reduced frequency ofdiarrhea in the rats. These results indicate that aqueous extract of F. albida possesses potent antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and anti-diarrhoeal effects and thus pharmacologically justifies its folkloricuse in the management of fever, rheumatic inflammatory conditions and diarrhoea

Antioxidant Activity of the Phenolic Leaf Extracts from Monechma ciliatum in Stabilization of Corn Oil

The total phenolic content and the antioxidan potential of methanolic extract (ME), ethyl acetate extract (EAE), and hexane extract (HE) from Monechma ciliatum leaves (MCL) were evaluated. The Folin-Ciocalteu, b-carotene bleaching, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and the accelerated oxidation methods were used for evaluation. Both the extraction yield and the antioxidant activity (AOA) were strongly dependent on the solvent. Among the extracts, ME exhibited highest total phenolic compounds (TPC) and IC50 values for DPPH, followed by EAE and HE, respectively. Peroxide value (PV), anisidine value (AV) conjugated dienes (CD), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were taken as the parameters for evaluation of stabilization efficacy of MCL extracts and results revealed MCL to be a potent antioxidant for the stabilization of corn oil. As a general trend, increased AOA was observed for increased extract concentration. The predominant phenolic compounds identified by HPLC-DAD in MCL extracts were p-coumaric acid, vanillin and ferulic acid

Antioxidant Activity of the Phenolic Leaf Extracts from Monechma ciliatum in Stabilization of Corn Oil

The total phenolic content and the antioxidan potential of methanolic extract (ME), ethyl acetate extract (EAE), and hexane extract (HE) from Monechma ciliatum leaves (MCL) were evaluated. The Folin-Ciocalteu, b-carotene bleaching, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and the accelerated oxidation methods were used for evaluation. Both the extraction yield and the antioxidant activity (AOA) were strongly dependent on the solvent. Among the extracts, ME exhibited highest total phenolic compounds (TPC) and IC50 values for DPPH, followed by EAE and HE, respectively. Peroxide value (PV), anisidine value (AV) conjugated dienes (CD), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were taken as the parameters for evaluation of stabilization efficacy of MCL extracts and results revealed MCL to be a potent antioxidant for the stabilization of corn oil. As a general trend, increased AOA was observed for increased extract concentration. The predominant phenolic compounds identified by HPLC-DAD in MCL extracts were p-coumaric acid, vanillin and ferulic acid

Antiinflamatory and analgesic activities of Ficus thonningii and Pseudocedrela kotschyi extracts

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic studies were conducted on rats and mice using ethanolic extracts of the leaves of Ficus thonningii and stem back of Pseudocedrela kotschyi using egg white induce inflammation, hot plate and writhing tests method. The ethanolic extracts of both plants inhibited egg-albumin induced edema, pain induced by hot plate and acetic acid induced writhing. Ficus thonningii and Pseudocedrela kotschyi significantly alter the stay time of the rats on hot plate with Pseudocedrela kotschyi showing a higher activity. Both plants extracts show analgesic activity in the acetic acid induced writhing (chemical method) with Pseudocedrela kotschyi showing a higher activity. Intraperitoneal LD50 were 7g/kg and 1.5g/kg for Ficus thonningii and Pseudocedrela kotschyi respectively and preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of glycosides, flavonoids, tannins and alkaloids in both extracts. These results suggest that these plants possess analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties for which they are used by traditional healers. Key words: Medicinal plants; Anti-inflammatory; Analgesic; Writhing test Nig. J. Pharm. Res. 3(1) 2004: 82-8

Production of Specialized Metabolites by Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

The actinomycetes are well-known bioactive natural product producers, comprising the Streptomycetes, the richest drug-prolific family in all kingdoms, producing therapeutic compounds for the areas of infection, cancer, circulation, and immunity. Completion and annotation of many actinomycete genomes has highlighted further how proficient these bacteria are in specialized metabolism, which have been largely underexploited in traditional screening programs. The genome sequence of the model strain Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), and subsequent development of genomics-driven approaches to understand its large specialized metabolome, has been key in unlocking the high potential of specialized metabolites for natural product genomics-based drug discovery. This review discusses systematically the biochemistry and genetics of each of the specialized metabolites of S. coelicolor and describes metabolite transport processes for excretion and complex regulatory patterns controlling biosynthesis.© 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved