Triterpenoids From the Leaves of Olax mannii Oliv.

The study of the acetone extract of the leaves of Olax mannii Oliv. led to the isolation of two triterpenoids; glutinol and rhoiptelenol. These compounds are reported for the first time in Olax mannii. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, IR and GC-MS.Keywords: Glutinol, Rhoiptelenol, Olax manniiNigerian Journal of Basic and Applied Science (2011), 19(2):193- 19

Preliminary phytochemical and antimicrobial screening of they stem bark extracts of Bauhinia rufescence Lam using some selected pathogens

Bauhinia rufescens Lam (Leguminosea-Caesalpinoideae) stem bark was extracted using methanol and fractionated using ethylacetate, butanol and water. The extract and fractions were subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening using standard procedures followed by antimicrobial screening using disc diffusion and broth dilution techniques. The extract and fractions showed the presence of carbohydrate, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, terpenes and steroids. The antimicrobial screening of the extract and fractions against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans, using disc diffusion method at disc potency of 100μg/disc showed inhibitory activity on the test isolates with zone of inhibition ranging from 16-37mm. The methanolic and ethylacetate extracts showed the least MIC of 1.25mg/mL. The result of the study confirms the traditional use of the stem bark of B. rufescens in the treatment of infections caused by susceptible microorganisms. Keywords: Bauhinia rufescens, Stem bark, Phytochemical screening, Antimicrobial activit

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Crude Saponin Extracts from Five Nigerian Medicinal Plants

Crude saponin extracts of five medicinal plants used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, gout and haemorrhoids were screened for anti-inflammatory activity using carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema test. These plants were the whole plant of Schwenkia americana Linn (WSA), the rhizomes of Asparagus africanus Lam (RAA), the leaves of Dichrostachys cinerea Linn (LDC), the stem bark of Ficus iteophylla Miq (BFI) and the leaves of Indigofera pulchra Willd (LIP). A modify traditional method of crude saponins extraction was used to give the following percentage yields: WSA-2.74%, RAA-3.59%, LDC-1.62%, BFI-0.81% and LIP-1.57% respectively. Thin-layer chromatography was used to identify the type of saponins present in the extracts. The acute toxicity study of the crude saponin extracts in mice gave the following intraperitoneal LD50: WSA-471.2mg/kg, RAA- 1264.9mg/kg, LDC-1264.9mg/kg, BFI-118.3mg/kg and LIP-1264.9mg/kg respectively.  The antiinflammatory study of the extracts showed statistically significant (P<0.05) decreases in the rat paw-oedema as compared to the control. The percentage inhibitions of the extracts after four hours were as follow: WSA-61%, RAA-55%, LDC-72%, BFI-66% and LIP-40% respectively. These values were found to be comparable to that of ketoprofen-63%. The study showed that the antiinflammatory properties attributable to these plants may be due to their saponins contents.Keywords: - Asparagus africanus, Dichrostachys cinerea, Ficus iteophylla, Indigofera pulchra, Schwenkia americana, Saponin,Anti-inflammatory activity, Carrageenan, TLC

Isolation of Lupeol from the Stem Bark of Leptadenia hastata (Pers.) Decne

Dried stem bark powder of Leptadania hastata was subjected to maceration with methanol to afford crude methanol extract, which was partitioned with n-hexane, ethylacetate, chloroform and n- butanol to afford different their respective fractions. Extensive phytochemical screening of the n-hexane fraction using column chromatography resulted to the isolation of a white solid substance. The substance was identified as of lupeol using IR, 1D \u2013 NMR, 2D \u2013 NMR data and by comparison with reference spectral data

Diagnostic Value of Abdominal Ultrasonography in Patients with Blunt Abdominal Trauma

Background: Various investigative modalities are used to detect intra.abdominal injury requiring surgical intervention. Ultrasonography (US) is a cheap, readily available, safe and non.invasive investigation used in the evaluation of patients with blunt abdominal trauma. Patients are subjected to no added risk of radiation.Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of US in patients with blunt abdominal trauma. Materials and Methods: Patients who had US for blunt abdominal trauma were prospectively evaluated from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2007. A total of 57 patients were included is this study. US results in each patient were classified as true positive (TP), false positive (FP), false negative (FN) or true negative (TN) by comparing with findings at either diagnostic peritoneal lavage or surgery. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (NPV) and diagnostic accuracy of US in detecting free fluid and in detecting the visceral parenchymal injury were calculated using two by two tables. The Epi Info statistical software version 3.4.1 was used for data analysis. Results: By scanning to detect free fluid, TPs were 46, FPs three, FNs two and TNs six. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and NPV and the diagnostic accuracy were 96%, 67%, 94%, 75% and 91% respectively. By scanning to detect the parenchymal injury, TPs were 24, FPs 15, FNs 10 and TNs 8. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and NPV and diagnostic accuracy were71%, 35%, 62%, 44% and 56% respectively.Conclusion: US has a high diagnostic value in the screening of patients with blunt abdominal trauma. Scanning for the presence of free fluid yieldsbetter results than scanning for the visceral parenchymal injury.Keywords: Injuries, intra.abdominal fluid, ultrasonograph

The effect of Colocynthis citrullus (Cucurbitaceae) seeds on body weight and haematological parameters in albino rats

This work was designed to evaluate the effects of dried powdered seeds of Colocynthis citrullus (Cucurbitaceae) fed to albino rats on haematological parameters (PCV, Hb, RBC, WBC and Differentials) and weight changes using 12 rats. The rats were separated into 4 groups of 3 rats per group. Animals in group A were fed with the amended dietcontaining 25%(w/w) Colocynthis citrullus seed powder, group B 50%(w/w) and group C 75%(w/w) for a total of 13 weeks. Group D served as control and fed with standard diets (Feed Master Grower Mash) alone. Blood samples of the animals were collected, from which red blood cell count and white blood cell/differential counts were carried out. At the end of the experiment, it was observed that the faeces of rats fed with 75% formulated diets were loose and the animals showed weight decreases compared with those fed with standard diet. Statistical analysis using analysis of variance (ANOVA) single factor and Dunnett's multiple comparison tests on the haematological data obtained in rats fed with different concentrations of amended diets that contained Colocynthis citrullus powdered seeds showed thatthere was no significant difference (

Phytochemical and antibacterial activity of ficus iteophylla linn leaves (moraceae)

This study was performed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the leaves of Ficus iteophylla against four pathogenic bacterial strain using agar diffusion method. The ethyl acetate, n-butanol and the aqueous portions of the crude ethanol extract were screened for anti-bacterial activities against E. coli, Ps. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and B.Subtilis using agar diffusion method. The Results showed that the aqueous portion has no activity against all the test organisms. Both the ethyl acetate and the n-butanol extracts showed activities with inhibition zone ranging from 11.3 mm to 12.9 mm for E. coli, 13.3 mm to 15.0 mm for S. aureus and 14.5 to 14.8 mm for B. Subtilis, but resistant to Ps. aeruginosa. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined. The MIC of ethylacetate extract showed the best MIC of 2.5 mg/ml against S.aureus, followed by n-butanol extract 5 mg/ml against the same organism. The two fractions showed similar MICs against B. subtilis (5 mg/ml) and E. coli (10 mg/ml). The ethylacetate extract is the most active extract. Fractionation of the n-butanol extract over silica Gel G column chromatography and sephadex LH-20 gave 2 Flavonoid glycosides identified as Kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and Quercitin-3-O-rutinoside. The observed activity might justify the use of the plant for diarhoea, skin infection and sorethroat

Evaluation of Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ethanol Extract of Ficus Iteophylla Leaves in Rodents

This study was undertaken to investigate the leaf part of the plant for analgesic and anti-inflammatory. The ethanol extract of Ficus iteophylla leaves (100, 200, and 400mgkg−1, i.p) was evaluated for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. The analgesic effect was studied using acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction and hot plate test in mice, while the anti-inflammatory effect was investigated using carrageenan induced paw oedema in rats. The ethanol extract at 100mgkg−1, 200mgkg−1, and 400mgkg−1 significantly (P< 0.05) inhibited acetic acid induced writhes by 1.50 ± 0.43, 3.0 ± 0.82 and 1.0 ± 0.82 respectively. It also exhibited significantly (P< 0.05) anti-inflammatory by 0.11 ± 0.02, 0.11 ± 0.03, 0.08 ± 0.01 respectively. The preliminary phytochemical screening of the plant extract revealed the presence of flavonoids, steroids, tannins and saponins while the effect of flavonoids, steroids and tannins on analgesic and inflammatory has been reported. The intraperitoneal median lethal dose (LD50) value of the extract was found to be 3807.8 mgkg−1 body weights. The result obtained from this study shows that the extract of Ficus iteophylla contained phytochemical constituents with analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities, therefore the leaf part of the plant could be used in the management of pain and inflammatory conditions

Comparative phytochemical and antibacterial screening of leaves of Terminalia catappa Linn.(Combretacea)

Terminalia catappa Linn (Combretaceae), a tree commonly found in the tropics is used in Hausa ethnomedicine in the treatment of liver diseases, diabetes, asthma, diarrhoea and typhoid fever. In the latter case however, only the dried fallen leaves are used. Comparative preliminary  phytochemical screening of the fresh and dried fallen leaves extractsrevealed the presence of saponins, steroids and triterpenes, fatty acids, tannins and glycosides in both types of the leaves. Alkaloids and flavonoids were found only in the dried fallen leaves. The antibacterial assay of both the fresh and dried fallen leaves extracts indicated higher activity against Salmonella typhii (clinical isolates) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 10145) by extracts of dried fallen leave

Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the saponins extract of Carissa edulis root in rodents

The saponins extract of Carissa edulis Vahl family Apocynaceae was investigated for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. The analgesic activity was studied using hot-plate and acetic acid-induced writhing tests in mice while the anti-inflammatory activity was studied using carrageenan-induced paw oedema test in rats. The saponins extract at all the doses tested showed statistically significant analgesic activity (