Anthony A. Elujoba

Antimalarial Activity of Khaya Grandifoliola Stem-bark

Khaya grandifoliola (Welw) CDC (Meliaceae) is widely used in West Africa for the treatment of fever. The dried powdered stem-bark of the plant was extracted with various solvents. The resulting extracts and column purified fractions therefrom were tested for their antimalarial properties using Plasmodium berghei berghei for in vivo antimalarial determinations and Plasmodium falciparum for in vitro antiplasmodial activities. The n -hexane extract, the crude and purified fractions gave the most active antimalarial activities with about 91% chemosuppression in vivo and IC 50 values of 1.4 µg/ml (for multi-drug resistant clone) or 0.84 µg/ml (for Nigerian P. falciparum isolates). These values were comparable to those observed with the reference drug chloroquine diphosphate.

Anti-implantation activity of the fruit of Lagenaria breviflora Robert

The fruit of Lagenaria breviflora Robert (Adenopus breviflorus Benth) family Cucurbitaceae used by natives as an abortifacient in Nigeria, was investigated for anti-implantation activity. The ethyl acetate extract of the whole fruit and methanol extract of the seed were very toxic to rats. Using ten female virgin albino rats for each extract, the World Health Organization special protocol and doses on a moisture-free basis: 20 g/kg whole fruit methanol extract gave 60% anti-implantation activity, 2.5 g/kg fruit pulp gave 80% and 5 g/kg fruit pulp gave 100% activity while 2 g/kg seed also gave 100% activity but four of the rats died. Statistical evaluation of the data showed that the results were significant.

Preliminary Investigation of the Oxytocic Action of an Aqueous Extract of Lagenaria breviflora Fruit

AbstractThe effects of an aqueous extract of Lagenaria breviflora Robert (Cucurbitaceae) fruit on pregnant and non-pregnant isolated rat uteri have been investigated.The aqueous extract of L. breviflora fruit induced concentration-dependent, oxytocin-like contractions of the gravid and non-gravid isolated rat uteri. The extract-evoked contractions of the uterine strips examined were not modified by the standard antagonists used. The aqueous extract of L. breviflora fruit failed to contract the guinea-pig isolated ileum, whereas acetylcholine and histamine contracted this mammalian gastro-intestinal tract smooth muscle in a dose-related manner. The plausible pharmacological implications of these findings are discussed.

Evaluation of herbal antimalarial MAMA decoction-amodiaquine combination in murine malaria model.

Abstract Context: Co-administration of amodiaquine with MAMA decoction (MD), an herbal antimalarial drug comprising the leaves of Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae), Alstonia boonei De Wild (Apocynaceae), Morinda lucida Benth (Rubiaceae) and Azadirachta indica A. Juss (Meliaceae) was investigated. The practice of concurrent administration of herbal medicines with orthodox drugs is currently on the increase globally. Objective: The study was designed to investigate the possible enhancement of the antimalarial potency as well as possible herb–drug interaction resulting from concurrent administration of MAMA decoction with amodiaquine (AQ). Materials and methods: Combinations of MD with AQ were investigated in chloroquine (CQ)-sensitive Plasmodium berghei NK 65 in varying oral doses (mg/kg) at: sub-therapeutic [MD30 + AQ1.25], therapeutic [MD120 + AQ10] and median effective [MD40 + AQ3.8], using chemosuppressive and curative antimalarial test models. Secondly, P. berghei ANKA (CQ-resistant)-infected mice were orally treated with MD 120, 240, [MD120 + AQ10] and [MD240 + AQ10] mg/kg, using both models. The survival times of mice were monitored for 28 d. Results: ED50 values of MD and AQ were 48.8 and 4.1 mg/kg, respectively. A total parasite clearance of CQ-sensitive P. berghei NK65 was obtained with the therapeutic combination dose in the curative test giving an enhanced survival time. In CQ-resistant P. berghei ANKA-infected mice, [MD120 + AQ10] and [MD240 + AQ10] mg/kg gave comparable activities with AQ (10 mg/kg) in both models. Conclusion: The therapeutic combination dose gave total parasite clearance of CQ-sensitive P. berghei NK65, whereas none of the doses tested showed notable activity against CQ-resistant P. berghei ANKA.