Anthony Jide Afolayan

An ethnobotanical study of plants used for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (njovhera) in Guruve District, Zimbabwe

The use of medicinal plants in Guruve District, Zimbabwe, contributes significantly to primary health care of the people of the area. This paper presents findings of a survey of plants used for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the district. Ethnobotanical information obtained from traditional herbalists and other knowledgeable rural dwellers, has revealed 15 plant species belonging to 10 families as medicinal plants used for the treatment of these infections in the area. Six of these are the commonest and most frequently prescribed by the healers. Roots are the most frequently used parts of the plants constituting 53% of preparations while oral administration of extracts is the main method of prescription. Based on the information gathered from the traditional healers, Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd. ex Delile, Cassia abbreviata Oliv. Dichrostachys cinerea Wight and Arn, Solanum incanum L., Vernonia amygdalina Del. and Zanha africana (Radlk) Excell. are the most frequently used plants for the treatment of STDs. The methanol extracts of Cassia abbreviata, Zanha africana and Acacia nilotica showed significant inhibition against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, while acetone extracts of these plants inhibited most of the species. Generally the water extracts show less activity than acetone and methanol extracts.

Antibacterial activity of some indigenous plants used for the treatment of wounds in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

The use of medicinal plants in the world, and especially in South Africa, contributes significantly to primary health care. This paper presents the findings of an initial survey of plants used for the treatment of wounds in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Ethnomedical information gathered from surveys at clinics, hospitals as well as interviews with traditional healers and rural dwellers has revealed that Grewia occidentalis, Polystichum pungens, Cheilanthes viridis and Malva parvifolia are the most commonly used plants for the treatment of wounds in the province. The methanol extracts of G. occidentalis, P. pungens and C. viridis showed significant inhibition against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, while the acetone extract of P. pungens inhibited the gram-positive bacteria only. Extracts from M. parvifolia did not show any antibacterial activity at 5.0 mg/ml. Generally, the antibacterial property of the plants appears to have justified their use for the treatment of wounds, which are contaminated through bacterial infection, in the province.

Antibacterial and antioxidant properties of the methanol extracts of the leaves and stems of Calpurnia aurea

BackgroundIn South Africa, Calpurnia aurea (Ait.) Benth is used to destroy lice and to relieve itches, to destroy maggots and to treat allergic rashes, particularly those caused by caterpillars. Antioxidants play an important role protecting against damage by reactive oxygen species. Plants containing flavonoids have been reported to possess strong antioxidant properties.MethodsThe antibacterial, antioxidant activities and phenolic contents of the methanol extracts of the leaves and stems of Calpurnia aurea were evaluated using in vitro standard methods. Spectrophotometry was the basis for the determinations of total phenol, total flavonoids, flavonols, and proanthocyanidins. Tannins, quercetin and catechin equivalents were used for these parameters. The antioxidant activities of the stem extract of Calpurnia aurea were determined by ABTS, DPPH, and ferrous reducing antioxidant property (FRAP) methods. Laboratory isolates of 10 bacteria species which included five Gram-positive and five Gram-negative strains were used to assay for antibacterial activity of this plant.ResultsThe results from this study showed that the antioxidant activities of the stem extract of Calpurnia aurea as determined by the total phenol, flavonoids, and FRAP methods were higher than that of the leaves. On the other hand, the leaf extract of the plant has higher level of total flavonols and proanthocyanidins. The leaf extract also has higher radical scavenging activity as shown in 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2,2¿-azinobis-3- ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assay. The leaf extract showed activity against seven of the bacterial organisms.ConclusionThe results from this study indicate that the leaves and stem extracts of Calpurnia aurea possess antioxidant properties and could serve as free radical inhibitors or scavenger or, acting possibly as primary antioxidants. Although, the antibacterial properties of Calpurnia aurea are not as effective as the standard drugs- Chloramphenicol and Streptomycin, they still possess some activity against bacterial strains used in this study. Calpurnia aurea may therefore be a good candidate for functional foods as well as pharmaceutical plant-based products.

Nutritional quality of some wild leafy vegetables in South Africa.

Wild vegetables play an important role in the diet of inhabitants of different parts of the world. Among the wild vegetables of South Africa are Chenopodium album, Sonchus asper, Solanumnigrum and Urtica urens. The leaves of these plants were analysed for their nutritive value, anti-nutritive components and polyphenolic contents. The protein contents of their leaves ranged between 13.25% and 26.44%, while the fibre and mineral (ash) contents were 16.08–23.08% and 13.0–27.75%, respectively. U. urens contained the highest concentrations of calcium, potassium, phosphorus and zinc. A high level of iron was observed in S. asper. These values were found to be comparable with or higher than those of commonly used vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and cabbage. The total phenolic contents ranged between 4.58 and 10.53 mg/g. In terms of anti-nutritional principles, all the vegetables had comparatively lower concentrations of phytate, alkaloids and saponins. Considering the amount of available mineral elements in the vegetables, these plants could be valuable and important contributors to the diets of the people in South Africa.

Antimicrobial activity of some plants used for the treatment of livestock disease in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Approximately 75% of rural livestock owners in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa use plants or plant based remedies to treat their livestock. Prominent among these plants are Combretum caffrum, Salix capensis and Schotia latifolia. Water, methanolic and acetonic extracts as well as decoctions of the three plants were screened against ten bacteria and five fungi. The results of the antibacterial assay indicated significant activity against all the Gram-positive bacteria tested with the minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 5.0 mg/ml. A few of the extracts showed minimal activity, but the majority of extracts were not active on the Gram-negative bacteria. Generally, all the extracts showed some antifungal activity against the five test fungi. Methanolic extracts exhibited higher fungal growth inhibition, whereas the water extracts showed the least inhibition. It was noteworthy that some water extracts promoted fungal growth.

An ethnobotanical study of plants used for the treatment of wounds in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

The people of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, still depend, to a large extent, on traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of various diseases and ailments. This includes the use of plants for the treatment of wounds. Information collected from the traditional healers, the Sangomas, has revealed 38 plant species that are used for the treatment of wounds in the Province. The plants belong to 26 families of which Asteraceae, Asphodelaceae and Solanaceae are the most represented. The use of plant leaves as a poultice and infusions are the commonest categories of herbal preparations. In all cases, the treatment of wounds involved the external application of the herbal medicine.

The effect of Aloe ferox Mill. in the treatment of loperamide-induced constipation in Wistar rats.

BackgroundConstipation is the most common gastrointestinal complaint all over the world and it is a risk factor of colorectal cancer. In this study, the efficacy of aqueous leaf extract of Aloeferox Mill. was studied against loperamide-induced constipation in Wistar rats.MethodsConstipation was induced by oral administration of loperamide (3 mg/kg body weight) while the control rats received normal saline. The constipated rats were treated with 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight/day of the extract for 7 days during which the feeding characteristics, body weight, fecal properties and gastrointestinal transit ratio were monitored.ResultsThe extract improved intestinal motility, increased fecal volume and normalized body weight in the constipated rats, which are indications of laxative property of the herb with the 200 mg/kg body weight of the extract showing the best efficacy.ConclusionThe effect of the extract compares favourably well with senokot, a standard laxative drug. These findings have therefore, lent scientific credence to the folkloric use of the herb as a laxative agent by the people of the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

Assessment of the medicinal potentials of the methanol extracts of the leaves and stems of Buddleja saligna

BackgroundBuddleja saligna Willd (Loganiaceae) is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree; trunk short, often gnarled and crooked; crown dense, rounded or domed-shaped; foliage greyish green. The wild olives are traditionally used to lower blood pressures in many parts of the world. In southern Africa, bark and leaf decoctions are used to treat colic, coughs, colds, sore eyes, urinary problems and as purgatives.MethodsThe antibacterial, antioxidant activities and phenolic contents of the methanol extracts of the leaves and stems of Buddleja saligna were evaluated using in vitro standard methods. Spectrophotometry was the basis for the determinations of total phenol, total flavonoids, flavonols, and proanthocyanidins. Tannins, quercetin and catechin equivalents were used for these parameters. The antioxidant activities of the leaves and stem extracts of Buddleja saligna were determined by ABTS, DPPH, and ferrous reducing antioxidant property (FRAP) methods. Laboratory isolates of 10 bacteria species which included five Gram-positive and five Gram-negative strains were used to assay for antibacterial activity of this plant.ResultsThe antioxidant activities of the leaves as determined by the ABTS and DPPH were similar to that of the stem. The flavonoids and the flavonols contents of the leaves were higher than that of the stem but the total phenols, proanthocyanidins and FRAP activities were higher in the methanol extracts of the stem. The extracts did show activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. For instance, while the methanol extract of the leaves showed good activities on all the organisms except Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at MICs of between 2.5 and 5.0 mg/ml, the extract of the stem only showed activities on Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pyrogens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at the same concentration.ConclusionThe results from this study indicate that the leaves and stem extracts of Buddleja saligna possess antioxidant properties and could serve as free radical inhibitors or scavenger or, acting possibly as primary antioxidants. Although, the antibacterial properties of Buddleja saligna are not as effective as the standard drugs-Chloramphenicol and Streptomycin, they still possess some activity against bacterial strains used in this study. Buddleja saligna may therefore be a good candidate for functional foods as well as pharmaceutical plant-based products.

Antioxidant and phytochemical properties of Carpobrotus edulis (L.) bolus leaf used for the management of common infections in HIV/AIDS patients in Eastern Cape Province

BackgroundCarpobrotus edulis (Mesembryanthemaceae), also known as igcukuma in Xhosa language is a medicinal plant used by the traditional healers to treat common infections in HIV/AIDS patients. Based on this information, we researched on the plant phytoconstituents, as well as its inhibitory effect using aqueous and three different organic solvent extracts in order to justify its therapeutic usage.MethodsAntioxidant activity of the extracts were investigated spectrophotometrically against 1,1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) diammonium salt, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), nitric oxide (NO), and ferric reducing power, Total phenols, flavonoids, flavonols, proanthocyanidins, tannins, alkaloids and saponins were also determined using the standard methods.ResultsQuantitative phytochemical analysis of the four solvent extracts revealed a high percentage of phenolics (55.7 ± 0.404%) in the acetone extract, with appreciable amount of proanthocyanidins (86.9 ± 0.005%) and alkaloids (4.5 ± 0.057%) in the aqueous extract, while tannin (48.9 ± 0.28%) and saponin (4.5 ± 0.262%) were major constituents of the ethanol extract. Flavonoids (0.12 ± 0.05%) and flavonols (0.12 ± 0.05%) were found at higher level in the hexane extract in comparison with the other extracts. The leaf extracts demonstrated strong hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity, with the exception of water and ethanol extracts. IC50 values of the aqueous and ethanolic extract against DPPH, ABTS, and NO were 0.018 and 0.016; 0.020 and 0.022; 0.05 and 0.023 mg/ml, respectively. The reducing power of the extract was found to be concentration dependent.ConclusionThe inhibitory effect of the extracts on free radicals may justify the traditional use of this plant in the management of common diseases in HIV/AIDs patients in Eastern Cape Province. Overall, both aqueous and ethanol were found to be the best solvents for antioxidant activity in C. edulis leaves.

Comparative analysis of the chemical composition of three spices – Allium sativum L. Zingiber officinale Rosc. and Capsicum frutescens L. commonly consumed in Nigeria

The beneficial health effects of spices against common chronic systemic diseases have been well documented. Comparative study of the proximate, mineral and phytochemical components of three spices namely garlic ( Allium sativum L. ), ginger ( Zingiber officinale Rosc.) and pepper ( Capsicum frutescens L.) were investigated. Analysis of the proximate composition revealed that the spices had considerable carbohydrate and crude protein content, but low ash, fibre, moisture and fat except pepper which has high crude fat content. The spices were also characterized by the presence of mineral elements such as calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, copper and zinc which are very important to human nutrition. Phytochemical screening indicated that these spices are also rich in phytonutrients including alkaloid, tannin, carotenoids, saponin and flavonoids. The spices had low concentrations of steroids and cardenolides. Overall, the findings indicate that the spices are good sources of nutrients, mineral elements and phytochemicals which could be exploited as great potentials for drugs and/or nutritional supplements. Key words : Comparative, nutritional, supplements, spices.