Lucia Keter

Ethnobotanical studies of medicinal plants used by Traditional Health Practitioners in the management of diabetes in Lower Eastern Province, Kenya

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Diabetes mellitus is a growing problem in many developing countries and the financial burden associated with it is enormous. In traditional African communities, majority of people relies on traditional medicines and Traditional Health Practitioners as the primary source of health care. Hence, this study was undertaken in the Lower Eastern province of Kenya to document the medicinal plants used by the traditional practitioners to treat diabetes and to assess the existing knowledge in management of this condition. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data was collected using structured open- and close-ended questionnaires. RESULTS Thirty-nine species belonging to 33 genera and 26 families were encountered and the most frequently cited species were from Caesalpiniaceae, Ebenaceae, Solanaceae and Labiatae families. Twenty-eight percent of the plant species are reported to have hypoglycaemic activity. CONCLUSIONS Currently there is no data on medicinal plants used to treat diabetes in Kenya. Therefore, these findings are important in the management of diabetes and future research on traditional medicine in drug development.

Risk of Fungi Associated with Aflatoxin and Fumonisin in Medicinal Herbal Products in the Kenyan Market

Utilization of herbal products is a major concern due to the possibility of contamination by toxigenic fungi that are mycotoxin producers such as Aspergillus species during processing and packaging. Research was carried out to determine the presence of aflatoxins and fumonisins in herbal medicinal products sold in Eldoret and Mombasa towns in Kenya. The study employed both exploratory and laboratory experimental design. The herbal products were purchased from the market and transported to Kenya Medical Research Institute for processing and analysis. Fungal contaminants were determined according to Pharmacopoeia specifications. The toxins were quantified using ELISA based technique. The genus Aspergillus was the most dominant followed by Penicillium. Fungal counts ranged between 1 CFU/g and >1000 cfu/g. Analysis of variance showed that the rate of fungal contaminants for Eldoret and Mombasa samples had significant association (p ≤ 0.001). Aflatoxin levels ranged from 1 to 24 ppb, while fumonisin levels ranged from 1 to >20 ppb. Only 31% of samples met the standards for microbial limits as specified in Pharmacopoeia. There is need for product microbial quality improvement through proper harvesting, processing, storage, and marketing. It is recommended that a policy be enacted to enable regulation of herbal products in Kenya.

P2.180 TMR5 (ZedupexTM) as a Management Therapy For Herpes Infections: Results of Preclinical Evaluations

TMR5 (ZedupexTM) is a product of a Kenyan medicinal plant, prepared as a lyophilized extract and a cream. The products have been evaluated for preclinical safety and efficacy in suitable in vitro and in vivo systems of herpes infections. Herpes is a viral infection affecting over 60% of the sub-Saharan Africa young adult population. It is caused by two similar viruses, HSV-1 and HSV-2 which share 50% gene sequence homology. The infection in a major cause of genital ulcer disease, associated with increased risks of HIV acquisition and transmission. The aim is to develop TMR5 as an alternative anti-herpes agent, this being necessitated by increased resistance to available drugs and the cost of the drug of choice, acyclovir, in the region. Using the trypan blue exclusion test, plaque inhibition and viral yield reduction assays for assessment of cytotoxicity (CC50) and efficacy (EC50), and Mice and guinea pig cutaneous and genital HSV infection models respectively following oral and topical treatments, TMR5 exhibited no cytotoxicity in mammalian cell lines with a wide therapeutic index (CC50 ≥ 58.5 ± 4.6µg/ml). An EC50 of ≤ 14.7 ± 3.7µg/ml for both wild type and resistant strains of HSV was realised in plaque and viral yield assays. Oral (250 mg/kg) and topical (10% cream) administrations exhibited significant delay in onset of infections, hindered progression of infection to lethal forms with increased mean survival times and low mortality in both mice and guinea pig models. No acute toxicity has been realised at the therapeutic concentrations. TMR5 has demonstrated a high potential as an anti-herpes agent and arrangements are presently underway to evaluate its efficacy and safety in human clinical trials. A pilot production scheme supported by the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NCSTI) of Kenya has been undertaken as means of developing TMR5 as an alternative management therapy for herpes infections.