Rokia Sanogo

Anti-ulcer polysaccharides from Cola cordifolia bark and leaves.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCEnAqueous extracts of bark and leaves of C. cordifolia are traditionally used in Mali (West Africa) in the treatment of wounds and gastric ailments like abdominal pain, gastritis and gastric ulcers.nnnAIM OF THE STUDYnTo evaluate and compare the anti-ulcer and immunological activities, as well as the toxicity of polysaccharide rich water extracts from the bark and leaves of C. cordifolia.nnnMATERIALS AND METHODSnGastric ulcers were induced in rats and the inhibition of ulcer formation was calculated based on lesion index. Immunological activities were measured by complement fixation and macrophage activation. Toxicity was tested on brine shrimps. The two extracts were characterised by GC, Yariv-precipitation and quantification of phenolic compounds. An ethnomedical survey on C. cordifolia was carried out in Siby (Mali, West-Africa) to generate more knowledge about the traditional use.nnnRESULTSnBark and leaf extracts from C. cordifolia significantly inhibited the formation of gastric lesions in rodents in a dose depending manner. CCbark50 showed a high complement fixation activity in vitro. No toxicity was found. The ethnomedical survey showed that C. cordifolia was mainly used for treating pain and wounds.nnnCONCLUSIONSnOur results shows that the bark and the leaves comprise a dose dependant anti-ulcer activity in an experimental rat model (no statistical difference between the plant parts). Clinical studies should be performed to evaluate the effect of both bark and leaves of C. cordifolia as a remedy against gastric ulcer in human.

Improved Traditional Medicines in Mali

Mali is unusual in enjoying a high level of government support for research and development of traditional medicines. The Department for Traditional Medicine, within the National Institute for Research on Public Health (part of the Ministry of Health), was founded in 1968 (originally as the National Institute of Phytotherapy and Traditional Medicine), and in 2005 moved to new purpose-built premises. Since 1979, one of its aims has been the development of standardized “Medicaments Traditionnels Ameliores” (MTAs, or improved traditional medicines). n nThe “improvement” lies in the pharmacologic evidence of safety and efficacy, the standardized dose and quality control. In order to obtain marketing authorization, a dossier of information on the remedys safety and efficacy must be submitted to the Commission Nationale dAutorisation de Mise sur le Marche of the Ministry of Health. Malian regulations categorize traditional medicines as shown in Table 1.1 The requirements for the dossier vary according to the category (Table 2). Most MTAs are of category 2, for which clinical trials are not an absolute requirement. n nTable 1. n nCategories of Traditional Medicines in Malian Law1

Inulin-rich fractions from Vernonia kotschyana roots have anti-ulcer activity.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCEnRoots from Vernonia kotschyana are on the national list of essential drugs in Mali (West-Africa). It is sold under the name Gastrosedal and it used against ailments like gastritis and gastric ulcer. To evaluate the anti-ulcer, immunomodulating activities and toxicity of 50 and 100 °C water extracts, Vk50-I and Vk100-I respectively, from the roots of Vernonia kotschyana.nnnMATERIALS AND METHODSnCharacterization of extracts was carried out by GC, colorimetric and biological methods. Vk50-I and Vk100-I were administrated 50 min before induction of gastric ulcers in mice with 0.3 M HCl-60% EtOH. Inhibition of ulcer formation was calculated based on lesion index. Immunological activities were measured by complement fixation and macrophage activation. Toxicity assay was carried out on brine shrimps.nnnRESULTSnVk50-I (98% inulin) and Vk100-I (83% inulin) from Vernonia kotschyana significantly inhibited the formation of gastric lesions in mice (100 mg/kg). No immunomodulating activities or toxicity were found.nnnCONCLUSIONSnOur results show that inulin is probably partly responsible for the anti-ulcer activity of Gastrosedal. In addition, it is possible that water soluble polysaccharides (mainly inulin) have an indirect impact on the general health of the GI.

Anti-angiogenic activity of Entada africana root

Entada africana roots are used in African traditional medicine for various diseases including inflammation. This application may be mediated through anti-angiogenic effects. Thus, in this study the anti-angiogenic activity of E. africana root extracts (n-hexane, chloroform, chloroform/methanol and methanol) was preliminarily evaluated by the quantitative determination of endogenous alkaline phosphatase in zebrafish embryos. A bioactivity-guided fractionation of chloroform/methanol extract yielded apigenin and robinetin as the main constituents from the most active fractions. In addition, a marked reduction on capillary formation was evidenced in chick chorioallantoic membrane after treatment with the active fractions or isolated compounds. Results obtained in this study suggest that the anti-angiogenic effects of E. africana root may account for its use in inflammatory diseases and other related pathological conditions.

Minerals salt composition and secondary metabolites of Euphorbia hirta Linn., an antihyperglycemic plant.

Phytochemical study and research on acute toxicity were performed on the aerial parts (leaves and stems) of Euphorbia hirta Linn. The phytochemical screening and chromatography revealed the presence of saponin, sterol, terpene, alkaloids, polyphenols, tannins and flavonoids and especially mucilage. The evaluation of total polyphenols and total flavonoids gave 120.97 ± 7.07 gallic acid equivalents (GAE) mg/g (mg of GAE/g of extract) of dry extract and 41.4 ± 0.5 mg quercetin equivalent per gram (QE/g) (mg of QE/g of plant extract) of dry extract respectively. The physicochemical study revealed moisture content of 7.73% ± 0.00%, total ash 7.48% ± 0.03%. Sulfuric ash 9.05% ± 0.01%, hydrochloric acid insoluble ash of 0.8% ± 0.02%. The search for minerals salt revealed the presence of Cr, Zn, K, Ca and Mg having an important role in glucose metabolism. The acute toxicity study showed that the toxic dose may be above 3000 mg/kg. The results of these studies indicate that extracts from the leaves and stem of E. hirta Linn. contains trace elements and minerals salt and bioactive secondary metabolites which explain their therapeutic uses for treating diabetes mellitus.

Intellectual property rights, benefit-sharing and development of "improved traditional medicines": A new approach.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCEnProtection of intellectual property rights and benefit-sharing are key issues for all ethnopharmacological research. The International Society of Ethnobiology has produced helpful guidelines on access and benefit-sharing which are widely viewed as a gold standard but the question remains how best to apply these guidelines in practice. Difficult questions include ownership of traditional knowledge, making appropriate agreements, and how appropriately to share benefits.nnnMATERIALS AND METHODSnWe present the case study of the development of an improved traditional medicine for malaria in Mali and we report how benefit-sharing was applied in this case.nnnRESULTSnThe knowledge about the selected plant came independently from several families and traditional healers. The IPR approach was to recognise that this traditional knowledge belongs to the people of Mali and was used for their benefit in developing a new improved traditional medicine (ITM). The traditional healer whose method of preparation was used, and who collaborated in clinical trials, did not request any financial reward but asked for the ITM to be named after him. The most sustainable benefit for the community was sharing the results of which preparation of which medicinal plant seemed to be the most effective for treating malaria. Attempts at providing a health centre and training a health worker for the village did not prove to be sustainable.nnnCONCLUSIONSnRespect for intellectual property rights and benefit-sharing are possible even in a context where the knowledge is not owned by a clearly identified person or group of people. The most sustainable benefits are intangible rather than material: namely recognition, improved knowledge about which traditional treatment is the best and how to prepare and take it.