Chemical and Biological Characterization of a Crude Venom Extract from the Sea Anemone-Bunodosoma Aavernata

Background: Sea-anemones; in common with other members of the phylum cnidaria (coelenterate) possess numerous tentacles containing specialized stinging cells of cnido-cysts. Our main objective is to elucidate the chemical character and biological properties of this Nigerian species of sea anemone Bunodosoma cavernata with a view to providing investigators a scientific basis for future research. Methods: The Nigerian species of sea anemone-Bunodosoma cavernata were collected at Opuaduakiri fishing port in Bonny town; Rivers State; Nigeria. The animal extract was prepared according to standard procedure. The protein content of the extract and percentage protein in the whole animal were also estimated following standard methods. Other biochemical constituents of the animal estimated were the total lipids; carbohydrate; moisture and the mineral content. The stability of the extract and an arbitrary unit of biological activity of the extract were also determined. Results: From the results; the protein content of the crude extract was 0.5 mg protein/ml for a 10-fold diluted extract; while the percentage total protein was about 39.4. The percentage lipid was about 14.9while carbohydrate was probably absent. The moisture content was about 95.7with about 3.4mineral content. The extracts prepared from fresh animals showed the highest activity or potency while the freeze-dried extract lost their potency after about 6 months storage. The result showed that the bulk of the animal was water with very low mineral content. On the biochemical constituents; protein level was the highest and the animal was probably devoid of carbohydrates. Conclusion: We conclude that the anemone (B. cavernata) extract is probably highly toxic and it is very likely that the difficulty in storage which resulted in loss of its biological activities was due to the proteinaeceous nature of the animal

Effect Crude Extract of Viscum album (mistletoe) on Plasma Lipids : an insight into its possible Antihyperglycaemic and Antihypertensive Properties

Background: Reports on the hypoglycaemic property of mistletoe leaf is abundant in the literature. In this study; we have investigated this property in relation to the lipid profile in Wistar rats.Methods: Six groups of five rats per group were used for the study. Diabetes was induced with alloxan (60mg/kg. ip) and hypertension by high salt- loading. The treated groups received the crude extract (150mg/kg. oral) for 5 weeks in addition to normal rat feed; water ad libitum. Plasma glucose; total cholesterol; triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol levels were determined using standard procedures.Results: The diabetic and the hypertensive rats had about 30.8and 9.1increase in blood sugar levels respectively compared to the control. The extract (150 mg/kg. oral) produced about 84.2and 33.2(P0.05) decrease in blood sugar levels in the diabetics and hypertensives respectively. Also the total cholesterol; triglyceride; and LDL-cholesterol levels were increased in both diabetics and hypertensives (P 0.05). The LDL levels were lowered by the extract by about 21.4and 24.3(P0.05) in the diabetics and hypertensives respectively. Finally the extract also produced about 34.5and 8.3depression of blood pressure of the hypertensives and normotensives respectively.Conclusion: We suggest the reduction of plasma lipid fractions by the extract as being responsible for the antihyperglycaemic and antihypertensive activities of the mistletoe extract

Antimalarial activity in crude extracts of some cameroonian medical plants

Fifteen crude extracts from the stem bark and seeds of four medicinal plants; viz: Entandrophragma angolense; Picralima nitida; Schumanniophyton magnificum and Thomandersia hensii were tested in vitro for their antimalarial activity against the chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum W2 strain. The results showed that the extracts of these plants possessed some antimalarial activity; the methanol extract of Picralima nitida demonstrating the highest activity in vitro. Further isolation and identification of some active compounds from these plants will justify their common use in traditional medicine for the treatment of malaria or fever in Cameroon