ABSTRACT
Annona senegalensis Pers. (ANNONACEAE) is a plant which is used in african traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. This study aimed to investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of total ethereal leaf extract fractions of A. senegalensis. Compounds of methanolic fractions of ethereal leaf extract of A. senegalensis were separated by gel sephadex chromatography, in five fractions (F1, F2, F3, F4, F5). Experiments were performed in acetic acid-induced contortions in mice, carrageenan rat paw edema and phospholipase A2 inhibitory test. The methanolic fraction of total ethereal leaf extract (10 mg/kg, per os) significantly prevented the carrageenan inflammatory edema. The variation of edema is 22.31±3.35 %, 49.66±13.50 %, 52.10±10.02 % respectively at T1h, T3h and T5h. The increased edema after oral administration of F4 fraction administered at 300 µg/kg and 1 mg/kg per os is respectively 52.77±7.36 % and 33.81±6.94 %. The variation of edema in betamethasone group (1 mg/kg, per os) is 23.46±3.99 %. F4 fraction at 300 µg/kg, significantly inhibited 16.39 % of phospholipase A2 enzyme activity. F4 fraction (300 µg/kg, per os) also significantly prevented acetic acid-induced pain in mice. The number of abdominal contortions is 21 versus 72 in control group. F4 fraction compounds have a powerful analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity that involves phospholipase A2 inhibition, comparable to betamethasone profile on pain and inflammation.
ABSTRACT
Background & objectives: Malaria resurgence in highland regions of East Africa has been on increase. The spatio-temporal distribution of larval habitats of malaria vectors determines the distribution of adult vectors, hence, disease transmission. Vector’s ecology is necessary for strategic vector control through effective plan for source reduction. Mapping of the larval habitats is necessary for targeted control measures. The purpose of this study is to assess and compare the spatial and seasonal variations in anopheline larval habitats in Western Kenya. Methods: A comparative study was conducted on spatial distribution of GPS geo-located anopheline larval habitats in relation to highland and lowland environments. Land use types were categorized and all potential aquatic habitats of malaria vectors were examined in February, May, August and November 2004. Data analyses were performed using SAS JMP software. Results & discussion: Results showed a higher percentage of Anopheles gambiae s.s. (70.9%) than An. funestus (29.1%) in highland. In the lowland, An. gambiae s.l. comprised 60.1% while An. funestus represented 39.9%. The distribution of larval breeding is confined to the valley bottom in the highland while it was dispersed in the lowland. Land use type influenced the occurrence of positive breeding habitats in the highland. In the lowland, distribution was due to seasonality. We found high proportion of potential and positive breeding sites in cultivated swamps and farmlands at the highland site. These results suggest that swamp cultivation increases the availability and suitability of larval breeding habitats of malaria vectors, thus malaria transmission in the Western Kenya highlands environment.