ABSTRACT
Aim: The common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids have adverse effects. This has motivated for the search of new drugs with decreased or no side effects. In the present study, we investigated analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the methanol extract of Tithonia diversifolia in vivo. Methods: Analgesic activity of the methanol extract of T. diversifolia was carried out using an analgesy meter to measure the tolerance of induced pressure. The method of carrageenan-induced inflammation in rat was used for the anti-inflammatory effect. Results: This study shows statistically significant improvements in pain resistance and paw oedema suppression were observed in animals treated with 150 and 300 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) methanol extract of Tithonia diversifolia, when compared to control groups treated with normal saline and acetyl salicylic acid. The maximum analgesic effect was achieved at 300 mg/kg after 30 min with effective ratio of 5.92 when compared with the standard drug acetyl salicylic acid, and twice the activity of 150 mg/kg at the same time. Conclusion: The results suggest that the plant extract has analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities, supporting its uses in traditional medicine.
ABSTRACT
The use of herbal remedies in various local communities throughout the world to assuage the scourge of indigenous diseases has gained tremendous popularity. One of the many plants species of herbal remedies is Moringa oleifera (horseradish) which has been widely used in West Africa and Nigeria in particular for treating numerous human ailments such as malnutrition, cardiovascular, hepatotocicity and many others. Regardless of its wide use by communities around the world, there is inadequate scientific information available on the actual pharmacological effects of ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera leaves on the heart and kidney dysfunction. Hence this work aimed at determining the inhibitory activity of ethanolic extract of horseradish on oxidative stress in the heart and kidney of dexamethazone induced hypertensive wistar albino rats. The air-dried leaves of horseradish were pulverized and crude ethanolic extract was prepared. The animals were grouped into four groups of five animals each. Group A animals served as control and fed with water and feed while Groups B and C animals were administered with 0.5 mL of 40% w/v ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera leaf and 0.5 ml of 1.67 mg/kg body weight dexamethasone respectively. Group D animals were treated with 0.5 ml of 1.67 mg/kg body weight dexamethasone and 0.5 mL of 40% ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera leaf intermittently for 21 days. The results obtained from the study showed that the ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera leaf possessed the ability to inhibit and reverse the dexamethasone mediated tissues oxidative damage of both organs as seen in cholesterol, reduced glutathione and malondialdehyde concentrations. The same protective trend was also observed in activities of alkaline phosphatase, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and catalase enzymesin both organs of the hypertensive rats. Hence, ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera leaf reduced the extent of antioxidant loss and restoration of organ dysfunction caused by dexamethasone in the rats.
ABSTRACT
Much attention has been drawn to the toxic effect of bromate on the organs like liver, spleen etc. However, it is not clear whether or not the toxicity of bromate is related to other vital organs like the kidney. Hence, the present work is geared towards not only unraveling the toxic effect of bromate on the kidney but more importantly investigate the protective effect of African nutmeg Myristica fragrans against bromate induced toxicity in this organ. Twenty wistar albino rats (180 to 200 g) were divided into 4 groups. Group I was given normal rat feed with water as control; group II was administered with 1.0mL Potassium bromate (KBrO3) solution (30 mg/kg body weight); groups III and IV were simultaneously administered with 1.0mL of KBrO3 each and 1.0mL of 20% and 40% aqueous extract of African nutmeg respectively. All the treatments were given daily for two weeks. Enzyme biomarkers such as Aspartate Transaminase (AST), Alkaline Transaminase (ALT), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), Cholesterol (CHOL), High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (HDL-CHOL), Triglycerides (TRIG), and Malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in the kidney homogenate. Results obtained showed that although bromate exerted significant (P < 0.05) toxic effects on the kidney homogenate, administration of the aqueous seed extract of African nutmeg caused a marked reversal in the toxicity of bromate in a dose dependent fashion. Since, the introduction of bromate caused an alteration in enzyme biomarkers in the kidney homogenate, this indicates that the seed is a potential antioxidant against bromate toxicity of the kidney tissues.
ABSTRACT
Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the antidiabetic potential of Pergularia daemia methanolic extract (PD) on alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Methods: Diabetes was induced using alloxan (150mg/kg). Different doses of the methanolic extract of P. daemia were prepared and administered orally. The alloxaninduced diabetic mice were treated with 200, 400 and 1000 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) methanolic extract of Pergularia daemia and the blood glucose levels were measured over 4 hrs. Results: All doses of the extract (200, 400 and 1000 mg/kg b.w) significantly (p<0.0001) lowered fasting blood glucose level after treatment. The hypoglycaemic effect of the methanolic extract was also compared with that of an oral dose of glibenclamide under the same conditions. The extract showed significant (p<0.05) hypoglycemic effect in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. The glucose half-life (t1/2G) (p<0.0001), Mean Glucose Residence Time (MRTG) (p<0.0001), and the area under glucose concentration time curve (AUC0-4hG) (p<0.05) were high in control group compared to the alloxan-induced mice treated with P. daemia extract. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that methanolic extract of the plant of Pegularia daemia possess hypoglycaemic activity.
ABSTRACT
Aims: The aim of this study was to isolate fungi species from Omo natural forest soil in Ogun State of Nigeria and study the amylases from the fungi species which are digestive enzymes that hydrolyze glycosidic bonds in starch to glucose, maltose, maltotriose and dextrin; and in particular determine the activities of β-amylase from the forest soil. Study Design: Nine different species of fungi were isolated from the Omo natural forest reserve soil (Gonatobotrrys simplex, Aspergillus niger, Spiromyces minutus, Aspergillus flavus, Articulospora inflata, Botrytis cenera, Penicillium italicum, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus). Four species of the fungi (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus and Penicillum italicum) exhibited amylolytic activities maximally were obtained and screened for the production of beta-amylase (1,4-α-D-glucan maltohydrolase) for five days in liquid medium using 2% starch as carbon source. All the strains of fungi produced β-amylase optimally within the first 24 hours with progressive decreased production as the days gone by. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria, between February 2010 and March 2011. Methodology: We isolated many fungi species from forest reserve soil, four species (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigantus and Penicillum itallicum) were identified and assayed for β-amylase activity. Results: All the organisms produced β-amylase activity favorably at 40ºC; all were observed to be thermally stable at between 30ºC and 40ºC with optimal pH in alkaline medium between pH 7.00 and 9.00. Conclusion: The results obtained in this study however showed that all the fungi strains are promising sources of β-amylase for potential applications in food and pharmaceutical industries and for biotechnological and industrial applications.