Potential Larvicidal Properties of Blighia sapida Leaf Extracts against Larvae of An. gambiae Cu. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti.

Blighia sapida is a medicinal plant used in Southern Nigeria for the treatment of some eye ailments and headache. The Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine (CSRPM), Ghana, has used this plant for the treatment of diarrhea for over 20 years. Objective: This study was designed to investigate the lethal effect of aqueous, ethanol, and ethyl acetate extracts of the leaf of B. sapida on fourth instar larvae of An. gambiae, Cu. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti. Methods: The lethal effect of aqueous, ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts of the leaves of B. sapida at concentrations of 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, 0.60 and 0.75% w/v each were investigated in static bioassays on 4th 15 instar larvae of An. gambiae, Cu. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti. Results: The 72hLC50 values of the aqueous extract were 0.393, 0.488 and 0.423%w/v for larvae of An. gambiae, Cu. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti respectively, while the values for the ethanol extract were 0.319, 0.407 and 0.384%w/v for An. gambiae, Cu. quinefasciatus and Ae. aegypti larvae respectively. For the ethyl acetate extract tested against larvae of An. gambiae, Cu. quinquefasciatus and Ae. agypti, the 72hLC50 values were 0.135, 0.177 and 0.133% w/v respectively. As judged by the 72hLC50 values ethyl acetate extract was the most potent of the three extracts. Conclusions: Results obtained demonstrate that the leaves of B. sapida have marked larvicidal potential against mosquito larvae used in this study.

Bioactive compounds of the stem bark of parkia biglobosa.

Phytochemistry, elemental analysis and Infra red spectroscopy were used in combination to confirm the bioactive compounds encountered in the aqueous fraction of the extract of the stem bark of Parkia biglobosa. Bioautography results obtained confirmed the activity of these compounds singly and in combination against Staphylococcus. aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa -all organisms of medical and pharmaceutical importance. All results obtained brings us closer to the real identity of these compounds. Work is going on in our laboratory for the structure elucidation of the compounds.