ABSTRACT
The liver and kidney are very important organs of the body that play vital roles of detoxification of compounds and removal of waste products respectively. In this research, some liver and kidney function tests were carried out on albino mice infected with malaria parasite to know the effect of treatment with extract on them. Pulverised dried seeds of Picralima nitida were extracted using ethanol. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities, total bilirubin, total protein, urea and creatinine levels and histopathological studies on liver and kidney tissues were performed. From the results of the experiment, significant (p < 0.05) reductions were observed in serum levels of urea, creatinine of the treated groups compared to the positive control (group infected with malaria parasite and treated with 3% tween 80) on days 3 and 5 post treatment. There was non-significant (p > 0.05) reduction in serum AST and ALT activities of the groups treated with 20, 40 and 80 mg/kg b.w. of the extract on days 3 and 5 post treatment compared to the positive control. Groups treated with 20 and 40 mg/kg b.w. of the extract showed significant (p < 0.05) reduction in bilirubin level on days 3 and 5 post treatment compared to the positive control. All the treated groups showed significant (p < 0.05) elevation in serum total protein on day 3 post treatment while the group treated with 80 mg/kg b.w. of the extract showed significant (p < 0.05) elevation in total protein on day 5 treatment compared to the positive control. Histopathological studies on the hepatic tissues of the treated mice showed lesser inflammatory cells around the portal areas than the untreated. No lesions were noticed in the renal tubules of both the treated and untreated mice. From the results of this experiment, it is now obvious that Picralima nitida seeds possess good hepato-protective properties.
ABSTRACT
The methanol and aqueous extracts of the leaves, fruits, seeds, stem bark and roots of Picralima nitida were studied in vitro and in vivo for activity against Trypanosoma brucei brucei in Swiss albino mice. Phytochemicals studies were also conducted for all the plant extracts. The methanol extracts showed appreciably high in vitro and in vivo antitrypanosomal activities compared to the aqueous extracts of the plant. The methanol extract of the root exhibited the highest in vitro antitrypanosomal activity followed by the methanol extract of seed of Picralima nitida. Motility of Trypanosoma brucei brucei was stopped by the methanol extract of the root after 10 min, while the methanol extract of the seed of Picralima nitida stopped the motility of Trypanosoma brucei brucei at 15 min. The methanol extract of the root of Picralima nitida showed the highest in vivo antitrypanosomal activity at 100 mg/kg body weight. The extract cleared the parasite completely from the T. brucei brucei infected Swiss albino mice after day 3 of treatment. There was a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) when the level of parasitemia of the animals treated with the methanol extract of the root of Picralima nitida were compared with the other treatment groups and the untreated control. The phytochemicals detected in these extracts are tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, saponins and cyanide glycosides. The in vitro and in vivo antitrypanosomal activity exhibited by these extracts might be attributed to these phytochemicals.
ABSTRACT
Picralima nitida Durand and Hook, (fam. Apocynaceae) is a West African plant with varied applications in African folk medicine. Various parts of the plant have been employed ethnomedicinally as remedy for fever, hypertension, jaundice, dysmenorrheal, gastrointestinal disorders and malaria. In order to reveal its full pharmacological and therapeutic potentials, the present review focuses on the current medicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological and toxicological activities of this species. Literature survey on scientific journals, books as well as electronic sources have shown the isolation of alkaloids, tannins, polyphenols and steroids from different parts of the plant, pharmacological studies revealed that the extract or isolated compounds from this species posses analgesic, anti-inflammatory, hypoglyceamic, hypotensive, antiplasmodial, antimicrobial, antiulcer and antitumorigenic activities. Results from various scientific investigations to date have revealed the potential of the extract from the plant or isolated compounds for use in the treatment and prevention of various kinds of human diseases. However, further studies on the extracts and pure compounds from this species is required to completely assess its phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological profile as well as the mechanism of action behind these pharmacological activities exhibited by the compounds isolated from this species.
Subject(s)
Apocynaceae , Medicine, African Traditional , Phytochemicals , Chemistry , Pharmacology , Therapeutic Uses , Plant Extracts , Chemistry , Pharmacology , Therapeutic UsesABSTRACT
larvicidal and antifungal activities of ethanolic and aqueous leaf extracts of Picralima nitida were evaluated in static bioassays on 4th instar larvae of Anopheles gambiae and three fungal species: Aspergillus flavus, Candida albicans and Microsporum canis. All extractions were done using distilled water and 50% ethanol. Larvicidal assays were carried out at extract concentrations of 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, 0.60 and 0.75% w/v, for 72h. For the antifungal studies extract concentrations used were 200, 100, 50 and 25mg/ml. At the end of larvicidal assay the highest concentration recorded mortality of 57.60% and 38.40% for ethanolic and aqueous leaf extracts respectively. 72h LC50 values obtained from Probit analysis, using SPSS version 17 were 0.660% and 1.057% w/v for ethanolic and aqueous leaf extracts respectively. Larvae in the control experiments registered no death throughout the period of experiment, rather they were actively wriggling and some even metamorphosed into pupae. For the antifungal studies the agar well diffusion technique was employed. Antifungal effects were determined using measurements of inhibition zone diameter (IZD). Results obtained revealed that both the aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts exerted antifungal effect on A. flavus and C. albicans, but no antifungal effect was exhibited against M. canis, at the extract concentrations used in this study, rather a steady growth in the test plates seeded with M. canis was observed. The same was applicable with the negative controls. The drug, ketoconazole exerted antifungal effect on all test organisms. Phytochemical screening of the leaf revealed the presence of alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, saponins and terpenes. The leaf of P. nitida possesses larvicidal and antifungal potential and therefore warrants a more thorough exploitation.