Evaluation of acute and subacute toxicity of whole-plant aqueous extract of Vernonia mespilifolia Less. in Wistar rats / 中西医结合学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study investigated the acute and subacute toxicity of whole-plant aqueous extract of Vernonia mespilifolia Less. (AEVM) in rats for evaluating its safety profile.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>AEVM for the acute (2000 and 5000 mg/kg) and subacute (200, 400 and 600 mg/kg) toxicity studies was administered orally to rats according the guidelines 425 and 407 of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, respectively. Food and water intake as well as body and organ weight of animals were recorded. Signs of toxicity were assessed, and hematological, biochemical and histopathological analyses were performed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the acute toxicity study, a single dose of the aqueous extract at 2000 or 5000 mg/kg caused no mortality in the animals, suggesting that the median lethal dose is greater than 5000 mg/kg. In the subacute toxicity study, administration of the extract for 28 d, at all doses, caused no significant changes in the body weights or organ weights of rats in the treated groups when compared with the control group. In addition, hematological and biochemical parameters also revealed no toxic effects of the extract on rats. Histological sections of the heart, liver and kidney from test animals showed no signs of degeneration.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These results showed that AEVM at dosage levels up to 600 mg/kg is nontoxic and could also offer protection on some body tissues. AEVM could, therefore, be considered safe.</p>

Nutritional evaluation of Kedrostis africana (L.) Cogn: An edible wild plant of South Africa

Objective To evaluate the nutritional composition and elemental constituents of Kedrostis africana and their safety aspect. Methods Proximate parameters (moisture, ash, crude fibre, crude fat, proteins, and carbohydrate and energy) were evaluated using ALASA methods, and elemental analysis by ICP-OES technique. Results The results from nutritional analysis showed that the tuber used for this study had a low content of crude fat and high content of ash, crude protein, crude fibre, carbohydrate and energy having the recommended dietary allowances. The tuber was rich in major minerals Na, K, Ca and Mg, there was sufficient amount of trace elements Fe, Cu, and Zn while the anti-nutrients oxalate, phytate, alkaloids, and saponins were detected in amounts that are not harmful according to Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization. Conclusions The outcome of this study suggests that this wild plant has very good nutritional potentials to meet the recommended dietary allowance and it could be a cheap source of essential nutrients that may ameliorate most nutritional challenges and can contribute remarkably to the amount of nutrient intake in human and animal diet.

Antioxidant, antibacterial and phytochemical properties of two medicinal plants against the wound infecting bacteria

Objective To investigate the antioxidant, antibacterial and phytochemical properties of ethanol extracts of Brachylaena elliptica and Brachylaena ilicifolia against wound infecting bacteria normally found in diabetic patients. Methods The in vitro antioxidant activity of the two plants extracts were investigated spectrophotometrically using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO), azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) diammonium salt, hydrogen peroxide (H

Phytochemical screening and in vitro evaluation of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Kedrostis africana (L.) Cogn

Objective To investigate phytochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Kedrostis africana (K. africana). Methods Dried tubers of K. africana were extracted in acetone, water and ethanol. The total phenol, flavonoid, proanthocyanidin and tannin contents were determined spectrometrically. The antioxidant activity was examined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt, nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide assays. The antimicrobial activity was determined by agar dilution method using minimum inhibitory concentration against 3 g positive and three gram negative strains while four fungal strains were also investigated. Results Total phenol, flavonoids, proanthocyanidin and tannin contents ranged from (5.32 ± 0.01) to (10.51 ± 0.01) mg GAE/g; (42.58 ± 0.02) to (529.23 ± 0.01) mg QE/g; (15.05 ± 0.00) to (585.64 ± 0.00) mg CE/g and (0.301 ± 0.010) to (0.937 ± 0.000) mg TAE/g, respectively. The IC

Phytochemical and antioxidant activities of Rumex crispus L. in treatment of gastrointestinal helminths in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Objective To evaluate the antioxidant activities and phytochemical content of the leaf and root extracts of Rumex crispus using the solvents extraction; methanol extract, ethanol extract, acetone extract (ACE), and water extract. Methods Total flavonoids content, total phenolic content, and total proanthocyanidin were evaluated using spectrophotometric equivalents of the standards, quercetin, gallic acid and catechin respectively. The antioxidant activities of the plant extracts were determined using ABTS, DPPH, ferric reducing antioxidant power, total antioxidant capacity and nitric oxide scavenging assays. Results The flavonoids and phenols contents of the extracts were in the range of (19.39 ± 4.08) to (526.23 ± 17.52) mg QE/g and (16.95 ± 12.03) to (240.68 ± 3.50) mg GAE/g, respectively. ACE of the leaf has the highest value of total flavonoids content (526.23 ± 17.52) mg QE/g while ACE of the root has the highest value of total phenolic content (240.68 ± 3.50) mg GAE/g. The highest content of total proanthocyanidin (645.38 ± 1.33) mg CE/g was in ACE of the root. Significant amounts of saponin and alkaloid were also present in the root and leaf extracts. All solvent fractions showed significant antioxidant activities (P < 0.05) with ACE of the root having the highest scavenging value as shown in DPPH, ABTS, total antioxidant capacity, nitric oxide and ferric reducing antioxidant power (IC

In vivo antioxidant and biochemical evaluation of Sphenocentrum jollyanum leaf extract in P. berghei infected mice

Recent approach in treatment and drug development suggested that the control of oxidative stress in malarial infected patients may be an added advantage. In this study, effect of methanolic leaf extract of Sphenocentrum jollyanum pier [S. jollyanum] on liver damage, markers of oxidative stress and alteration in lipid profile in P. berghei infected mice was assessed. Oxidative stress was induced by intravenously inoculation of mice with 1 x 107 sporozoites P. berghei. Treatment of parasitized mice with leaf extract of S. jollyanum had a significant [p<0.05] reductions in elevated levels of total protein, globulin, AST, ALT, ALP, GGT and total bilirubin, serum, kidney and liver malondialdehyde [MDA] concentrations, but caused a significant [p<0.05] increased in the activities of serum and liver catalase [CAT], superoxide dismutase [SOD] and glutathione [GSH] level when compared with parasitized non-treated group [PNT]. The extract treated group also showed significant [p<0.05] improvement in the levels of HDLc, total cholesterol, LDL and reduction in triglyceride compared with parasitized non treated group. Our results revealed that the protective capacity and antioxidant activity of the extract is dose dependant. The findings suggest that antioxidant property of Sphenocentrum jollyanum leave extract might be an added advantage to it anti-malarial activity

Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of hydroalcoholic stem bark extract of Schotia latifolia Jacq

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of hydroalcoholic extract of Schotia latifolia (S. latifolia) bark commonly used in South Africa traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments.@*METHODS@#The antibacterial test and MIC was determined by using agar well diffusion and dilution methods respectively against eight strains of bacteria. The total phenol, proanthocyanidin and flavonoid contents of S. latifolia were assessed using standard methods. The antioxidant activity of the extract was evaluated using ferric reducing power and the free radical scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic-acid (ABTS), nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and lipid oxidation (LO).@*RESULTS@#The antibacterial activity demonstrated an appreciable effect against all the gram positive bacteria at MIC between 0.016 and 10 mg/mL while that of gram negative bacteria was above 10 mg/mL. The plant extract exhibited high concentration of proanthocyanidin [(300.00±0.10) mg CE/g], followed by flavonoid [(12.46±0.04 mg) TE/g] and phenol [(11.06±0.03) mg QE/g] contents. Similarly, the extract at 0.5 mg/mL scavenges DPPH, ABTS, H(2)O(2), LO and NO by 87.55%, 89.47%, 77.15%, 86.48% and 77.75% of the radicals respectively. The reducing power was also found to be concentration dependent.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Our data suggest that S. latifolia extract has antibacterial and antioxidants activity and thus could be used as alternative therapy against antibiotic resistance bacteria and to prevent many radical related diseases.