ABSTRACT
Introduction: Worldwide, in children of under five years of age, diarrhea is responsible for more than 760,000 annual deaths. It is treated with both modern drugs and traditional medicinal plants, including O. lamiifolium. But the use of this plant as an antidiarrheal agent is not scientifically validated. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate antidiarrheal efficacy of the plant. Method: The leaf powder was macerated by 80% methanol and then fractionated using n-hexane, n-butanol, and distilled water. Antidiarrheal activity was evaluated through different models (castor oil-induced diarrhea, enteropooling, and motility) using onset, number of wet feces, fluid content, weight and volume of intestinal content, and motility as test parameters by administering treatment doses to groups of mice. Group I received 10 mL/kg of the dissolving vehicle, Group II received either loperamide or atropine, and Groups III-V received extract doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, respectively. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze the data, followed by Tukey's post-hoc test. Results: The crude extract exhibited a significant effect on the fluid content of feces at all tested doses. Additionally, the n-butanol and distilled water fractions revealed significant effects on onset of diarrhea at 400 mg/kg (p < 0.05), while the n-hexane fraction showed significant effects on number of wet feces, onset, and fluid content of feces at all tried doses. The crude extract and all the fractions (at 200 and 400 mg/kg) decreased the weight and volume of intestinal content significantly. Similarly, both the crude extract and distilled water fraction at 400 mg/kg as well as n-butanol and n-hexane fractions at 200 and 400 mg/kg showed meaningful differences on peristaltic index as compared to the negative control. Conclusion: The results revealed that the leaf extract of O. lamiifolium has an antidiarrheal activity, which supports the traditional medical practice.
ABSTRACT
Background: Current malaria treatment is associated with continued development of drug resistance. Thus, there is a need to develop safe and effective new treatments from different sources. Solanum nigrum L. (Solanaceae) is a plant used for the treatment of malaria in Ethiopian traditional medicine. This study was aimed at evaluating of antimalarial activity of the crude extract and fractions of S. nigrum L. (Solanaceae) leaves against P. berghei infection in mice. Method: Both prophylactic and suppressive models were used in evaluating antimalarial activity using the ANKA Plasmodium strain. In these models, male mice were randomly grouped into eleven groups (n = 5). Mice in group I were given 4% Tween-80, mice from group II up to X were given 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg of plant extract, and the last group (XI) was treated with chloroquine (25 mg/kg). Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by post hoc Tukey's multiple comparison test. Results: Crude extract of leaves of S. nigrum showed chemosuppression of 30.68 (P < 0.05), 42.42 (P < 0.01), and 50.75% (P < 0.001) at 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg doses of the extract, respectively. At doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, the chloroform fraction produced a chemosuppressive effect of 40.15% (P < 0.01), 53.78% (P < 0.001), and 65.15% (P < 0.001) and a chemoprophylactic effect of 42.7% (P < 0.05), 51.84% (P < 0.001), and 67.17% (P < 0.001) when compared with negative control. In the suppressive model, the ethyl acetate fraction demonstrated a mean chemosuppression of 56.81% (P < 0.001), 65.9% (P < 0.001), and 70.83% (P < 0.001). Similarly, in the prophylactic model, the fraction showed suppression of 42.70% (P < 0.05), 53.11% (P < 0.001), and 71.03% (P < 0.001) at 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg doses. On the acute oral toxicity test, the extracts were safe at 2 g/kg dose. Conclusion: S. nigrum L. has antimalarial activity and supports the traditional medical practice.
ABSTRACT
Background. Incorrect sharp disposal practices may expose the public to needle-stick injuries. The present study aimed at assessing the knowledge and practice of diabetic patients towards insulin injection device disposal in Gondar town, Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional study was employed on insulin requiring diabetes patients who visited the diabetes clinic at Gondar University Referral Hospital (GURH) from February 1 to March 28, 2016. Frequencies, percentages, and ANOVA (analysis of variance) and Student's t-test were used to analyze variables. Results. About half of the participants (49.5%) had poor knowledge towards safe insulin injection waste disposal. More than two-thirds (80.7%) of respondents had poor practice and 64.3% of respondents did not put insulin needle and lancets into the household garbage. 31% of respondents threw sharps on street when they travel outside. Respondents living in urban areas had a higher mean of knowledge and practice score than those who live in rural area. Conclusions. This study revealed that knowledge and practice of diabetic patients were low towards safe insulin injection waste disposal in study area. Healthcare providers should also be aware of safe disposing system and counsel patients on appropriate disposal of used syringes.
