Population Structure and Regeneration Status of Woody Plant Species in Tulu Korma Dry Afromontane Forest, West Shewa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia.

A study was conducted on Tulu Korma afromontane forest to assess woody plant species' population structure and natural regeneration status. Data were collected from 52 main quadrats of 400 m2 for mature woody species and 260 subplots of 25 m2 for seedlings and saplings. All live woody plant species were recorded with their densities, heights, and DBH. Frequency, basal area, importance value, and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices were computed. A total of 101 species that belonged to 45 families were documented. Diversity and evenness indices were 3.44 and 0.7, respectively. Combined density of woody species of all developmental stages was 4971 stems ha-1 of which 39, 32, and 28% were with DBH < 3.5 cm (seedlings), between 2 and 10 cm (saplings), and >10 cm (mature wordy species), respectively. The total basal area of individuals with DBH ≥ 3.5 cm was 116.18 m2 ha-1. Olea europaea and Podocarpus falcatus were the most dominant species. About 41.58% of the species had IVI < 1. Population structure based on combined densities revealed that density of seedling > sapling > mature individuals, suggesting healthy population structure and good regeneration. On individual basis, however, species showed different patterns of population structure of which 12, 51, and 37% species showed good, fair, and poor regenerations, respectively. Species with least IVI and poor regeneration should be given conservation priority.

Allelopathic Potential of Lantana camara L. Leaf Extracts and Soils Invaded by It on the Growth Performance of Lepidium sativum L.

Lantana camara is a noxious invasive plant that invades agricultural and natural ecosystems. In the current study, phytotoxicity of hexane and ethanolic leaf extracts of L. camara in different concentrations and soils invaded by it on Lepidium sativum were investigated under laboratory conditions. Soil toxicity was evaluated by comparing the growth of L. sativum on soils sampled from Lantana-invaded and Lantana-free sites. Results showed that extract concentrations and solvent type and their interaction significantly reduced percent seed germination and seedling growth. Compared to control (distilled water), both hexane and ethanol extracts at 5% w/v concentration significantly reduced percent germination and early seedling growth and completely inhibited seed germination at 10% w/v of hexane leaf extract, suggesting that hexane extract has a greater inhibitory effect than ethanolic extract in all the parameters measured. However, growth performance and seed yield of L. sativum grown on soil invaded by Lantana did not significantly vary from those grown on soils sampled from noninvaded sites. The results of this study generally showed that though Lantana leaf extracts have a direct negative allelopathic effect on L. sativum, soils invaded by Lantana have no toxic materials in the soil to directly or indirectly inhibit the growth of L. sativum. Further field studies on allelopathic effects of Lantana on L. sativum are recommended.

An ethnomedicinal study in tulo district, west hararghe zone, oromia region, Ethiopia.

Traditional medicinal plants used by local Oromo people of Tulo District in west Hararghe, Ethiopia, were investigated before people's medicinal knowledge vanishes. Data on medicinal plants and demography were obtained between November 2019 and October 2020 through semi-structured interviews, group discussion and direct guided onsite observation to elicit information from 376 non-traditional and 20 traditional medicine practitioners. Ethnobotanical indices including informant consensus factor (ICF), preference ranking (PR), fidelity level (FL), relative frequency of citation (RFG) and cultural importance (CI) were employed for the data analysis. Moreover; descriptive statistics, t-test, analysis of variance and linear regression were used to reveal the effects of socio-demographic factors on respondents' traditional medicinal knowledge. Totally 104 plants distributed among 98 genera and 55 families were enumerated for the treatment of 60 illnesses. Seventy-seven of these medicinal plants serve to treat human ailments, whereas 11 and 16 of them were used for livestock and for both, respectively. Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were species rich families. Leaves were the most frequently (41.53%) reported structures for the preparation of remedies. Crushing was the principal approach (34.50%) of remedy preparation. Oral administration was frequently (66.08%) used route of application. The highest ICF was observed for swelling and hemorrhoid (0.90) category. Metabolic and degenerative as well as other ailment categories had the least ICF values. About 66% of medicinal plants had FL value of 100%. In PR, G. abyssinica was ranked first to treat cough. RFC values varied from 0.03 to 0.18 with the highest record for Salvia nilotica (0.18) followed by Lepidium sativum, Rydingia integrifolia and Nigella sativa each with 0.16; Euphorbia abyssinica and Asplenium monanthes each with 0.15. Extensive use of land for agricultural purpose was key threat to medicinal plant of Tulo District. All the tested socio-demographic features except religion significantly (P < 0.05) affected the traditional knowledge on medicinal plants possessed by the study population. The results of this study reveals that the people of Tulo District rely on traditional medicine of plant origin, and their indigenous knowledge is instrumental to exploit the most potential plants for further validation. Therefore, the medicinal plant species wealth of the study site and the associated indigenous knowledge need to be preserved.

Effect of Extraction Solvents on Total Polyphenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Syzygium Aromaticum L. Flower Bud from Ethiopia.

In this study, the antioxidative activity and polyphenolic content of Syzygium aromaticum's flower bud were compared under different extraction solvents including chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and aqueous. The antioxidant activity was assessed via established in vitro assay models such as 2, 2-diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, NO- radical scavenging assay, H2O2 scavenging assay and Fe3+ reducing capacity. Total phenolic content was measured according to Folin-Ciocalteu's method, and total flavonoid content was estimated by using the aluminum chloride colorimetric method. The results showed that aqueous extract possessed the highest TPC (19.11 ± 2.76 mg GAE/g DW) and TFC (15.32 ± 1.53 mg CtE/g DW). Among the extracts, methanol extract exerted the strongest radical DPPH quenching activity with an IC50 value of 303.56 ± 13.14 µg/mL. The highest NO- radical scavenging activity was shown by methanol extract (IC50192.94 ± 1.9 µg/mL) which is stronger than BHT (IC50247.64 ± 12.89 µg/mL). Methanol extract showed a strong H2O2 scavenging activity (IC50233.71 ± 3.72 µg/mL). The highest Fe3+ reducing capacity was shown by methanol extract (Absorbance = 0.36 ± 0.05). Strong and positive correlations were observed between total phenolic and flavonoid contents and the antioxidant assays. The results of the present work revealed that the tested spice demonstrated high antioxidant activity, total phenolics, and flavonoids. Thus, this spice is worth considering as important source of natural antioxidant agents.

Biosorbent Efficacy of Groundnut Husk for the Elimination of Chromium from the Effluent of Mojo Tannery Industry, Ethiopia.

The present study aimed to assess the effects of raw (RGNH), ethanol-extracted (EEGNH), and acid-treated (ATGNH) groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) husk for removal of chromium from tannery effluent from the Mojo tannery industry, Ethiopia. The effects of biosorbent dose, agitation speed, and contact time of heavy metal on biosorbent were measured. The percentage removal of chromium was examined by a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS). Functional group characteristics of the biosorbents were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). The results indicated that at low doses (2 g), acid-treated groundnut husk (ATGNH) exhibited the highest removal efficiency (89.93%), whereas at a high dose (4 g), the raw groundnut husk (RGNH) has a potential removal efficiency (91.03%). The least removal efficiency was displayed by ethanol-extracted groundnut husk (EEGNH) (65.43%) at a dose of 3 g. Relating to the contact time, the highest chromium removal (94.41%) was exhibited by ATGNH with a 1-hour contact time. However, as contact time increased from 2 to 4 hours, there was a general decrease in the efficiency of biosorption. The removal of chromium by RGNH and EEGNH increased as contact time increased from 1 to 3 hours. The highest chromium removal (90.02%) was observed with ATGNH at 160 rpm agitation speed.

In vitro antioxidant activity and polyphenolic content of commonly used spices from Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, the antioxidative effectiveness, and polyphenolic content of methanol and aqueous extracts of spices such as Lippia adoensis (Koseret), Nigella sativa (Thikur azmud), Piper capense (Timiz), Thymus schimperi (Tosign) and Trachyspermum ammi (Netchazmud), consumed among people of Ethiopia were investigated. METHODS: The antioxidant activity was assessed via established in vitro assay models such as 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical quenching assay, reducing power assay and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) inhibitory potential. Total phenolics content was measured according to Folin-Ciocalteu's method and total flavonoid content was estimated by using Aluminium chloride colorimetric method. RESULTS: The results showed that the total phenolic content was highest in both methanol (720 ± 0.04 mg GAE/100 g extract DW) and aqueous (580 ± 0.08 mg GAE/100 g DW) extracts of L. adoensis. Among the five tested spices, the methanol and aqueous extracts of L. adoensis exerted the strongest DPPH radical quenching activity with IC50values of 49.17 ± 1.26 and 20.99 ± 8.6 µg/mL, respectively. Both methanol and aqueous extracts of L. adoensis showed notable reducing capacity. The highest RNS scavenging activity was shown by both methanol (IC50 597.21 ± 6.99 µg/mL) and aqueous (IC50 = 551.5 ± 28.9 µg/mL) extracts of L. adoensis. High to moderate positive correlations were observed between total phenolic contents and in vitro antioxidant assays. This indicates that the antioxidant activities of the tested spices are attributed to the phenolic contents. CONCLUSION: The results of the present work revealed that the tested spices demonstrated high phenolic contents and antioxidant properties. Thus, these spices are worth considering as important sources of natural antioxidant agents.

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective potential of Pouteria campechiana on acetaminophen-induced hepatic toxicity in rats.

Pouteria campechiana (Kunth) Baehni. is used as a remedy for coronary trouble, liver disorders, epilepsy, skin disease, and ulcer. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effect of polyphenolic-rich P. campechiana fruit extract against acetaminophen-intoxicated rats. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of egg fruit were estimated followed by the determination of antioxidant activities. Treatment with P. campechiana fruit extract effectively scavenged the free radicals in a concentration-dependent manner within the range of the given concentrations in all antioxidant models. The presence of polyphenolic compounds were confirmed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). The animals were treated with acetaminophen (250 mg/kg body weight; p.o.) thrice at the interval of every 5 days after the administration of P. campechiana aqueous extract and silymarin (50 mg/kg). Acetaminophen treatment was found to trigger an oxidative stress in liver, leading to an increase of serum marker enzymes. However, treatment with P. campechiana fruit extract significantly reduced the elevated liver marker enzymes (aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase) and increased the antioxidant enzymes (viz., superoxide dismutase and catalase) and glutathione indicating the effect of the extract in restoring the normal functional ability of hepatocytes. These results strongly suggest that P. campechiana fruit extract has strong antioxidant and significant hepatoprotective effect against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity.

In vitro antioxidant activity of banana (Musa spp. ABB cv. Pisang Awak).

The methanolic extract of Musa ABB cv Pisang Awak was investigated for the polyphenolic contents and antioxidant activity. The total phenol and flavonoid contents of the fruit extract were found to be 120 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) and 440 mg quercetin equivalents (QE)/100 g of sample dry weight, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the Pisang Awak methanol extract (PAME) (20-500 microg/ml) was determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, reducing capacity, 2-2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiozoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical cation decolourization and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity (OH*). The EC50 values of DPPH, ABTS and OH* activities of the PAME and butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT) were found to be 65 and 9 microg/ml, 29 and 6 microg/ml, 36 and 42 microg/ml respectively. The reducing capacity increased with increasing concentration (31.5-1000 mg/ml) of the fruit extract and the activity was comparable with the standard BHT. The high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis of the extract revealed the presence of polyphenols. The strong and positive correlations were obtained between total phenol/flavonoid contents (R2 = 0.693-1.0) and free radical scavenging ability was attributed to the polyphenols as the major antioxidants.

Antioxidant activities of bark extract from mangroves, Bruguiera cylindrica (L.) Blume and Ceriops decandra Perr.

OBJECTIVES: The antioxidant activities of two Indian mangrove plants, Bruguiera cylindrica and Ceriops decandra, were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total phenolics and total flavonoid contents of the mangroves were determined using folin-ciocalteu reagent method and aluminium chloride method, respectively. Antioxidant capacity was assessed by the following methods: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydroxyl (DPPH.) quenching assay; 2,2'- azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiozoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS.(+)) cation decolorization test; scavenging capacity towards hydroxyl ion radicals (.OH); reductive capacity; and antihemolytic activity. RESULTS: The mangroves yielded 233.3 ± 0.062 and 283.31 ± 0.04 mg gallic acid equivalent/g phenolic contents and 11.6 ± 0.12 and 15.1 ± 0.02 mg quercetin equivalent/g flavonoid contents. The methanol extracts of both mangroves exhibited high antiradical activity against DPPH., ABTS.(+), and .OH radicals. The reductive capacity of the extracts increased with increasing concentration of samples. The extracts also inhibited H(2)O(2) induced hemolysis in cow blood erythrocytes. The antioxidant activities were found stronger than that of the reference standard, butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT). The antioxidant activity of mangrove plants was correlated with total phenolics and flavonoid contents. CONCLUSION: Both plants can be considered as good sources of natural antioxidants for medicinal uses. Further studies are necessary to isolate active principles responsible for the overall antioxidant activity of the extracts.

Essential oils of Retama raetam from Libya: chemical composition and antimicrobial activity.

Retama raetam (Forssk) Webb & Berthel is well known in the folk medicine of North and East Mediterranean regions for the treatment of microbial infections. The powdered leaves are used to heal circumcision wounds and used as an antiseptic for wounds, skin rash and pruritus. In this study, to validate this antiseptic property, the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from the flowers of R. raetam was evaluated. The oil was obtained using hydrodistillation and was analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The antibacterial activity was achieved using disc diffusion and broth dilution assay against six bacteria species. Analysis of the essential oil revealed the presence of ß-linalool (51%), 2-decen-1-ol (6.6%) and limonene (7.4%) as the major components. The results showed significant activity against microorganisms, especially Staphylococcus aureus, with inhibition zones and minimal inhibitory concentration values in the range of 5.0 mm and 3.0 mg mL⁻¹, respectively. The results on the antibacterial activity provide scientific support for the use of these plants in traditional herbal preparations.

In vitro antioxidant activity of Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lam. aerial parts.

The methanolic extract of the aerial part of Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lam. (Rubiaceae) was screened for antioxidant activity using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydroxyl (DPPH) quenching assay, 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiozoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) cation decolorization test, ferric reducing power (FRP), scavenging capacity towards hydroxyl ion (OH*) radicals and nitric oxide (NO) radical inhibition activity using established assay procedures. Total phenolics and total flavonoid contents were, also determined. The plant yielded 210 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g phenolic content and 55 mg quercetin equivalent/100 g flavonoid content. The extract exhibited high antiradical activity against DPPH, ABTS, nitric oxide and hydroxyl radicals with EC50 value of 82, 150, 130, and 170 microg/ml, respectively. The FRP increased with increasing concentration of the sample. The antioxidant activity of the extract was comparable with that of the standard butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT). High correlation between total phenolic/flavonoid contents and scavenging potential of different reactive oxygen species (R2 = 0.785-0.998) indicated the polyphenols as the main antioxidants.

Antibacterial activity of methanol extract of Ruta chalapensis (L), Quercus infectoria (Oliver) and Canthium parviflorum (Lam).

The present study aimed at evaluating the antibacterial activity of methanol extract of Ruta chalapensis, L., (Rutaceae), Quercus infectoria Oliver., (Fagaceae) and Canthium parviflorum Lam., (Rubiaceae) against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella oxytocoa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis. The experiment was carried out using disc diffusion method. The results revealed that the methanol extract of aerial parts of Ruta chalepensis (L) presented the highest zone of inhibition against tested pathogens. Other plants showed significant zone of inhibition.

In vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activity of Rhaphidophora pertusa stem.

Methanol extract of Rhaphidophora pertusa stem was analyzed for its antioxidant (DPPH, reducing power and Fe(3+) metal chelation methods) and antibacterial activities. The extract was found effective against the three antioxidant test models and exhibited strong and moderate antibacterial activity against the tested pathogenic bacteria.

Hepatoprotective studies on Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lam.

Hedyotis corymbosa is used in traditional medicine of India and China to treat various hepatic disorders. In the present study, the hepatoprotective effect of the methanolic extract of the whole plant of Hedyotis corymbosa against paracetamol overdose-induced liver damage in Wistar rats was studied. The methanolic extract of the plant produced significant hepatoprotective effects as evidenced by decreased serum enzyme activities, SGPT, SGOT, SAKP and serum bilirubin and an almost normal histological architecture of the liver, in treated groups, compared to the controls. Hedyotis corymbosa shortened hexobarbitone-induced sleeping time in mice, besides showing significant antilipid peroxidant effect in vitro. The results thus support the use of Hedyotis corymbosa as a hepatoprotective agent.

Antibacterial activity of Eupatorium glandulosum leaves.

Antibacterial screening of petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol and aqueous extracts of Eupatorium glandulosum leaves exhibited a broad spectrum of inhibitory activity against Gram (+) and Gram (-) pathogenic bacteria.