Launaea taraxacifolia leaf partitions ameliorate alloxan-induced pathophysiological complications via antioxidant mechanisms in diabetic rats.

Launaea taraxacifolia (Wild.) Amin ex. Jeffery belongs to family Asteracaea. The plant is used for treatment of diseases and eaten as vegetable in Nigeria. This study investigated the ameliorative potentials of L. taraxacifolia leaf partitions in alloxan induced diabetic complications. Male Albino rats were divided into eleven groups of five rats each. Diabetes was induced following intraperitoneal administration of 150 mg/kg alloxan monohydrate and was treated with 200 and 300 mg/kg of each partitioned fractions. Hyperglycemia was reversed in all treated rats within seven days of treatments. Rats treated with the partitions showed significant increase in hematological parameters compared with diabetic control. N-hexane fraction had the best overall effect against oxidative stress particularly on heart and pancreas reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and kidney glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities. The various degrees of degeneration observed in the kidney, liver, pancreas and heart of the untreated diabetic rats were milder in rats treated with partitions. The results therefore revealed the ameliorative potentials of the partitioned fractions of L. taraxacifolia leaf extract against diabetes mellitus complications via activation of the antioxidant enzymes.

Cuprizone toxicity and Garcinia kola biflavonoid complex activity on hippocampal morphology and neurobehaviour.

Cuprizone-induced neurotoxicity has been employed to study the biology of remyelination in experimental models of multiple sclerosis. This study was aimed at determining the role of kolaviron, a biflavonoid from Garcinia kola, in mitigating the damaging effects of cuprizone on behaviour and the hippocampus. Twenty-four male albino mice aged 6-8 weeks were categorised into 4 equal groups: Group A (Control) received regular diet; Group B received 200 mg/kg/d of kolaviron in addition to their regular diet; Group C received 0.2% cuprizone diet only, while Group D received both kolaviron and cuprizone diet. The treatment lasted for 35 days after which behavioural tests (Morris water maze, Y maze and open field tests) were conducted and brain tissues were processed for histology, histochemistry (Nissl staining), immunohistochemistry (glial fibrillary acidic protein) and biochemistry (malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase). Results showed that cuprizone toxicity led to weight loss, impairment in memory and exploratory drive, oxidative stress, chromatolysis and reactive astrocytosis; meanwhile administration of kolaviron prevented cuprizone-induced weight loss, memory decline, oxidative stress and neuromorphological alterations. In conclusion, administration of kolaviron might be useful in limiting the effects of cuprizone toxicity on the morphology and functions of the hippocampus.

Moringa oleifera Ameliorates Histomorphological Changes Associated with Cuprizone Neurotoxicity in the Hippocampal Cornu ammonis (CA) 3 Region.

Cuprizone-induced neurotoxicity has severally been used to study demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis(MS), adversely affecting both the white and grey matters of the brain. Lesions have been observed in different regions ofthe brain including, corpus callosum, neocortex and the hippocampal formation. The current study explored the role ofMoringa oleifera leaf extract in restoring the resultant histomorphological changes in cuprizone-induced hippocampaldamage in Wistar rats. Twenty adult female Wistar rats with average weight of 163.74 ± 3.59 g were grouped into A: Control,administered with 1 ml of normal saline, B: received 0.4% cuprizone diet, C: received 1.875 mg/ml/day of Moringa extract,and D: received a combination of cuprizone and Moringa in similar doses. Administration was oral for 5 weeks. The weightsof animals were assessed during treatment, and at the termination of experiment, the rats were euthanized and the brainswere fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde. The tissue was processed for histological and histochemical examinations using theHaematoxylin and Eosin stain and cresyl fast violet stain to assess the general microarchitecture and neuronal cellsrespectively of hippocampal cornu ammonis (CA) 3 region. The body weight of cuprizone-treated rats was reduced and thiswas ameliorated significantly in animals that were co-administered with Moringa. Similarly, there were histologicalalterations in the CA3 region of the hippocampus with the presence of pyknotic pyramidal cells organized in clusters andCA3 cells with degenerative changes, but administration of Moringa led to a better organised and fairly intact histologicalappearance. Pharmaceutical development of Moringa oleifera into appropriate therapeutic formulations could offer somerelief to patients of demyelinating conditions that have clinical features of neurological deficits.

In-vitro propagation and antimycotic potential of extracts and essential oil of roots of Aristolochia bracteolata Linn. (Aristolochiaceae).

In spite of the therapeutic importance of Aristolochia bracteolata Linn. in Nigerian ethnomedicine, it is largely collected from the wild. Owing to the acclaimed potency of the plant and the difficulty in treating candidiasis, the anticandidal activity and in vitro propagation of the plant were investigated. Phytochemical screening and preparation of extracts of the roots were done using standard procedures. Clinical isolates of Candida albicans were screened against extracts and essential oil of Aristolochia bracteolata root using agar-well diffusion method. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the ethanol extract was determined using broth dilution method. The nodal cuttings of A. bracteolata were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal media. A. bracteolata contained alkaloids, saponins and cardenolides. The water extract was inactive on all isolates. The ethanol extract (500 mg/ml) and essential oil (undiluted) exhibited anticandidal activity on 9 out of 10 isolates at 10(1) - 10(6) cfu/ml inoculums concentration. Green growth and callus formation were observed in explants cultured on MS basal media after 30 days. A. bracteolata could be a source of anticandidal phytomedicine and the in vitro propagation confirmed its sustainability as anticandidal agent.