Fermentation Dynamics of Ethiopian Traditional Beer (Tella) as Influenced by Substitution of Gesho (Rhamnus prinoides) with Moringa stenopetala: An Innovation for Nutrition

This study was designed to improve Ethiopian traditional beer (tella) with the substitution of gesho by moringa leaves to enhance micronutrients. Substitution of gesho by moringa from 50 to 100% against the biochemical dynamics and nutritional and sensorial profiles of tella was assessed. Incorporation of moringa suppressed the activity of yeast and favored those of lactic acid bacteria, which shifted the properties of the product from a mild alcoholic nature to a low alcoholic and mild acidic nature, revealing the probiotic potential of tella. Moringa leaves at 100% substitution for gesho resulted in the least yeast count compared to the other formulations. The storage of tella samples over periods of 10 days also strengthened the probiotic nature of tella by drastically reducing the yeast cell counts (from 5 logs to <1). This corresponded to the slow increase in the acidity (0.63 to 0.99%), indicating comparatively higher activity of lactic acid bacteria. The best nutritional contents (dietary minerals) and sensorial acceptance of the product were attained at the 50% substitution of gesho by moringa. The implication of the present study is that ethnic foods and beverages can be innovated to meet the nutritional needs of the community.

Medicinal Plant Extracts Evaluated In Vitro and In Vivo for Antidiabetic Activities in Ethiopia: Bases for Future Clinical Trials and Related Investigations

Background. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by a persistent rise in the blood glucose level resulting from defects in cellular insulin function, secretion, or both, which affects millions of people every year. Several drawbacks have been stated with the use of marketed antidiabetic medicines such as drug resistance, adverse effects, toxicities, and even costs. Due to these several limitations, searching for novel antidiabetic medicines from medicinal plants (MPs) is becoming an active area of research. Therefore, MPs are exemplary sources of medicines with many accessible agents being obtained from them because numerous active constituents are isolated from them for direct use as pharmacological medicines or act as lead compounds. This paper was aimed to synthesize a concluding remark using in vitro and in vivo evaluations of extracts and fractions for antidiabetic potentials in Ethiopia, which can be used to direct future clinical trials and related investigations. Method. So as to get data on the different investigations, publications related to experimental evaluations on animal diabetic models in Ethiopia were searched from databases, such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, Medline, PubMed, and Scopus using English key terms. Results. In this paper, about 37 research findings based on data from various areas of Ethiopia published until the end of November 2020 were included. A total of 37 MP species extracts and fractions belonging to 19 families have been revealed in vitro or in vivo for potential antidiabetic activities. Crude extracts were carried out mostly by hydromethanolic whereas fractions were done mostly by chloroform. Leaves were the most commonly experimentally investigated plant part. Among the MP species experimentally studied, the most frequently used to treat DM in Ethiopia were Thymus schimperi Ronniger (Lamiaceae), Moringa stenopetala (Baker f.; Moringaceae), Ajuga remota Benth (Lamiaceae), and Datura stramonium Linn. (Solanaceae). Conclusion. This paper gives aggregate evidences on the potential antidiabetic activities of MPs in Ethiopia. Antidiabetic MPs used in Ethiopia represent crucial input for the future development of novel antidiabetic drugs. To this end, more pharmacological and toxicological investigations need to be considered to prove the safety of constituents obtained from these MPs. Finally, we recommend upcoming research to ensure future success in the clinical study and development of novel medicines for DM treatment from these frequently evaluated MPs.

A Seminar Paper on the Review of Five well-known Medicinal Plants Used in Ethiopia

The indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants appeared when humans started and learned how to use the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants. The various literature available shows the significant role of medicinal plants in primary health care delivery in Ethiopia (about 70% of humans and 90% of livestock population) depend on traditional plant medicine. This is similar to many developing countries, particularly with those countries in Sub-saharan Africa. Medicinal plants provide a vital contribution to human and livestock health care. This seminar review was an attempt to present five medicinal plants (citrus lemon, caricapapaya, Moringa stenopetala, Allium sativum, Zingiber officinale).

Fermentation Dynamics of Ethiopian Traditional Beer (Tella) As Influenced by Substitution of Gesho (Rhamnus prinoides) With Moringa Stenopetala as Innovation for Nutrition

This study was designed to improve Ethiopian traditional beer &ndash; tella with the substitution of gesho by moringa leaves to enhance micronutrients. Substation of gesho by moringa from 50 &ndash; 100% against the biochemical dynamics, nutritional and sensorial profiles of tella was assessed. Incorporation of moringa suppressed the activities of yeast and favored that of lactic acid bacteria, which shifted the property of the product from mild alcoholic nature to low alcoholic and mild acidic nature, revealing the probiotic potential of tella. Moringa leaves at 100% substitution for gesho resulted in to the least yeast count compared to the other formulations. The storage of tella samples over periods of 10 days also strengthened the probiotic nature of tella by drastically reducing the yeast cell counts (from 5 logs to &amp;lt;1). This corresponded to the slow increase in the acidity (0.63 to 0.99%), indicating comparatively higher activities of lactic acid bacteria. The best nutritional contents (dietary minerals) and sensorial acceptance of the product was attained at the 50% substitution of gesho by moringa. The implication of the present study is that ethnic foods and beverages can be innovated to meet the nutritional needs of the community

Adsorptive Removal of Chromium (VI) Using Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized Via Green Approach with the Extract of Moringastenopetala

In the current study, the potential sorption of Cr (VI) ions through a zero-valent silver nanoparticle synthesized by a green approach has been studied. The objective of this research was to remove Cr (VI) from aqueous solution using zero-valent silver nanoparticles synthesized from Moringa stenopetala leaves extract. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray diffractometer and UV-visible spectrophotometer. The grain size of nanoparticles was found to be 19.5 nm confirming the crystalline structure of the mesosphere and showed the maximum absorption at 419 nm. In order to determine parameters that influence the adsorption mechanism, batch adsorption experiments have been conducted. Results obtained for removal of Cr (VI) ions showed that efficiency of removal improved as adsorbent dosage increased until the equilibrium point reached at 50 minutes. However, as the pH of the solution increased from 1 to 8, and as the Preliminary concentration of Cr increased, removal efficiency decreased. Adsorption isotherms were investigated by applying the models of Langmuir and Freundlich. The Freundlich isotherm can better explain the removal of Cr (VI) ions, offering correlation coefficient values greater than the Langmuir isotherm model. Adsorption kinetics regression results studied by the pseudo-first and second-order models moreover proved that a pseudo-first-order was further accurately represented by the adsorption kinetics. In order to alleviate wastewater problems, the implementation of this approach is able to cost-effective, eco-friendly and publicly viable. To improve its removal effectiveness and compare it with other adsorbents, additional study on surface modification of this adsorbent is required.

Study on efficacy of moringa stenopetala seed oil extract for antimicrobial activities on textile materials

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extract of Moringa stenopetala seed oil, by organic solvents (methanol and hexane), for its efficacy against microbial activity on cotton fabrics. The selected microbes for the study were two types of bacteria which are Gram-positive (S. aureus) and Gram-negative (E. coli). Design/methodology/approach Two types of bacteria, Gram-positive (S. aureus) and Gram-negative (E. coli) were used. The extract was applied on fabrics at a concentration of 5, 10 and 15 g/L using the pad-dry-cure method and antibacterial activities verified by the bacterial-growth reduction method. The treated fabrics were evaluated for antimicrobial activity against the bacteria before and after 15 washing cycles. The extract was examined for molecular structural change using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and physical properties of the fabric; tensile strength, elongation, air permeability, stiffness and wettability were evaluated. Findings Results showed treated fabrics reduces the growth of Gram-positive (S. aureus) and Gram-negative (E. coli) bacteria from 77.6%–100% before wash and 45.8%–85.2% after wash for both extract concentrations. Comparing extracts, hexane extract reduces all bacteria growth than methanol extract for both extract concentrations while S. aureus was more susceptible to antimicrobial agents than E. coli at a lower concentration. As result, the tensile strength and air permeability were relatively lower than untreated ones without affecting the comfort properties of the fabric. Originality/value This study indicates that the Moringa stenopetala seed oil extract has a strong antimicrobial activity.

Toxicity of Methanolic Extracts of Seeds of Moringa stenopetala, Moringaceae in Rat Embryos and Fetuses

Moringa stenopetala is a medicinal plant that has been used in Ethiopian traditional medicine as a remedy for the treatment of hypertension, diabetes, and stomach pain. The study is aimed at assessing the toxicity of the methanol extracts of the seeds of Moringa stenopetala on the developing embryo and fetuses of rats. The seeds of Moringa were extracted by maceration using 80% methanol. The extract (250–1000 mg/kg) was orally administered to pregnant Swiss albino rats from days 6 to12 of gestation. Embryos and fetuses were recovered by laparotomy on gestational day 12 and day 20, respectively, and were assessed for developmental anomalies. On day 20, significant prenatal growth retardation such as reduced litter weight and crown-rump length were observed in near term fetuses of 1000 mg/kg treated rats. Litter weight in 1000 mg/kg and pair-fed control groups was 2.41 g ± 0.108 and 3.08 g ± 0.093 , respectively. Delay in the development of an otic, optic, and olfactory system, as well as a reduction in a number of branchial bars, occurred on day 12 embryos of 1000 mg/kg treated rats. The rate of fetal resorption in 1000 mg/kg and pair-fed control groups was 1.6 ± 0.55 and 0.42 ± 0.52 , respectively. There was also a high incidence of fetal death in the 1000 mg/kg treated group but it was not statistically significant. The offspring’s of Moringa-treated rats did not show gross external malformations at all doses. These findings suggest that the methanol seed extract of Moringa stenopetala is not safe to rat embryos and fetuses. Its toxic effects were evidenced by a significant delay in embryonic and fetal development and an increase in fetal resorptions and fetal death.