MORINGA OLEIFERA LEAF POWDER FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES: A PILOT CLINICAL TRIAL

Background: Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) leaves are commonly used for diabetes in Mali. This pilot clinical study aimed to evaluate its effect on post-prandial blood glucose in preparation for a larger trial. Methods: Diabetic patients and non-diabetic healthy volunteers (35 each) were asked to fast for 13 hours on three occasions. Blood glucose was measured before and after eating 100g of white bread (at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes). On their second and third study visits, they were given 1g and 2g respectively, of M. oleifera leaf powder, 30 minutes after eating the bread. The mean paired reduction in blood glucose at each time interval and the incremental area under the curve were calculated. Results: Ingestion of Moringa powder had no effect on blood glucose in non-diabetic participants, but in diabetic patients, it lowered blood glucose at 90 minutes. There was a trend towards lower incremental area under the curve when diabetic patients took 2g of Moringa. No side-effects were reported by any participant. Conclusions: Moringa oleifera leaf powder reduced post-prandial glycaemia in diabetic patients. A larger study is needed to define the optimal dose and to assess whether this translates into longer-term benefits.

ETHNO MEDICINAL SURVEY AND EVALUATION OF TWO RECIPES USED IN MANAGING SICKLE CELL DISEASE IN ILE-IFE COMMUNITY OF OSUN-STATE, NIGERIA

Background: Ethno-medicinal survey of herbal recipes used in managing sickle cell disease in Ile-Ife, Osun-State, Nigeria was carried out and two recipes selected for antisickling studies. Materials and Methods: Information was obtained using semi-structured questionnaires and open interview from respondents consisting of herb sellers, traditional medical practitioners, artisans and traders in two local government areas of Ife. Two recipes from the survey were selected for antisickling studies. Aqueous extract of each recipe was obtained by boiling the constituents in water for 1 h while the hydro ethanolic extracts were obtained by maceration in 70% ethanol for 72 h. Inhibitory and reversal antisickling properties were assessed using sodium metabisulphite as deoxygenating agent, vanillic acid (inhibitory agent), para-hydroxybenzoic (reversal agent) acid as positive controls while phosphate buffered saline was employed as negative control. Results: Fifty four recipes comprising forty six plants were obtained from the ethno-medicinal survey. The respondents comprised of 44% men and 56% women. The most frequently and commonly used plants belong to family Fabaceae. The inhibitory and reversal activities of the aqueous extract of recipe 1 (81.37± 1.09%, 88.56 ±1.38% respectively) were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than recipe 2 (78.51 ± 0.78% inhibition and 79.8 ± 2.16% reversal) at same concentration. The hydro-alcoholic extracts of recipes 1 and 2 gave highest inhibitory activities at 0.5 mg/mL (69.25 ±1.30% and 68.28 ±2.78% respectively). Conclusion: This study documented the medicinal plants and recipes used in Ile-Ife for managing sickle cell disease, and validated the ethno-medicinal claim of two recipes.

Centella Asiatica (GOTU KOLA) TREATMENT ATTENUATES PRO-INFLAMMATORY MEDIATORS IN LIVER OF RATS WITH ELECTRICAL FOOT SHOCK STRESS MODEL

Background: Stress induces secretion of cathecolamines and glucocorticoids, which may produce liver injury. Followed by the production of inflammatory mediators, it causes apoptosis. Centella asiatica (CeA) has anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects. The present study aims to determine the role of CeA in the attenuation of liver pro-inflammatory mediator expression in rats with electrical foot shock stress model. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into four groups consisted of six rats each: (1) Control group, (2) CeA-treated group, (3) Stress group, and (4) CeA + stress group. Reverse transcriptase PCR of inflammatory and apoptosis markers as well as Real-Time PCR of β2-adrenergic receptor were performed from liver tissues. Results: Electrical foot shock stress induced up-regulation of NFκB and TNF-α mRNA expressions as pro-inflammatory mediators, compared to control group. This alteration was followed by up-regulation of BAX and β2-adrenergic receptor, as well as the down-regulation of BCl2 compared to control. CeA treatment prevented enhancement of NFκB, TNF-α, TLR-4 and β-adrenergic receptor mRNA expressions, which was followed by down-regulation of BAX and up-regulation of BCl-2, compared to stress group. Conclusion: CeA prevents secretion of pro-inflammatory chemokines and cytokines as well as apoptotic markers in liver cells through the activation of β2-adrenergic receptor.

STRYCHNOS SPINOSA LAM: COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON ITS MEDICINAL AND NUTRITIONAL USES

Background: Most of the people living in developing countries rely on local remedies from traditional medicines to take care of their healthcare needs. In recent years, the use of medicinal plants increased considerably. Consequently, studies on medicinal plants are necessary to produce more effective drugs with fewer side-effects. This work aims to compile the dispersal data on Strychnos spinosa Lam., a medicinal plant with great therapeutic potential in traditional medicine, on its ethnobotanical uses, chemical compounds, as well as its pharmacological and nutritional effects. Material and Methods: To achieve the aforementioned aim, electronic databases such as Pubmed, Science Direct, Google scholar, Scopus and SciFinder were scanned. Results: Literature survey revealed that S. spinosa is used in the treatment of microbial infections, malaria, trypanosomiasis, intestinal worms, tuberculosis, infertility, gastrointestinal disorders, snake bite, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus among other ailments. The plant is also used as food material. S. spinosa contains many chemical compounds, such as alkaloids, terpenes, sterols, fatty acids, flavonoids, saponin, and others. The fruits are a source of important nutrients such as carbohydrates, sugars, proteins, vitamins and fibres. Experimental studies have shown numerous pharmacological properties, including antimicrobial, antiplasmodial, anti-trypanosomal, anti-leishmanial, anti-nematicidal, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antidiabetic and other activities. Conclusion: This review article provides comprehensive information on S. spinosa and its various extracts. Due to the promising effects of the plant extracts on various diseases and its nutritional values, there is a need for toxicity studies and clinical trials to assess the effects of its identified bioactive compounds.

STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY-RELATIONSHIP OF THE POLYPHENOLS INHIBITION OF α-AMYLASE AND α-GLUCOSIDASE

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious public health challenge, projected by WHO to be one of the 7 leading cause of death by 2030. Medicinal plants have been demonstrated to be useful in DM local management because of polyphenols present in these plants. For an alternative treatment approach especially with polyphenols-rich herbs, knowledge of comparative efficacy of the polyphenols will lead to enhanced therapy especially in postprandial hyperglyceamic control. Materials and Methods: Vegetative parts of Anacardium occidentale, Abelmoschus ecsulentus and Ceiba pentandra, prominent in the local management of DM were identified, collected and subjected to alcoholic extraction. From the crude extracts were isolated agathisflavone, quercetin 3-O-glucoside, quercetin 3-O-diglycoside, mangiferin, isomangiferin and pentagalloyl glucose, belonging to flavonoid, xanthones and tannins structural classes. These polyphenols were evaluated for their potentials to inhibit both α-glucosidase and α-amylase. Physicochemical parameters of the polyphenols were evaluated and molecular docking experiments were carried out to gain insight into the observed inhibitory activity. Results: quercetin 3-O-glucosidewas the most potent of the polyphenols against the two enzymes. Increase in the number of phenolic hydroxyl group did not increase the inhibitory activity and neither computation of the binding energies with the enzymes nor physicochemical parameters of the polyphenols could explain the observed inhibitory activity against the enzymes, across the structural classes. Thus, only the bioassay against the enzymes α-glucosidase and α-amylase correlated well with the use of the plants in treating diabetic mellitus Conclusion: Medicinal plants rich in quercetin 3-O-glycoside may have better treatment outcomes in postprandial hyperglycaemia control.

ETHNOBOTANICAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE MOST COMMONLY USED PLANTS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF GASTROINTESTINAL AILMENTS IN YOBE STATE, NIGERIA.

Background: Rural and urban people in Nigeria made use of medicinal plants as their curative measures, based on their ancient belief that propounded the authenticity of these plants in treating ailments. Materials and methods: Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires across the study area (3senatorial districts),The collected plant species were authenticated and given voucher numbers, and the demographic data was subjected to Chi-square (x2) comparisons using SPSS version 22. Results: The major family among the surveyed plants, were Fabaceae (dominant), followed by Anacardiaceae and Combretaceae. Moreover, out of 97 respondents, 81 were male (83.5%) and 16 were female (16.5%). It was observed that respondents that were 41-50 years were many into practice ( p = 0.13. The majority of the respondents as compared using chi-square across the parameters, were illiterates (p = 0.06), and very few had a formal training or exposed to workshops (p = 0.02), while the majority inherited and utilized herbal medicine practice as their main sources of income (p = 0.04). The fidelity levels ranged as follows: For diarrhea (18.5% -100%), dysentery (11.11- 45%), pile (11.11 – 50%) and, ulcer covered 9.1% -100%. The ailments were in the range of 0.69 – 0.75 factors of informant consensus. Plant species with RFC values of 0.34, 0.27 and 0.21 as well as those with 0.1, were regarded to have the highest RFC values. Conclusion: Information collected were mainly on cases of gastrointestinal ailments and first of its kind on the use of medicinal plants in Yobe State, Nigeria.