Toxicological study of the butanol fractionated root extract of Asparagus africanus Lam., on some blood parameter and histopathology of liver and kidney in mice

Medicinal plants used for the management of respiratory diseases in Zimbabwe: Review and perspectives potential management of COVID-19

Respiratory diseases have in the recent past become a health concern globally. More than 523 million cases of coronavirus disease (COVID19), a recent respiratory diseases have been reported, leaving more than 6 million deaths worldwide since the start of the pandemic. In Zimbabwe, respiratory infections have largely been managed using traditional (herbal) medicines, due to their low cost and ease of accessibility. This review highlights the plants' toxicological and pharmacological evaluation studies explored. It seeks to document plants that have been traditionally used in Zimbabwe to treat respiratory ailments within and beyond the past four decades. Extensive literature review based on published papers and abstracts retrieved from the online bibliographic databases, books, book chapters, scientific reports and theses available at Universities in Zimbabwe, were used in this study. From the study, there were at least 58 plant families comprising 160 medicinal plants widely distributed throughout the country. The Fabaceae family had the highest number of medicinal plant species, with a total of 21 species. A total of 12 respiratory ailments were reportedly treatable using the identified plants. From a total of 160 plants, colds were reportedly treatable with 56, pneumonia 53, coughs 34, chest pain and related conditions 29, asthma 25, tuberculosis and spots in lungs 22, unspecified respiratory conditions 20, influenza 13, bronchial problems 12, dyspnoea 7, sore throat and infections 5 and sinus clearing 1 plant. The study identified potential medicinal plants that can be utilised in future to manage respiratory infections.

Medicinal plants utilized in the management of epilepsy in Ethiopia: ethnobotany, pharmacology and phytochemistry

Epilepsy is a common central nervous system (CNS) disorder that affects 50 million people worldwide. Patients with status epilepticus (SE) suffer from devastating comorbidities and a high incidence of mortalities. Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are the mainstream treatment options for the symptomatic relief of epilepsy. The incidence of refractory epilepsy and the dose-dependent neurotoxicity of AEDs such as fatigue, cognitive impairment, dizziness, attention-deficit behavior, and other side effects are the major bottlenecks in epilepsy treatment. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), epilepsy patients failed to adhere to the AEDs regimens and consider other options such as complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) to relieve pain due to status epilepticus (SE). Plant-based CAMs are widely employed for the treatment of epilepsy across the globe including Ethiopia. The current review documented around 96 plant species (PS) that are often used for the treatment of epilepsy in Ethiopia. It also described the in vivo anticonvulsant activities and toxicity profiles of the antiepileptic medicinal plants (MPs). Moreover, the phytochemical constituents of MPs with profound anticonvulsant effects were also assessed. The result reiterated that a lot has to be done to show the association between herbal-based epilepsy treatment and in vivo pharmacological activities of MPs regarding their mechanism of action (MOA), toxicity profiles, and bioactive constituents so that they can advance into the clinics and serve as a treatment option for epilepsy.

Biochemical and toxicological effects of methanolic extract of Asparagus africanus Lam in Sprague-Dawley rats

Asparagus africanus Lam. is a plant used traditionally to treat different ailments. Currently, scanty information is available on its safety. The aim of this study is to determine the acute toxicity of the methanolic extract on vital organs and its associated biochemical parameters. Fifteen female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups. Group I served as normal control, groups II, III, IV, and V were orally administered single dose of crude extract dissolved in distilled water at 5 mg/kg BW, 50 mg/kg BW, 300 mg/kg BW and 2,000 mg/kg BW. Rats were observed for 14 days and body weights were recorded. On day 15, the rats were sacrificed and blood samples were collected for biochemical and haematological analyses, while the liver and kidneys were sampled for histopathological examination. Body weight and haematology parameters results showed significance difference (p < 0.05) among means of HGB, RDW, RBC, and MCHC; likewise, (p < 0.001) for WBC and platelet among treated groups. Histopathology result showed that kidneys appeared normal while livers were congested with mildly swollen hepatocytes and occasional binucleation. Focal lobular hepatitis was observed in all treated animals. However, hepatic enzymes were not significantly affected and no histopathological harmful effects were observed in kidney. In conclusion, methanolic extracts of A. africanus are safe up to 2,000 mg/kg BW. The obtained results could be used as a justification for the traditional application of the plant for treatment of various ailments.

Subchronic Toxicity Assessment of Orally Administered Methanol (70%) Seed Extract of Abrus precatorius L. in Wistar Albino Rats

Objectives

Abrus precatorius L. is a famous medicinal plant of the family Fabaceae and is widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments. However, there are limited toxicological data available regarding its safety following repeated exposure; therefore, the present study was designed to evaluate the 28-day subchronic toxicity of methanol (70%) crude extract of A. precatorius seeds in adult Wistar albino rats.

Materials and Methods

A subchronic toxicity experiment was conducted by oral administration of graded doses (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) of test extract daily for 28 days. Signs of toxicity, food and water consumption, body weight, and gross pathology as well as relative organ weight were evaluated. The toxic effects were also assessed using hematological and biochemical data followed by histopathological examination of various internal organs. All data collected were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni test was used for data interpretation and p<0.05 was considered significant.

Results

No deaths or evident toxic signs were found during the experimental period. There were no significant differences in body weight, gross pathology, organ weight, or food and water consumption between the control and the treated groups. There were no treatment-related differences in hematological or biochemical indices. Moreover, no gross abnormalities or histological alterations were observed.

Conclusion

The methanol extract of A. precatorius seeds was nontoxic in subchronic intake at the dosages tested. Thus, this study is expected to be beneficial for clinical and traditional applications for safe consumption and to utilize A. precatorius as a remedy at a recommended dosage.

Plants Used as Anticancer Agents in the Ethiopian Traditional Medical Practices: A Systematic Review

Background

This systematic review aimed at examining the use patterns of Ethiopian anticancer traditional medicinal plants (MPs) in view of recommending further validation studies.

Methods

The information was retrieved from PubMed according to the PRISMA guideline. The electronic library of Addis Ababa University and relevant church-based religious books were also inspected for additional data.

Results

From 34 studies meeting specific inclusion/exclusion criteria, 119 anticancer MP species distributed in 98 genera and 57 families were recorded. Fabaceae (10.92 %) and Euphorbiaceae (10.08 %) were the most widely used families. Plumbago zeylanica (Plumbaginaceae) was the most frequently used anticancer MP species. Shrubs (42.02 %) and herbs (35.29 %) were dominant growth forms. About 89.08 % of the MPs were collected from wild habitats. Leaves (33.73 %) and roots (27.11 %) were the most frequently harvested parts. The most favored routes were dermal (33.33 %) and oral (29.25 %). About 87.07 % preparations were made from fresh plant materials. Breast cancer and skin cancer were treated with 14 % and 10.76 % of anticancer MPs, respectively.

Conclusion

The review showed that anticancer MPs are widely used across the regions of Ethiopia. Most of the MPs are not scientifically experimented and yet are at a higher vulnerability to loss mainly by human activities. Calling for conservation measures, we recommend experimental validation of the frequently used anticancer MPs. This augments global anticancer drug researches.

Medicinal plants used by traditional healers to treat malignancies and other human ailments in Dalle District, Sidama Zone, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Medicinal plants (MPs) used by traditional healers (THs) were investigated in Megera and adjacent subdistricts (kebeles) of Dalle District, Sidama Zone, southern Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to identify and record MPs and their traditional uses in the treatment of various human ailments with emphasis on malignancies and other most frequently reported diseases.

METHODS

Traditional medicinal knowledge held by 20 THs was investigated following standard ethnobotanical approaches. Guided field walk, free listing, rigorous individual interviews with extended discussions, and local market surveys were employed to obtain information. Preference rankings, paired comparisons, use value (UV) index, frequency of citation (FC), fidelity level (FL), and informant consensus factor (ICF) matrices were engaged to identify MPs used to treat malignancies and the other most prevalent human ailments.

RESULTS

Seventy-one MP species belonging to 63 genera and 46 families, used to treat 39 human ailments, were recorded. A high proportion of the species recovered was shrubs (35.2%); while 64.7% were retrieved from the wild habitat. Leaves were the main part of the MPs used (42.9%), followed by fruits/seeds (13%); all preparations were made from fresh materials and about 27.9% involved boiling. The frequent route of delivery was oral (77.9%), followed by dermal (17.6%). About 40.8% of the MPs were used for treating two or more ailments. About 19.7% of the MPs were used to treat malignancies (ICF = 0.86) among which the plant species Sideroxylon oxyacanthum was the most frequently used (FL = 70%). The species Podocarpus falcatus and Hagenia abyssinica were preferred to treat jaundice and deworm in helminthiases, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The study area is very rich in plant biodiversity, and the herbal medicine is an integral part of the traditional healthcare system. The MPs are exposed to various destructive anthropogenic activities, and this situation calls for integrated conservation measures. Furthermore, the rich ethnomedicinal knowledge held by the Sidama community at large and TM practitioners, in particular, needs an in-depth study and documentation. Investigations of the MPs with high ICF, FL, and UVs to malignancies, jaundice, and helminthiases could possibly contribute to future drug development efforts.