Medicinal plant species used by local communities around Queen Elizabeth National Park, Maramagambo Central Forest Reserve and Ihimbo Central Forest Reserve, South western Uganda

Medicinal plants used for cutaneous wound healing in Uganda; ethnomedicinal reports and pharmacological evidences

Background

Wounds have become a major health challenge worldwide, presenting marked humanistic and economic burdens such as disabilities and death. Annually, approximately 14 million people suffer from wounds worldwide and 80 % of these occur in developing countries like Uganda. In Uganda, besides many cases of daily wound occurrences, approximately 10 % of surgical procedures become septic wounds and consequently lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Accordingly, several ethnomedicinal studies have identified plants used for wound treatment in different parts of Uganda and the wound healing activities of some plants have been reported. However, at present, these information remain largely separated without an all-inclusive repository containing ethnomedicinal and pharmacological information of the plants used for wound healing in Uganda, thus retarding appropriate evaluation. Therefore, this review focused on extensively exploring the plants used for treating cutaneous wounds in Uganda, along with associated ethnomedicinal information and their globally reported pharmacological potential.

Methods

Electronic data bases including Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct were searched using key terms for required information contained in English peer reviewed articles, books, and dissertations. Additionally, correlations between selected parameters were determined with coefficient of determination (r2).

Results

The literature survey revealed that 165 species belonging to 62 families are traditionally used to treat wounds in Uganda. Most of the species belonged to families of Asteraceae (14 %), Fabaceae (10 %), and Euphorbiaceae (7 %). The commonest plant parts used for wound treatment include leaf (48 %), root (22 %), stembark (11 %), and stem (7 %), which are prepared majorly by poultice (34 %), decoction (13 %), as well as powdering (25 %). Fifty-four (33 %) of the plant species have been investigated for their wound healing activities whereas, one hundred eleven (67 %) have not been scientifically investigated for their wound healing effects. Pearson correlation coefficient between the number of wound healing plant families per part used and percent of each plant part used was 0.97, and between the number of wound healing plant families per method of preparation and percent of each method of preparation was 0.95, showing in both strong positively marked relationships.

Conclusion

The preliminarily investigated plants with positive wound healing properties require further evaluation to possible final phases, with comprehensive identification of constituent bioactive agents. Additionally, the wound healing potential of the scientifically uninvestigated plants with claimed healing effects needs examination. Subsequently, information regarding efficacy, safety, bioactive principles, and mechanism of action could prove valuable in future development of wound healing therapies.

Therapeutics to Treat Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders: A Promising Perspective from Algerian Traditional Medicine

Ancient people sought out drugs in nature to prevent, cure, and treat their diseases, including mental illnesses. Plants were their primary source for meeting their healthcare needs. In Algeria, folk medicine remains a fundamental part of the local intangible knowledge. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive ethnomedicinal investigation and documentation of medicinal plants and the different plant formulations traditionally used in Algeria for the treatment of pain, psychiatric, and neurological disorders. It also intends to improve the current knowledge of Algerian folk medicine. Several scientific databases were used to accomplish this work. Based on this investigation, we identified 82 plant species belonging to 69 genera and spanning 38 distinct botanical families used as remedies to treat various psychological and neurological conditions. Their traditional uses and methods of preparation, along with their phytochemical composition, main bioactive constituents, and toxicity were noted. Therefore, this review provides a new resource of information on Algerian medicinal plants used in the treatment and management of neurological and psychological diseases, which can be useful not only for the documentation and conservation of traditional knowledge, but also for conducting future phytochemical and pharmacological studies.

Ethnomedicinal plants used for malaria treatment in Rukungiri District, Western Uganda

BACKGROUND

Malaria remains a major global health challenge and a serious cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda, limited access to medical facilities has perpetuated the reliance of indigenous communities on herbal medicine for the prevention and management of malaria. This study was undertaken to document ethnobotanical knowledge on medicinal plants prescribed for managing malaria in Rukungiri District, a meso-endemic malaria region of Western Uganda.

METHODS

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out between May 2022 and December 2022 in Bwambara Sub-County, Rukungiri District, Western Uganda using semi-structured questionnaire. A total of 125 respondents (81 females and 44 males) were randomly selected and seven (7) key informants were engaged in open interviews. In all cases, awareness of herbalists on malaria, treatment-seeking behaviour and herbal treatment practices were obtained. The ethnobotanical data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, informant consensus factor and preference ranking.

RESULTS

The study identified 48 medicinal plants belonging to 47 genera and 23 families used in the treatment of malaria and its symptoms in the study area. The most frequently cited species were Vernonia amygdalina, Aloe vera and Azadirachta indica. Leaves (74%) was the most used plant organ, mostly for preparation of decoctions (41.8%) and infusions (23.6%) which are administered orally (89.6%) or used for bathing (10.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants used as prophylaxis and for treatment of malaria still exist among the local communities of Bwambara Sub-County. However, there is a need to investigate the antimalarial efficacy, phytochemical composition and safety of species (such as Digitaria abyssinica and Berkheya barbata) with high percentage use values to validate their use.

Medicinal Plants Used in the Management of Sexual Dysfunction, Infertility and Improving Virility in the East African Community: A Systematic Review

Sexual disorders such as erectile dysfunction (ED), sterility, and sexual inappetence represent some of the complex reproductive challenges that require addressing the underlying causes. The aim of this paper was to systematically synthesize literature on the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, bioactivities, and safety of plants used as remedies for managing sexual dysfunction and infertility, and improving fertility and virility in the EAC. Through an extensive review conducted in multidisciplinary electronic databases, 171 plant species were identified to have been reported for the management of sexual inappetence (i.e., used as aphrodisiacs, 39.4%), ED (35.9%), infertility (18.7%), and increasing fertility (6.0%). The most used plants are Mondia whitei, Acalypha villicaulis, Combretum illairii, Erythrina abyssinica, Pappea capensis, Rhus vulgaris, and Warburgia ugandensis while roots (44.9%), leaves (21.8%), stem and root barks (16.7%) of shrubs (35%), trees (31%), herbs (26%), and climbers (8%) are the preferred organs for making decoctions (69%). The research strides to date indicate that Citropsis articulata, Cola acuminata, Ekebergia capensis, Plumbago zeylanica, Tarenna graveolens, Urtica massaica, and Zingiber officinale have been assessed for their bioactivity. The majority (71.4%) of the plants either increased testosterone levels and mounting frequency or elicited prosexual stimulatory effects in male rats. More studies investigating the relevant pharmacological activities (aphrodisiac, fertility, and phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitory activities), safety aspects, responsible compounds, and clinical studies are warranted to establish the pharmacological potential of the unstudied species and elucidate the mechanism of action of the bioactive compounds.

Medicinal uses, chemical constituents and biological activities of Rumex abyssinicus: A Comprehensive review

Rumex abyssinicus is a valuable medicinal plant species that is native to tropical Africa. Traditionally, R. abyssinicus is used to treat different disease such as, liver diseases, hepatitis, malaria, scabies, blood pressure, jaundice, wound and pneumonia. The purpose of the current study was to review the literature on the ethnomedicinal uses, chemical constitutes and biological activities of R. abyssinicus in an attempt to create information for future studies aimed towards exploring the therapeutic ability of the species. A scientific search engines, namely Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct and Web of knowledge for the search terms: Rumex abyssinicus, ethnomedicinal studies, phytochemical investigations, and pharmacological activities were undertaken. The search strategy included all articles with descriptors that were available until December 30, 2021. Only published works in English have been used on this study. The data was collected using textual descriptions of the studies, tabulation, grouping, and figures. The principal phytochemicals of R. abyssinicus are anthraquinones, flavonoids, terepenoids and phenolic compounds. The in vitro and in vivo studies on the crude extracts and compounds of R. abyssinicus showed antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, wound healing, antialzeimer’s and hepatoprotective activities of it. R. abyssinicus afforded drug leads such as helminthosporin (4) with anti-alzheimer and physicon (3) with antifungal and antioxidant activity. R. abyssinicus have traditionally been used to cure a variety of diseases. Pharmacological actions of phytochemicals were shown to be promising. Despite this, further studies on crude extracts and promising compounds are needed to find new drug candidates.

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.

Medicinal plant sources and traditional healthcare practices of forest-dependent communities in and around Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary in southeastern Bangladesh

Bangladesh's forest-dependent people rely on medicinal plants for traditional healthcare practices, as plant-based medicines are easily available and cost-effective. This study evaluated and documented ethnomedicinal practices for, and traditional knowledge of, utilising plants to cure ailments. Ethnobotanical indices quantified the use value (UV), frequency of citation, relative frequency of citation (RFC) and the informant consensus factor. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, the study interviewed 231 respondents from 18 villages in and around Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS). The study documented 134 medicinal plant species from 60 families; tree species were dominant (37.31%). Malvaceae (seven species), Rutaceae and Lamiaceae (six species each) families covered more species. Nearly half of the species (46.02%) were collected from CWS. Both above-ground and below-ground plant parts treated 71 types of ailments under 21 categories, with leaves (66 species) being the most widely used plant part. In total 33 species were used to treat dysentery, 25 species each for fever and jaundice, and 24 species for cuts and wounds. The average UV value was 0.24 and RFC value was 0.47%. Communities were found to utilise medicinal plants more at home than to sell at markets, substantially relying on medicinal plants to meet their domestic needs. Plants used for healthcare and cultural and religious beliefs have a strong connection that plays a vital role in plant conservation. This study identified 42 medicinal plant species that could be considered to treat COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh. The findings suggest that community awareness of sustainable harvesting and commercial cultivation could lead to conservation and use of these invaluable plant species for healthcare, new drugs discovery and sustainable forest management.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42398-022-00230-z.

Antiviral Plants from Marajó Island, Brazilian Amazon: A Narrative Review

Diseases caused by viruses are a global threat, resulting in serious medical and social problems for humanity. They are the main contributors to many minor and major outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics worldwide. Over the years, medicinal plants have been used as a complementary treatment in a range of diseases. In this sense, this review addresses promising antiviral plants from Marajó island, a part of the Amazon region, which is known to present a very wide biodiversity of medicinal plants. The present review has been limited to articles and abstracts available in Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scielo, PubMed, and Google Scholar, as well as the patent offices in Brazil (INPI), United States (USPTO), Europe (EPO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). As a result, some plants from Marajó island were reported to have actions against HIV-1,2, HSV-1,2, SARS-CoV-2, HAV and HBV, Poliovirus, and influenza. Our major conclusion is that plants of the Marajó region show promising perspectives regarding pharmacological potential in combatting future viral diseases.

Acute and sub-acute oral toxicity of aqueous whole leaf and green rind extracts of Aloe vera in Wistar rats

BACKGROUND

Several local communities in Central, Western, Eastern, and Northern regions of Uganda have been using the whole leaf extracts of Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. (Asphodelaceae) in the treatment of various ailments. Also, several commercial companies sell A. vera as soft drinks in Uganda. However, there are inadequate reports on the toxicities of such preparations. This paper reports the acute and sub-acute oral toxicity of aqueous extracts of whole leaf and green rind of A. vera in Wistar rats.

METHODS

Acute oral toxicity test was carried out in female Wistar rats at doses of 175, 550, 1750, and 5000 mg/kg, p.o. The animals were observed for signs of toxicity for 14 days. Similarly, a sub-acute oral toxicity test was performed in both sexes of rats at doses of 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg, p.o. daily for 28 days. All the groups of animals were monitored for behavioral, morphological, biochemical, and physiological changes, including mortality and compared with respective controls. Body weights were measured weekly while the animals' relative organ weights, hematological, biochemical, gross, and microscopic pathology were examined on day 29.

RESULTS

There was no mortality or apparent behavioral changes at the doses tested in acute and sub-acute oral toxicity tests. Thus, the Median Lethal Dose (LD₅₀) of green rind and whole leaf aqueous extracts was above 5000 mg/kg. Gross anatomy revealed that the rats' relative spleen weight in green rind extract at 200 mg/kg significantly decreased compared to the control group. The creatinine levels in female rats that received green rind extract and the chloride ion levels in male rats administered whole leaf extract were significantly elevated. Conversely, Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) levels significantly decreased at lower doses of the green rind extract compared to the control. Histopathology of the kidney revealed the renal interstitium's inflammation at doses of 200 and 800 mg/kg of the whole leaf extract.

CONCLUSION

The findings demonstrated that A. vera green rind and whole leaf extracts are non-toxic at relatively high doses when used for a short duration. Prolonged use of the aqueous whole leaf extract might be associated with kidney toxicity.

Pharmacologic Activities of Plant-Derived Natural Products on Respiratory Diseases and Inflammations

Respiratory inflammation is caused by an air-mediated disease induced by polluted air, smoke, bacteria, and viruses. The COVID-19 pandemic is also a kind of respiratory disease, induced by a virus causing a serious effect on the lungs, bronchioles, and pharynges that results in oxygen deficiency. Extensive research has been conducted to find out the potent natural products that help to prevent, treat, and manage respiratory diseases. Traditionally, wider floras were reported to be used, such as Morus alba, Artemisia indica, Azadirachta indica, Calotropis gigantea, but only some of the potent compounds from some of the plants have been scientifically validated. Plant-derived natural products such as colchicine, zingerone, forsythiaside A, mangiferin, glycyrrhizin, curcumin, and many other compounds are found to have a promising effect on treating and managing respiratory inflammation. In this review, current clinically approved drugs along with the efficacy and side effects have been studied. The study also focuses on the traditional uses of medicinal plants on reducing respiratory complications and their bioactive phytoconstituents. The pharmacological evidence of lowering respiratory complications by plant-derived natural products has been critically studied with detailed mechanism and action. However, the scientific validation of such compounds requires clinical study and evidence on animal and human models to replace modern commercial medicine.

Ethnobotanical study of traditionally used medicinal plants of Pauri district of Uttarakhand, India

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants is important part of primary health care system in almost every society, especially the far-flung areas. These areas, one of the last storehouses of traditional knowledge are under the constant threat of losing this valuable information as it moves from one generation to another through word of mouth. Modernization, migration, education, and changing socio-economic status of people also affect the perpetuality of traditional knowledge. Therefore, time-to-time updation of information regarding the ethnomedicinal plants must be carried out so that any addition to the traditional knowledge is recorded and further phytochemical and pharmacological studies may be conducted for developing new drugs.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The study aimed at documenting the traditional knowledge and practices about the medicinal plants used by the inhabitants of Pauri district of Uttarakhand. Besides, the study strives to identify plants for future phytochemical and pharmacological studies.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The information was collected through semi-structured questionnaire from 98 informants distributed in 15 villages of Pauri. The data was analyzed for use-reports (UR), frequency of citation (FC) and informant consensus factor (F_IC).

RESULTS

In the present study, total 236 species belonging to 80 families and 188 genera were found to treat 82 ailments. Asteraceae (23 species), Rosaceae (16 species) and Lamiaceae (13 species) were the most represented families. Correlation and regression analysis between the local flora and present study reveals that Poaceae, Fabaceae, and Asteraceae were the main outlier species having more representatives in local flora than medicinally important species. Herbs (57.2%) were the most frequently used life forms, and leaves (24.5%) the most commonly utilized plant parts. All the plants were collected from the natural resources and none of them was under cultivation. Nearly 76% of the total drugs were administered orally. The informants divulged 1556 use-reports. The most utilized species based on frequency of citation were Urtica dioica L. (44), Bergenia ciliata Haworth (38), Viola canescens Wall. (38), Rhododendron arboretum Smith (32), and Ocimum tenuiflorum L. (30). All the disorders were grouped into 13 ailment categories based on ICPC-2 classification. The main ailment categories as per Informant Consensus Factor (F_IC) were digestive (F_IC, 0.83), urological (F_IC, 0.83) and cardiovascular (F_IC, 0.81) disorders. A comparative analysis between the present and other local and regional studies show that as many as 13 species were new record for the state of Uttarakhand.

CONCLUSION

The inhabitants of Pauri have good knowledge of medicinal plants. Although the therapeutic value of most of the preferred medicinal plants has already been validated, some medicinal plants lack proper scientific validation. We recommend further phytochemical investigations and pharmacological validations of Begonia picta Smith, Citrus pseudolimon Tanka, Cotoneaster rotundifolia Wall., Heracleum canescens Lindl., Parochetus communis Buch-Ham., Pittosporum napaulense DC., and Plantago erosa Wall.

Ethnobotany of the medicinal plants used by the ethnic communities of Kerman province, Southeast Iran

BACKGROUND

Traditional medicine is a major component in the primary healthcare system in the southeast of Iran, which has a rich floral diversity. However, there is no comprehensive report on the use of medicinal herbs in this specific region. This traditional usage of medicinal plants by local communities could serve as a source for pharmacological and phytochemical studies. The main objective of this study was to identify ethnopharmacological knowledge on medicinal plant species and their local healing applications by the folk communities of Kerman province in the southeast of Iran.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from 217 herbal healers using semi-structured questionnaires, open interviews, and field surveys. Factors including use reports (UR) for each species, frequency of citation (FC), and informant consensus factor (ICF) were used to analyze the data. Plant species were identified by botanists through standard taxonomic methods.

RESULTS

A total of 402 medicinal plants were used in healing practices by the local communities of Kerman province. These species belong to 273 genera of 73 families, among which 367 species are dicotyledons, 27 are monocotyledons, 7 species are cryptogam, and one species is gymnosperm. An important implication from the current study is the identification of the traditional medicinal use of 292 plant species in this region for the first time. Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, and Fabaceae were the dominant medicinally utilized plant families, respectively. Leaf, flower, fruit, and seed were the most common plant parts used. Generally, crude drugs were used in the form of decoction, followed by poultice and infusion forms. Moreover, oral route is considered as the most common administration route followed by topical route. Endocrine (diabetes), dermatological, gastrointestinal, and respiratory problems were ranked as the most frequent ailment categories for which medicinal plants in this region were applied, respectively. Our findings suggested dominant use of Asteraceae and Apiaceae plants for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, Lamiaceae plants for respiratory and gastrointestinal ailments, and Apocynaceae plants for dermatological problems.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggested that Asteraceae and Apiaceae plants were used for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, Lamiaceae plants for respiratory and gastrointestinal ailments, and Apocynaceae and Euphorbiaceae plants for dermatological problems. Among the medicinal plants with high UR and new ethnobotanical uses, Rhazya stricta was used for wound healing, Calotropis procera, Clematis ispahanica and Euphorbia spp. for eczema, Cionura erecta for the treatment of cough, Launaea acanthodes for the treatment of gastrointestinal parasites, Berberis integrrima as an antidiabetic medicinal herb, Dracocephalum polychaetum and Rydingia persica for various types of chronic diseases, Citrus limon and Citrus aurantium for the treatment of ocular diseases and making the traditional kohl, Calendula officinalis for the treatment of pterygium and Prosopis farcta for preventing nasal bleeding. The identified medicinal plants can be further evaluated for their pharmacological activity and underlying mechanisms of action.

Medicinal plants used to treat "African" diseases by the local communities of Bwambara sub-county in Rukungiri District, Western Uganda

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

In Africa, traditional medicine encompasses a diverse range of practices, including herbalism and spiritualism, where some diseases are believed to be "African" since they can only be traditionally treated. Indigenous knowledge on the management of "African" diseases using medicinal plants is still handed down orally from generation to generation by tribal societies of tropical Africa, and with the rapid westernization of these societies there is a pressing need to record local knowledge before it is lost forever.

AIM

This study documented medicinal plant species associated with the management of "African" diseases by the local communities of Bwambara sub-county in Rukungiri district, Western Uganda.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted using semi-structured questionnaires and interviews. The data collected included names of plant species, plant parts used, diseases treated, methods of preparation, and mode of administration of the herbal remedies. A total of 196 informants participated in the study. Data were analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics and the Informant consensus factor.

RESULTS

We documented 67 medicinal plant species distributed over 27 families and 62 genera. The most commonly reported species belong to Asteraceae family. The most frequently used medicinal species were Chenopodium opulifolium (27), Sesbania sesban (26), Thevetia peruviana (25), Leonotis nepetifolia (23), Momordica foetida (23), Euphorbia hirta (21) and Cassia mimosoides (20). Leaves were the most commonly used plants parts and decoctions were the main method of preparation. Water was the main medium used for the preparation of the remedies which were administered orally while petroleum jelly was the main medium for those which were used as ointments. The medicinal plant species reported are used to treat 39 conditions which were clustered into 10 International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) disease categories. There is a high degree of consensus among the informants on which medicinal plant species they use for different diseases especially disorders in the following categories: neurological (FIC = 0.90), general and unspecified (FIC = 0.87), digestive (FIC = 0.86) and female genital (FIC = 0.82).

CONCLUSION

Local communities of Bwambara sub-county in Rukungiri district, Western Uganda use a rich diversity of medicinal plant species in the management of various "African" diseases. Therefore, collaboration between users of medicinal plants and scientists is paramount, to help in the discovery of new drugs based on indigenous knowledge.

Nutritional, phytochemical and diverse health-promoting qualities of Cleome gynandra

Cleome gynandra (Syn. Gynandropsis gynandra) is fast emerging as one of the most widely consumed leafy vegetables due to its nutrition and health-promoting properties. In addition to its high nutritional content, the plant has a rich pool of diverse antioxidant phytochemicals. The current review provides a critical appraisal on the increasing nutritional significance of Cleome gynandra due to its rich pool of natural bioactive compounds and beneficial health-promoting qualities. The rich nutritional content especially the high levels of macro- and micronutrients is an indication of its potential to mitigate malnutrition and the increasing incidence of diet-related obesity and non-communicable diseases. The presence of health-promoting natural compounds, notably polyphenols, glucosinates and terpernoids has been confirmed in Cleome gynandra using different analytical methods. Cleome gynandra possesses high levels of α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, α-carotene, β-carotene, lutein, violaxanthin, and β-cryptoxanthin. These nutritional compounds could be useful in food applications as supplements, colorants and extending shelf-life of food products. Cleome gynandra extracts have demonstrated promising effects in several biological assays using in vitro and in vivo systems. Clearly, diversified diets that include a regular intake of dark green leafy vegetables including Cleome gynandra, holds great promise in ensuring food and nutrition security.

Hypoglycemic and Toxic Effect of Morus mesozygia Leaf Extract on the Liver and Kidneys of Alloxan-Induced Hyperglycemic Wistar Rats

Purpose

We investigated the hypoglycemic and toxic effect of Morus mesozygia leaf extract on the liver and kidneys of alloxan-induced hyperglycemic wistar rats.

Method

Phytochemical analysis was done. Diabetes was induced by the use of alloxan monohydrate in six groups of rats, i.e., 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, 800 mg/kg, glibenclamide, normal saline, and normal control group. Blood glucose was measured at the time of inoculation, then at 1, 2, 3, and 4 hours after. After 14 days, rats were killed under anesthesia; blood collected for measurement of total protein, albumin, TAGs, cholesterol, AST, ALT, urea, and creatinine; and whole tissue of liver and kidneys used for histological studies.

Results

The extract possessed antidiabetic effects between 400 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg doses, which we attributed to the presence of flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, and amino acids. There was a drop in total protein and albumin with no statistical significance (P ≥ 0.05). The changes in levels of ALT, TAGs, cholesterol, AST, creatinine, and urea were not statistically different from the standard diabetic drug. The extract was protective against histological damage as there were no significant lesions suggestive of toxicities in the liver and kidneys at doses below 800 mg/kg.

Conclusion

We established credible evidence that Morus mesozygia leaf extract has hypoglycemic effects between 400 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg and that it is safe on the liver and kidneys of wistar rats at doses less than 800 mg/kg.