Evaluation of the Hepatoprotective Effect of Aloe vera, Clematis hirsute, Cucumis prophetarum and Bee Propolis Against Experimentally Induced Liver Injury in Rats

Knowledge and demand for medicinal plants used in the treatment and management of diabetes in Nyeri County, Kenya

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Non communicable diseases are currently a major health challenge facing humanity. Nyeri County has one of the highest diabetes prevalence in Kenya (12.6%), compared to the country's prevalence of 5.6%. The purpose of the study was to document; diabetes knowledge, medicinal plants and demand for the services of traditional medicine practitioners, in the management and treatment of diabetes.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out in the six constituencies in Nyeri, using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. Thirty practicing traditional medicine practitioners were purposively selected for the study. Field observation and identification was carried out on all plants that were cited during the interview. Plant samples were collected and voucher specimen deposited in the University of Nairobi Herbarium in the - School of Biological Sciences.

RESULTS

The study revealed 30 plant species in 28 genera and 23 families that are used by the traditional medicine practitioners to treat and manage diabetes. Demand for traditional medicine practitioners' services in the treatment of diabetes is low and often occurs when conventional drugs fail.

CONCLUSION

Interaction with the TMPs unveiled significant diversity of potential anti diabetic medicinal plants and in-depth ethnobotanical knowledge that they possessed. Preference for traditional herbal medicine was low despite wide ethnobotanical knowledge in the face of high prevalence of diabetes in the locality. The findings form the basis of pharmacological studies for standardization of the documented ethnomedicine used in the treatment and management of diabetes in the study area.

The genus Clematis (Ranunculaceae): chemical and pharmacological perspectives

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Twenty six species of the genus Clematis (Ranunculaceae) have been traditionally used in various systems of medicine for the treatment of ailments such as nervous disorders, syphilis, gout, malaria, dysentry, rheumatism, asthma, and as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antitumour, antibacterial and anticancer.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

To emphasize on ethnopharmacology, chemical constituents, pharmacology, toxicology and clinical studies of various species of the genus Clematis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The available information on Clematis species was collected through electronic search of major scientific databases.

RESULTS

A survey of literature revealed that triterpene saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, lignans, steroids, coumarins, macrocyclic compounds, phenolic glycosides, anemonin and volatile oils constitute major classes of chemical constituents in the genus Clematis. Preliminary analgesic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antiarthritis, hepatoprotective, hypotensive and HIV-1 protease inhibitor activity studies have been carried out on crude extracts of 26 traditionally used and medicinally promising species of Clematis genus.

CONCLUSIONS

The species of the genus Clematis emerged as good source of traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments. Although few experimental studies validated their traditional claims, but employed uncharacterized crude extracts. Such Clematis species need to be explored properly following bioactivity-directed fractionation with a view to isolate bioactive constituents, and to evaluate their possible mode of actions. These species hold great potential for detailed clinical studies so that these could be exploited as potential drugs. The review will help researchers to select medicinally potential species of Clematis genus for future research.

Effects of long-term silymarin oral supplementation on the blood biochemical profile of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Silymarin, an extract from "milk thistle" (Silybum marianum) plant is traditionally used as herbal medicine. The present study was conducted to investigate the clinical effects and possible side effects of silymarin on biochemical blood parameters of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Fishes were treated with 0 (control), 100, 400, and 800 mg of silymarin per kg of food during 4 weeks. Plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatine kinase (CK), glucose, total protein, creatinine, triglyceride, cholesterol, urea, uric acid and liver cellular total antioxidant, and protein content were measured after 7, 14, and 28 days of silymarin treatment. The results showed that oral administration of silymarin in fish significantly reduced plasma glucose and cholesterol levels and relatively increased plasma total protein and globulin concentrations (P < 0.05). Increasing plasma albumin levels indicate the important role of albumin in drug transportation in circulatory system of fish. Silymarin also stabilized cellular membrane structure and regulated the levels of AST, ALT, ALP, CK, and LDH activity. In conclusion, on the basis of these results, oral administration of silymarin up to 400 mg per 1 kg of food has no side effect on blood biochemical and clinical parameters of fishes. However, oral administration of 800 mg/kg- of silymarin caused cytotoxicity and modifications in blood biochemical parameters of fish.

Propolis protects against 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-induced toxicity in rat hepatocytes

The present experiment was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of propolis in alleviating the toxicity of TCDD on cultured primary rat hepatocytes. Propolis (25, 50 and 100 μM) was added to plain culture or simultaneously with TCDD (5 and 10 μM). The hepatocytes were treated with TCDD and propolis for 48 h. Then cell viability was detected by [3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl) 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, while total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidative stress (TOS) levels were determined to evaluate the oxidative injury. The DNA damage was also analyzed by liver micronucleus assay (LMN) and 8-oxo-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG). The results of MTT and LDH assays showed that TCDD decreased cell viability. TCDD also increased TOS level and decreased TAC level in rat hepatocytes. On the basis of increasing doses, the TCDD caused significant increases of micronucleated hepatocytes (MNHEPs) and 8-OH-dG levels as compared to control culture. In cultures treated with propolis alone, cell viability and TOS level were not affected, while the level of TAC was significantly increased in dose-dependent fashion. The presence of propolis with TCDD modulated its toxic effects on primary hepatocytes cultures. Noteworthy, propolis has a protective effect against TCDD-mediated DNA damages.