Herbal plants are very important in traditional community use and enrich our plant biodiversity and conservation. Natural products are vital substances of traditional knowledge systems in complementary and alternative medicine, nutraceutical, food supplements, and pharmaceutical bioactive metabolites of new chemical entities. Bioactive secondary metabolites from herbal plants of different forms are main sources and provide major opportunities for drug active pharmaceuticals due to the diverse flora and fauna biodiversity that produces the necessary available chemical diversity. There has been an increasing popularity in phytochemical research within the high through put (HTS) screening programs in search of lead. Phytochemicals of herbal extracts for traditional uses contain various types of bioactive metabolites of pharmaceutical and pharmacotherapeutic nature, and many phytomedicines for different therapeutic areas have been derived from herbal products. This paper is aimed at giving an insight into the extraction, isolation, and characterization of the rich medicinal plant biodiversity of potential pharmaceutical importance and the major drawbacks and challenges in the extraction, isolation, and characterization of phytochemicals in plant extracts. Phytochemicals in medicinal plants have been studied with more emphasis on the extraction process which is a vital stage in the analysis of bioactive compounds in medicinal plant research. The advantages and disadvantages of the different extraction methods is important to discuss following the regulatory guidelines and different pharmacopoeia. The analysis of bioactive molecules in herbal products involves the applications of various phytochemical screening methods, and the use of chromatographic techniques such as TLC and HPLC, including in some cases the non-chromatographic methods like Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR), immunoassay. This paper has been motivated by the challenges faced by most pharmacy students in data mining of information on phytochemical screening and testing of biological activities in projects related to herbal plants research. This write up is also geared towards providing students with information on the preclinical drug discovery process towards the formulation of an improved traditional medicine/ phytomedicine.
Ethnopharmacological and ethnobotanical approach of medicinal plants used in the traditional treatment of Buruli ulcer in Akonolinga (Cameroon) ABSTRACTFew data are available concerning plants used in the traditional treatment of Buruli ulcer in Cameroon. This study aimed to identify species and characterize anti-Buruli ulcer recipes in the Akonolinga district. The H. N. BAYAGA et al. / Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 11(4): 1523-1541, 2017 1524 ethnopharmacological survey has enabled to identify 25 plant species used against Buruli ulcer. The plant parts mostly used were stem bark (41.1%), stem (26.8%) and leaves (25%). Decoction (64.3%) and pounding (23.2%), the most dominant preparing method, were administrated externally, mostly by massage and disinfection (64.3%) and by local poultice application (14.3%). The analysis of relative frequency of citation, as well as the search of similarity and convergence of use, have shown that Musa parasidiaca, Mitracarpus villosus, Aframomum melegueta, Elaeis guineensis and Spathodea campanulata were among species exhibiting remarkable convergence of use between different geographical regions; while seven others, Petersianthus macrocarpus, Momordica cabraei, Cassia spectabilis, Citrus medica, Terminalia superba, Ceiba pentandra and Ipomoea aquatica, formed another most significant species group. In highlighting those 12 species of interest, this study has direct bearing in drug design and innovation by the ethnopharmacological reasoning, thereby contributing to species selection and direction for prior chemical, pharmacological and clinical assessments leading to plant-based drug development that Africa needed for its pandemic pathologies.
Introduction: Liver or hepatic disease refers to different conditions that affect the liver. Chronic alcohol consumption is one of the most frequent causes of liver disease and accounts for about 55% of liver cirrhosis deaths recorded in Cameroon in 2020. Standard accessible treatments focus on end-stage liver disease with safety and efficacy obstacles. We have a research gap in Cameroon to understand the alternative use of natural products as treatment with a long traditional history of safe use. Curcuma longa has long been a source of traditional and modern medicine. It is commonly used in Cameroon as a spice and herbal product with some level of activity against various forms of liver disease. Objective: To phytochemically screen for bioactive metabolites and evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of the aqueous extract of Curcuma longaon alcohol-induced toxicity in Wistar rats. Methods: Phytochemical screening was carried out on the aqueous extract obtainedfrom maceration of plant rhizomes. Three doses (125, 250 and 500mg/Kg) of the plant extract and the reference (Silymarin 50mg/Kg) were administered daily (p.o) to rats 30 min before administration of 40% alcohol (2mL/100g p.o) for 21 days. Biochemical parameters such as ALAT, ASAT, GGT, Bilirubin and Lipid profile were quantified and histological studies of the liverwas carried out using standard procedures. Results: Phytochemical screening of the aqueous extract of C. longa revealed polyphenols such as flavonoids, tannins, quinones, saponins and phlobatanins. The plant showed hepatoprotective activity by decreasing liver toxicity markers such as ASAT, ALAT, GGT and Bilirubin. Histology revealed dose-dependent protection with 500 mg/Kg showing the most cellular integrity, no central vein occlusion and minimal fibrosis. Conclusion: This study indicated the presence of polyphenols like flavonoids and tannins in the aqueous extract of C. longa. The presence of these secondary metabolites in the studied extract justifies its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties confirmed by its hepatoprotective effects on alcohol-induced toxicity. This was clearly shown by biochemical and histological parameters. More sensitive and specific methods are required to test for these secondary metabolites in serum.
Orchids are well known for their beautiful exotic flowers, and food-flavoring products which make them a resource of great economic importance in the global horticultural and food industries. In Cameroon, orchids are particularly important for their tubers which are used for food and traditional medicine. Orchids are therefore of considerable economic importance, traded within and across the regions and out of the country. Few research works have reported for these orchids in Cameroon exploring mostly identification and taxonomy. It is therefore the responsibility and duty of the local population to valorize the tubers for national use based on their awareness of the hidden potentials for food and medicine. Many people will have eaten orchids without realizing, due to the countless products in international trade that contain the seeds of artificially propagated Vanilla orchids. However, this legal trade is only one example of orchids being used as ingredients in food and drink. One example is the trade in chikanda, a cake made from the ground tubers of terrestrial orchids and consumed in several countries in Central and East Africa. Another product made from the ground tubers of terrestrial species is salep, which is used as an ingredient in hot drinks and ice cream and consumed mainly in Turkey and neighboring countries. The high exploitation with no biodiversity and conservation strategic plan by indigenes is a call for concern about the sustainability as future existence of these wild edible orchids is highly threatened; reason why orchids are on the international red list. This paper reviews the ethnobotanical and medicinal uses of orchid roots and tubers with a focus on Cameroon. The review highlights some of the areas that require more focus in terms of research and policy interventions, namely identification of all edible orchids, domestication of edible orchids, and trade controls. Focusing on Cameroon, this paper reviews and examines the edible root and tuber orchids developments based on information from some of the work that has been done in Cameroon, the ethnobotanic, ethnopharmacological and medicinal uses of these orchids.
Objective: To assess the usefulness of Cussonia arborea in the treatment of bacterial infectious diseases.Study Design: Experimental analytical study.Place and Duration of Study: The study was done in the Laboratory of Hydrobiology and Environment of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaounde1; the Bacteriology Laboratory of the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital; the Laboratory of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry of the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Yaoundé I. The study was done in a period of six months.Methodology: The root bark of Cussonia arborea was collected in the village Yambéta (Central Region, Cameroon), dried and pulverized. Thereafter, two extractions were performed by embedding 200 g of powder in 2000 mL of 96° ethanol, and in a hydro-ethanolic mixture (30/70, v/v), respectively. Qualitative phytochemical screening was performed. Minimum inhibitory and bacterial toxicity were determined by macro-dilution in liquid medium on Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp, Shigella sp and Proteus mirabilis provided by the Laboratory of Hydrobiology and Environment of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaounde1 and the Bacteriology Laboratory of the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital.Results: Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of polyphenols (flavonoids, and tannins), alkaloids, quinones, saponins and, cardiac glycosides. However, coumarins were absent in the two extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the extracts ranged from 25 to 100 mg/mL, and the minimum bactericidal concentrations from 25 to 200 mg/mL. The ethanolic extract was bactericidal against Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus aureus, but bacteriostatic against Salmonella sp and Shigella sp. The hydro-ethanolic extract was bacteriostatic against Shigella sp and bactericidal against the other strains.Conclusion: The groups of polyphenols, alkaloids, quinones, saponins and, cardiac glycosides contained in the two extracts can justify the antibacterial activity observed against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp, Shigella sp and Proteus mirabilis.
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