This paper reports the in vitro anti-diabetic profile of certain medicinal plants traditionally used in Eritrea for the management of type 2 diabetes. The crude methanolic extracts and fractions of Meriandra dianthera, Aloe camperi, a Polyherb and their fractions were investigated. The in vitro screening of the crude extracts has generally elicited a dose dependent α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition activities. M. dianthera displayed the highest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC 50 : 0.074 ± 0.032 mg/mL) at the highest concentration tested (0.800 mg/mL) relative to A. camperi, the Polyherb and Acarbose (IC 50 : 0.37 ± 0.052, 0.56 ± 0.024 and 0.55 ± 0.029 respectively). The α-glucosidase inhibition activities of A. camperi and M. dianthera, except for the Polyherb and Acarbose, were significantly different (P < 0.05) at various ranges of concentrations (0.025 -0.800 mg/mL). The percentage α-amylase inhibitions of M. dianthera, A. camperi, the Polyherb and Acarbose, at the highest concentrations (0.800 mg/mL), were 78.3%, 15.9%, 16.4%, and 82.9% respectively. A. camperi and the Polyherb displayed lower α-amylase inhibitory activities (IC 50 :1.72 ± 0.06 and 2.57 ± 0.07 mg/mL respectively) compared to Acarbose and M. dianthera (IC 50 : 0.31 ± 0.01 and 0.43 ± 0.02 mg/mL respectively). For the α-amylase inhibition activity, even at lower concentrations (0.025 mg/mL), there were statistically significant differences (P < 0.01) among the values generated for all the extracts. The in vitro anti-diabetic screening of the fractions, at 0.800 mg/ml, displayed characteristic enzyme inhibition activities.How to cite this paper: Sium, M., Kareru, P., Kiage-Mokua, B., Sood, K., Langley, J. 534Generally, the non-polar fractions showed higher enzyme inhibitory activities compared to the polar fractions. The most bioactive non-polar fractions, thus, were subjected to GC-MS analysis and presented various essential oils, fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and benzoic acid derivatives in those plants.

Earlier work in our laboratory indicated that ethanolic extracts of Tabebuia impetiginosa, Arctium lappa L., Calendula officinalis, Helianthus annuus, Linum usitatissimum and L. propolis, inhibit pancreatic lipase in vitro. In a follow-up study we assessed their effects on plasma triglycerides in rats fed on a fatty meal. Extracts, orlistat or only ethanol were given orally to the rats together with the test meal and the rate of increase of postprandial triglycerides was assessed over 4 h. Clearing of the triglycerides from the blood compartment was abolished by inhibiting lipoprotein lipase with Triton WR-1339. Our results showed that out of all the extracts, the bark of Tabebuia impetiginosa led to a significant delay in the postprandial increase of plasma triglycerides. However, lapachol, which is contained in the bark of Tabebuia impetiginosa and soluble in ethanol, had no lipase inhibitory effect in vitro and hence this substance did not seem to mediate the pertinent effect.

BackgroundIncreasing land restrictions and a reduced livestock-to-human ratio during the 20th century led the Maasai to lead a more sedentary, market-orientated lifestyle. Although plant-derived food nowadays contributes substantially to their diet, dairy products being high in saturated fatty acids (SFA) and low in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) still are an important energy source. Since reliable data regarding the Maasai diet date back to the 1980s, the study objective was to document current diet practices in a Kenyan Maasai community and to investigate the fatty acid distribution in diet and red blood cells.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 26 Maasai (20 women, 6 men) from Loodokilani, Kajiado District, Kenya. Food intake was described by the subjects via 24-h recall, and both food and blood samples were analysed.ResultsTwo main foods - milk and ugali - constituted the Maasai diet in this region. A total of 0.9 L of milk and 0.6 kg of ugali were consumed per person and day to yield an energy intake of 7.6 MJ/d per person. A major proportion of ingested food contributing 58.3% to the total dietary energy (en%) was plant-derived, followed by dairy products representing 41.1 en%. Fat consumed (30.5 en%) was high in SFA (63.8%) and low in PUFA (9.2%). Long-chain n-3 PUFA (EPA, DPA and DHA) made up only 0.15% of the ingested fatty acids, but 5.9% of red blood cell fatty acids.ConclusionThe study indicates the Maasai diet is rich in SFA and low in PUFA. Nevertheless, red blood cells are composed of comparable proportions of long-chain n-3 PUFA to populations consuming higher amounts of this fatty acid group.

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For over 25 years, various strategies have been put forward and implemented to support early, exclusive, and continued breastfeeding. In the 1980s, breastfeeding was promoted as part of the "child survival revolution" along with growth monitoring, oral rehydration, and immunization. The largest part of the breastfeeding promotion efforts focused on health provider skills, hospital practices, and policies [12]. In 1990, Objectives: Mothers who have physical and emotional support during the early post-partum period have a greater likelihood of succeeding in breastfeeding. This study examined the effect of nutrition education on fathers in improving early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding in the first 3 months of the infant's life.Methods: An interventional study was conducted in Kisumu East Sub County, Kenya. All the women who were 6 months pregnant between January and April 2016 and attending the antenatal clinic at Kisumu County hospital were included in the study. Once contacted, each woman provided the telephone contact of the father-to-be. The later were then invited to a meeting at the hospital within 2 weeks of first contact to get their consent to participate in the study. The pair were asked to pick one among pre-numbered papers which randomly put them in either the intervention or control group with each group having 145 pairs. A total of 290 fathermother pairs were recruited. The study site was selected based on the high infant mortality rate in the region. No intervention was given in the control group while both father-mother pairs in the intervention group received nutrition education on breastfeeding. The study participants were followed up until the children birthed reach 3 months of age.Results: At 97.1%, initiation of breastfeeding within an hour of birth was significantly higher among the intervention group compared to 52.1% in the control group (p<0.001). Likewise, at 81.1%, sustained exclusive breastfeeding at 3 months was significantly higher among the intervention group compared to 63.4% in the control group (p=0.001). Conclusion:The intervention positively impacted on early initiation and sustenance of exclusive breasting in the first 3 months of life. Nutrition education at the health facility or community level should involve fathers as key influencers of the breastfeeding process, which contributes to improved infant feeding practices.