ABSTRACT. Phyllanthus niruri is a medicinal plant (commonly known as stone breaker) found in the tropics and other parts of the world. It is known for its capacity to block the formation of calcium oxalate crystals and kidney stone formation in urolithiasis. This plant has been used to treat hyperglycemia, hypertension, pain, and mild cases of malaria. We examined the geno-, cyto-and overall toxicity of P. niruri whole plant ethanolic extract. The extract was administered as a single dose of 30 or 300 mg/kg to laboratory rats by gavage, accompanied by negative (0.9% saline) and positive (10 mg/mL N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea) controls that were injected intramuscularly 48 h after extract administration. The ratio of polychromatic (PCE)/normochromatic erythrocytes (NCE) from femur bone marrow was scored for genotoxicity. Cytotoxicity was determined using descending concentrations (0.2-0.0125 g/mL) of the extract incubated with peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Phyllanthus niruri geno-and cytotoxicity Lactate dehydrogenase release from damaged cells was determined and the CC 50 calculated. Subchronic administration of the extract at 30 or 300 mg/kg was done for 90 days to determine general toxicity. PCE:NCE (%) for the extract and negative control was 63, compared to 168 (positive control). The CC 50 was 26.3 mg/mL and hepato-renal toxicity after subchronic extract administration was nil. We conclude that ethanol extract of P. niruri is not cytotoxic or genotoxic, and is generally non-toxic on subchronic administration.
The use of traditional herbal remedies as alternative medicine plays an important role in Africa since it forms part of primary health care for treatment of various medical conditions, including wounds. Although physiological levels of free radicals are essential to the healing process, they are known to partly contribute to wound chronicity when in excess. Consequently, antioxidant therapy has been shown to facilitate healing of such wounds. Also, a growing body of evidence suggests that, at least, part of the therapeutic value of herbals may be explained by their antioxidant activity. This paper reviews African herbal remedies with antioxidant activity with the aim of indicating potential resources for wound treatment. Firstly, herbals with identified antioxidant compounds and, secondly, herbals with proven antioxidant activity, but where the compound(s) responsible for the activity has not yet been identified, are listed. In the latter case it has been attempted to ascribe the activity to a compound known to be present in the plant family and/or species, where related activity has previously been documented for another genus of the species. Also, the tests employed to assess antioxidant activity and the potential caveats thereof during assessment are briefly commented on.
ObjectivesZiziphus abyssinica (ZA) is employed in managing several ailments in Traditional African Medicine. Scientific evaluations are necessary to ascertain the medicinal potential of ZA as a source of new drug molecules. This study investigated the possible therapeutic benefit of ZA leaf (ZAL) and root bark (ZARB) extracts in an experimental model of multi-organ injuries induced by phenylhydrazine (PHZ).MethodsHyperbilirubinaemia, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity and splenic injuries were induced by pretreating albino rats with PHZ (40 mg/kg, p.o.) for two alternate days. Afterward, six out of the eight groups of rats (n = 5) used were treated with either ZAL or ZARB (30, 100 and 300 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for seven days. Naïve control rats received saline without PHZ whereas negative control group received saline after PHZ. After one week of treatment, rats were sacrificed and blood collected for assessment of haematological and biochemical parameters. Liver, kidney and spleen sections were processed for histology and examined under light microscope.ResultsData indicate that PHZ significantly (p < 0.05) increased total bilirubin, serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine and BUN/creatinine ratio whereas red blood cell count was significantly reduced. These anomalies were significantly reversed in rats treated with ZAL or ZARB. The therapeutic effect of the extracts was supported by photomicrographs of the liver, kidney, and spleen of rats which revealed recovery from PHZ-mediated pyknosis, glomerular degeneration and multiple splenic necrosis respectively.ConclusionsOverall, data from this study suggest that ZA may be useful in multiple organ injuries associated with PHZ-like xenobiotic toxicity.
Objectives Whole plants of Boerhavia diffusa L. are widely used medicine in Ghana and other tropical countries, for the treatment of wounds and other ailments. The aim of the study was to determine the ability of sequential extracts of B. diffusa to influence oxidation and wound closure in myoblast cells in vitro.Methods Sequential extracts were prepared from the whole plant using four solvents of increasing polarity (hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and water). Cytotoxicity was determined using the sulforhodamine B staining assay, phase-contrast microscopy, plasDIC microscopy and live-dead staining. Extracts were tested for their ability to reduce 2,2 0 -azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-induced oxidation and mediate cell migration after artificial wound generation in C2C12 myoblast cells using the scratch wound assay. Key findings All extracts indicated negligible cytotoxicity (IC 50 > 100 lg/ml), and microscopic evaluation showed no difference from negative controls. AAPH induced a 2.87-fold increase in reactive oxygen species compared to the negative control. Pretreatment with 100 lg/ml of the extracts reduced AAPH-induced oxidation to 1.70-fold of the untreated controls (P < 0.001). Wound closures in the methanol and water extract treatments were 18.08% and 20.76% higher than the negative control, respectively (P < 0.01). Conclusions These findings indicate that the hexane, methanol and water extracts of B. diffusa whole plant promote artificial wound healing and protection against oxidation in vitro and therefore warrant further research into its mechanisms of wound healing.
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