Our results indicate that Pterocarpus erinaceus extract produced significant antidiarrheal activity and the action may attribute to inhibition of gastrointestinal movement and fluid secretion.

Background: Eremomastax speciosa (Hochst.) Cufod is a perennial herb found in Africa along the rainforest zone and occurs as weed. It is cultivated in Cameroon and Akwa-Ibom in Nigeria due to its medicinal values. This study investigated the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of hydromethanol extract of Eremomastax speciosa (Hochst.) Cufod leaf in rat model. Materials and Methods: The plant material was extracted using cold maceration method in 80% hydromethanol. The acute oral toxicity test was performed using Up and Down method with limit dose of 2000 mg/kg. The in vitro antioxidant property was evaluated with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ferric reducing antioxidant power photometric assays. The anti-inflammatory potential was investigated in egg-albumin and carrageenan induced paw edema models while the antinociceptive activity was determined using acetic acid induced writhing reflex and tail immersion tests at the doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg. The negative control group (group A) received distilled water (vehicle) at 5 ml/kg while acetyl salicylic acid (200 mg/kg) was used as the reference drug for the anti-inflammatory models and acetic acid induced writhing reflex model while pentazocine (5 mg/kg) was used as the reference drug for tail immersion test. Results: The LD 50 of the extract was greater than 2000 mg/kg. The extract (25 to 400 µg/ml) demonstrated potent antioxidant activities in both the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays. The E. speciosa extract caused significant (P < 0.05) anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities in the extract treated groups when compared to rats that received distilled water. The optimal activities of the extract were produced at the dose of 100 mg/kg. Conclusion: The study supports the folkloric use of Eremomastax speciosa leaf in the management of pain and inflammatory conditions in traditional medicine.

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Aim:The effect of Ethanol Leaf Extract of Moringa oleifera (ELMO) on uterine smooth muscles of non-pregnant female rats was studied in vitro with a view to finding out the mechanism(s) for observed effects.

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Materials and Methods Collection and identification of plant material Fresh leaves of P. santalinoides were collected from Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria, in October, 2014. Identification and authentication of the plant material was done by Mr. A. O. Ozioko, a taxonomist with the Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme (BDCP), Nsukka. A voucher specimen (with identification number MOUAU/VPP/2014/017) has been deposited in the herbarium of the

Gastric ulcer is one of the common cause of hospital consultation with an increasing prevalence worldwide and it is traditionally managed with herbal medicine in the developing countries. This study investigated the gastroprotective effects of methanol extract of Eremomastax speciosa leaf in rats. Cold maceration in 80% methanol was adopted during extract preparation while gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) was employed in the phytochemical analysis. The doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg E. speciosa were used on ethanol-and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer models in rats. The shay rat method was used to determine the effects of ESE on gastric acidity while the anticholinergic and antihistaminic activities were investigated on isolated rabbit jejunum ex vivo. The GC-MS analysis identified six bioactive compounds. Both ESE and cimetidine significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the severity of indomethacin- and ethanol-induced gastric injuries and gastric acid contents in Shay rats. The extract elicited concentration-dependent relaxation of isolated rabbit jejunum and reduced the contraction induced by both acetylcholine and histamine in the same tissue. The findings showed that ESE protected the rats against chemical-induced gastric ulcer through anticholinergic and antihistaminic mechanisms.