In an ethnopharmacological survey, extracts of the six East African medicinal plants Entada abyssinica (stem bark), Terminalia spinosa (young branches), Harrisonia abyssinica (roots), Ximenia caffra (roots), Azadirachta indica (stem bark and leaves), and Spilanthes mauritiana (roots and flowers) were tested against 105 strains of bacteria from seven genera (Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Salmonella, Mycobacterium). The minimum inhibitory concentration reached by 50% (MIC 50% ) and 90% (MIC 90% ) of the strains for the extracts of E. abyssinica, T. spinosa, X. caffra, and A. indica (stem bark) ranged from 0.13-8 mg/ml and from 0.5 to >8 mg/ml, respectively. Their minimum bactericidal concentration by 50% (MBC 50% ) and MBC 90% were all between 0.5 and >8 mg/ml. H. abyssinica, A. indica (leaves), and S. mauritiana (roots and flowers) had MIC and MBC values ≥8 mg/ml. Mycobacteria were not inhibited at extract concentrations of 0.5-2 mg/ml. lt is concluded that plant extracts with low MIC and MBC values may serve as sources for compounds with therapeutic potency.

Extracts of the traditionally used medicinal plants Entada abyssinica (stem bark), Terminalia spinosa (young branches), Harrisonia abyssinica (roots), Ximenia caffra (roots), Azadirachta indica (stem bark), Zanha africana (stem bark) and Spilanthes mauritiana (roots and flowers) were investigated for fungistatic and fungicidal activity against Candida spp. and Aspergillus spp. by a microtitre serial dilution technique. Entada abyssinica, T. spinosa, X. caffra, A. indica, and Z. africana showed activity against various Candida species. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranged from 0.006 to > 8 mg ml-1 and the minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) from 0.06 to > 8 mg ml-1. Extracts from S. mauritiana (both roots and flowers) exhibited no activity against Candida spp., but against Aspergillus spp., the MIC and MFC values ranged from 0.13 to 0.25 mg ml-1 and from 0.13 to 1 mg ml-1 respectively. It is concluded that the extracts contain compounds with high antifungal potency.

Tuberculosis (TB) is now a global public health problem that has been exacerbated by the emergence of multiand extensively-drug resistant (MDR and XDR, respectively) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. There have been claims in the region by Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs) about being able to treat the symptoms of TB, but their work lacked proper documentation. A structured questionnaire was used to test the ability of (TMPs) to diagnose and treat symptoms of TB; the medicinal plants used treat TB symptoms, as well as the influence of socio-economic and cultural factors on the indigenous communities' choice of treatment. A total of 99 TMPs and 22 TB patients were interviewed. Over 30 medicinal plants were mentioned as being used to treat symptoms of TB, an indication of wide knowledge on management of TB in the region. Treatment costs were found to influence the patients' choice of TB treatment and a large proportion of the TMPs were found to be of advanced age (60-80 years of age). The conclusion was that TMPs have reasonable knowledge about TB and its management. There is urgent need to tap the indigenous knowledge from the custodians and scientifically validate it for future drug development.

No abstract

No abstract