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Background: The barks of the medicinal plant, Terminalia brownii, are widely used in African folk medicine for the management of pain. However, this ethno-medicinal allegation has not been scientifically validated. This study was therefore designed to verify the antinociceptive potential of the methanolic bark extract of T. brownii in Wistar rats (Rattus novegicus).

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Terminalia brownii is widely used in folklore medicine and has diverse biological activities. However, its effect on the immune system is yet to be studied. Therefore, our study evaluated the immunomodulatory effect of T. brownii on nonspecific immunity. Innate immunity is the initial defence phase against pathogens or injuries. Dichloromethane plant extracts were tested on female Swiss albino mice and Wister rats. The effect of the extract on innate immunity was assessed via total and differential leukocyte counts, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and nitric oxide production by mouse macrophages. The 3-(4, 5-dimethyl thiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was employed for viability testing. Phytochemical profiling was carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, while toxicity studies were carried out following the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development guidelines. Our results demonstrated that administration of T. brownii stem bark dichloromethane extract to pyrogallol-immuno compromised mice significantly ( p < 0.05 ) increased total and differential leukocyte counts compared with the control. The extract showed no adverse effect on the viability of Vero cells and macrophages and significantly ( p < 0.05 ) augmented tumor necrosis factor-alpha and nitric oxide production. Hexadecanoic acid, linoleic acid, octadecanoic acid, squalene, campesterol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol, all of which stimulate, were identified in the extract. The extract did not cause any death or toxic signs in rats. In conclusion, T. brownii dichloromethane extract has an immunoenhancing effect on innate immune responses and is not toxic. The observed immunoenhancing impact of the extract was attributed to the presence of the identified compounds. The results of this study provide crucial ethnopharmacological leads towards the development of novel immunomodulators for managing immune-related disorders.

Carissa edulis belongs to the Apocynaceae family. 6 It extensively occurs in Africa. 7 In addition, C. edulis is cultivated in Indian Ocean Islands, India, and Thailand. 7 Carissa edulis is used as a traditional remedy for diabetes, ulcers, headaches, rheumatism, breast cancer, rabies, HIV and AIDs, syphilis, gonorrhea, epilepsy, inflammation, pain, worm infestation, sickle cell anemia, hernia, fever, among other conditions. 8,9 Various biological activities of C. edulis including, antiplasmodial, anti-inflammatory, 11 analgesic, 12 antipyretic, antiviral, 13 anticonvulsant, 14 hypoglycemic, diuretic, 16 antimicrobial, 17 among others, have been reported.Despite the wide usage of C. edulis in traditional medicine, only minimal scientific toxicity data is available. Therefore, this study's objective was to investigate acute and sub-acute toxicity levels of C. edulis root bark methanol extract in albino Wistar rats. This study provides crucial information on the safety profile of C. edulis that can be leveraged in determining dosages for pre-clinical trials. MATERIAL AND METHODS Plant sampleA root bark sample of C. edulis was acquired from Kitui County, Kenya (longitude 37.7558° E, latitude 1.3099° S; about 153 km from Nairobi city) in March 2021. A local herbalist helped in the discernment of the plant. The sample was verified at the East African Herbarium, and a sample specimen was deposited there (accession number: JWM001). Sample preparation, extraction, and bioassays were conducted at Kenyatta University.The sample was chopped up into smaller bits and shade-dried till perfectly dry. Utilizing an electric mill, the sample was reduced into fine powder. The powder was packaged in a khaki bag and labeled accordingly. 18