Risk assessment of the consumption of a pyrrolizidine alkaloid containing indigenous vegetable<i>crotalaria brevidens (mitoo)</i>

Uiso, F.C.; Johns, Timothy

doi:10.1080/03670244.1996.9991481

Cited by 14 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 15 publications

(22 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Equally important is the report that a 16-year-old Zambian girl died after using an aqueous extract of unspecified part of Securinega virosa (Lowenthal et al, 1978). Securinega virosa roots contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids (Chen & Hou, 1985;Iketubosin & Mathieson, 1963) which are known toxic compounds (Uiso & Johns, 1995). Preliminary chemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids in the aqueous extract of the roots.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Some Pharmacological Properties of An Aqueous Extract of Securinega Virosa Roots

Moshi

Kapingu

Uiso

et al. 2000

Pharmaceutical Biology (Formerly International Journal of Pharm

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

An aqueous extract of Securinega virosa is used by traditional healers in Tanga (northeastern Tanzania) as an aphrodisiac and in the treatment of impotence, which is one of the manifestations of diabetes mellitus. An aqueous extract of the roots at doses of 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 1.0 g/kg body weight lowered the area under the oral glucose tolerance curve (OGTT) in normal albino rabbits by 0.3 (P Ͼ 0.05), 7.85, 11.0 and 9.6% (P р 0.05), respectively. Chlorpropamide (0.1 g/kg body weight) had a greater effect on blood glucose and lowered area under the OGTT curve by 16.3%. The extract, at a dose of 0.4 g/kg body weight, had no effect on fasting blood glucose (FBG) when compared to controls given distilled water (P Ͼ 0.05), except at 4 h, when the FBG for treated animals was higher. The LD 50 (95% confidence interval) determined by intraperitoneal administration of the extract to white albino mice was 0.30 (0.20-0.50) g/kg body weight. We conclude that the aqueous extract of Securinega virosa roots lowered the area under the OGTT curve dose-dependently at doses between 0.1 and 1.0 g/kg body weight. It did not lower blood glucose below fasting levels both in the fed and fasted state. More work is required to determine the toxic characteristics of the extract and the utility of the observed activity in the management of diabetes mellitus in humans.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Some Pharmacological Properties of An Aqueous Extract of Securinega Virosa Roots

Moshi

Kapingu

Uiso

et al. 2000

Pharmaceutical Biology (Formerly International Journal of Pharm

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For example the East African diets that formed the basis of the classic studies by Burkitt (1971) are high in leafy vegetables that in addition to containing fiber are rich in β-carotene and other antioxidant compounds (Uiso and Johns, 1996). Moreover, it is a not unreasonable that the unprocessed diets of human ancestors contained high levels of phytochemicals that protected them against cancer.…”

Section: Protectors Against Cancermentioning

confidence: 98%

Phytochemicals as Evolutionary Mediators of Human Nutritional Physiology

Johns

1996

International Journal of Pharmacognosy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The roles of phytochemicals as mediators of chronic degenerative diseases such as cancer, diabetes and coronary heart disease have an evolutionary basis. The omnivorous ancestors of modern humans ingested non-nutrients as well as nutrients from plants, and phytochemicals are a normal component of human dietary physiology. However, humans have a preference for animal fat and protein. Contemporary populations living a traditional subsistence life-style ingest phytochemicals as part of the diet but also from herbal medicines, beverages, food additives, tooth brushes and masticants. Maasai pastoralists who occupy African savannahs with similar ecological conditions experienced by hominids in the Pleistocene derive the majority of their calories from animal products. Their patterns of plant consumption offer insight into how human ancestors in such environments could have thrived as hunters and scavengers without suffering the ill-effects often associated with a high fat diet. Acacia goetzii Harms, Albizia anthelmintica Brongn., Aloe volkensii Engl., Castanospermum australe Cunn., Commiphora africana (A. Rich) Engl., Commiphora mukul Hook. ex Stock, Homo sapiens, Myrsine africana L., Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray, Prosopis spp. tial nutrients reflects the dietary patterns of our anPharmaceutical Biology Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by Kungliga Tekniska Hogskolan on 08/24/15 For personal use only. Pharmaceutical Biology Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by Kungliga Tekniska Hogskolan on 08/24/15 For personal use only.

show abstract

“…versicolor, toxicity may not be unique. Securinega virosa is known to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids (Iketubosin & Mathieson, 1963), which are known toxic compounds (Uiso & Johns, 1995). These are few reports but they are eye openers to the fact that some of these plants may be toxic, so scrutiny of reports from the healers is very much desired.…”

Section: Zanthoxylum Chalybeummentioning

confidence: 99%

Experience of Tanzanian Traditional Healers in the Management of Non-insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Moshi

Mbwambo

2002

Pharmaceutical Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Traditional healers from four wards of the Kilosa district, Morogoro region (Tanzania) were interviewed to assess their knowledge and competence in the management of noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Among 65 reputed healers who were interviewed, 21 (32.3%) recognised and were treating one or more symptoms related to NIDDM, but none could unambiguously relate the symptoms they were treating with NIDDM. Based on what the traditional healers revealed, 54 plants representing 54 species, 48 genera and 33 families were collected. Two of the Kilosa plants, Cassia auriculata and Ricinus communis are reported to have a hypoglycaemic activity, while Securinega virosa has been shown to improve oral glucose tolerance in rabbits. Albizzia anthelmintica has hypocholesterolemic activity and some of the plants also have antibacterial and antifungal activity which may benefit NIDDM patients. Some of the ethnomedical reports of the Kilosa healers, related to management of diabetes, have been reported from other areas. However, one of the reported plants, Albizzia versicolor, is toxic. We conclude that the traditional healers of Kilosa district can not unambiguously diagnose diabetes mellitus as a disease entity, but some of them recognise symptoms characteristic of the disease and they are well-known with plants that may be useful in alleviating its symptoms. Two of the plants they mentioned, Cassia auriculata and Ricinus communis, have a proven hypoglycaemic effect. Careful sieving of the knowledge in the custody of the Kilosa district healers is needed to sort out possibly toxic plants and to determine the other properties of these plants that may be useful in the management of diabetes mellitus.

show abstract

Risk assessment of the consumption of a pyrrolizidine alkaloid containing indigenous vegetablecrotalaria brevidens (mitoo)

Cited by 14 publications

References 15 publications

Some Pharmacological Properties of An Aqueous Extract of Securinega Virosa Roots

Some Pharmacological Properties of An Aqueous Extract of Securinega Virosa Roots

Phytochemicals as Evolutionary Mediators of Human Nutritional Physiology

Experience of Tanzanian Traditional Healers in the Management of Non-insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About