https://jcp.bmj.com/content/jclinpath/30/7/686.1.full.pdf

Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry

https://cris.brighton.ac.uk/ws/files/488227/Manuscript%20Plants%20Gabon.pdf

An overview of anti-diabetic plants used in Gabon: Pharmacology and toxicology.

In vivo antiinflammatory activity of Alchornea cordifolia (Schumach et Thonn.) Mull. Arg

Drug resistant Salmonella species and shortcomings related to current drugs stress the urgent need to search for new antimicrobial agents to control salmonellosis. This study investigated the antisalmonellal and antioxidant potentials of methanolic and hydro-ethanolic extracts of Garcinia kola and Alchornea cordifolia as potential sources of drugs to control Salmonella species and to reduce related oxidative stress. The antisalmonellal activity was assessed using the broth microdilution, membrane destabilization and time-kill kinetic assays. While, the DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays were used for the determination of the antioxidant activities. The minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 125 to 1000 μg/mL, with the methanolic root extract of G. kola being the most active. The time kill kinetic assay revealed a concentration-dependent bacteriostatic activity for promising extracts. Potent extracts from G. kola showed the ability to destabilize S. typhi outer membrane, with the methanolic root extract presenting the highest activity; two-fold higher than those of polymyxin B tested as reference. In addition, this methanolic root extract of G. kola also provoked nucleotide leakage in a concentration-dependent manner. From the antioxidant assays, the hydro-ethanolic extract from the stem bark of A. cordifolia presented significant activities comparable to that of Vitamin C. The methanolic root extract of G. kola also presented appreciable antioxidant activities, though less than that of A. cordifolia. Overall, the phytochemical screening of active extracts revealed the presence of anthocyanins, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, tannins, triterpenoids and steroids. These results provide evidence of the antibacterial potential of G. kola and offer great perspectives in a possible standardisation of an antisalmonellal phytomedicine.

/pdf/garcinia-kola-heckel-and-alchornea-cordifolia-schumach-thonn-236da4zild.pdf

Garcinia kola (Heckel) and Alchornea cordifolia (Schumach. & Thonn.) Müll. Arg. from Cameroon possess potential antisalmonellal and antioxidant properties.

Background: Plant as a source of medicine has gained international popularity in recent times because of its natural origin, availability in local communities, cheaper to purchase, ease of administration, and its usefulness as an alternative treatment in case of numerous side effects and drug resistance. However, the use of herbal formulations can also result in short-term and long-term organ damage or dysfunction to the host. In this study, chloroform fractions of the leaves of two medicinal plants, Alchornea cordifolia (ACL) and Carapa procera (CPL), were investigated for their toxicological and anti-malarial effects in murine models. Method: Acute (14-day) and sub-acute (28-day) studies were conducted based on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines in Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) mice and Sprague Dawley (SD) rats respectively. A dosage of 2000 mg/kg body weight was administered orally to each ICR mouse during the acute study and 100, 300, and 1000 mg/kg body weight to each SD rat during the sub-acute study. A 5-day curative anti-plasmodial activity was assessed in ICR mouse model. Results: The assessment of toxicity revealed that all three fractions did not influence mortality, clinical appearance, body weight gain, or necropsy at the various doses. Hematological and serum biochemical analysis indicated no significant elevations in liver and renal function parameters. Histopathological examinations of the liver indicated reversible liver degeneration with the chloroform fraction of the 100% ethanol extract of Carapa procera leaves (CPL100%) at 1000 mg/kg. Anti-plasmodial assessments showed CPL100% exhibiting dose-dependent anti-plasmodial activity from 16% to 26.67%. On the other hand, chloroform fraction of the 100% ethanol extract of Alchornea cordifolia leaves (ACL100%) showed declining anti-plasmodial activity from 21.1% to 15.1%. Conclusion: These preliminary findings demonstrate that chloroform fractions of the leaves of Carapa procera and Alchornea cordifolia may be safe agents for treating malaria hence further development for drug discovery must be pursued.

Assessment of toxicity and anti-plasmodial activities of chloroform fractions of Carapa procera and Alchornea cordifolia in murine models

The ethanolic leaf extract of Alchornea cordifolia (Schum. and Thonn.) Mull. Arg (Euphorbiaceae), a widely used traditional medicinal plant was assessed for possible sub-acute toxicity in Swiss albino rats. The rats were randomly distributed into five groups of four animals each. The groups were respectively administered 125, 250, 500 and 750 mg/kg body weight ethanolic leaf extract of Alchornea cordifolia intra peritoneally daily for (two weeks) 14 days. Normal saline was administered to the control group according to their body weights. The experimental animals were observed for another 14 days before the termination of the experiment. The weight of the animals was recorded daily throughout the duration of the study. The number of deaths in any group was recorded. All the surviving animals were sacrificed after 28 days. Blood samples were collected for biochemical and haematological analysis. Selected organs of the animals i.e., liver and kidney of both the dead and sacrificed animals were removed and stored in 10% formal saline ready for histopathological analysis. Administration of Alchornea cordifolia (0.125- 0.75 g/kg, po daily) for two weeks (14 days) did not affect significantly the relative organ weights, blood chemistry and renal function. Histology of liver and kidney at dose levels up to 0.5 g/kg was normal and similarto vehicletreated controls. However, liver sections of mice treated with 0.75 g/kg Alchornea cordifolia ethanolic leaf extract showed cloudy swelling of hepatocytes with vascular degeneration. These results suggest that Alchornea cordifolia is relatively non-toxic but has the propensity to induce hepatic injury at high doses.

Igwe Cu

Papers

Sub-Acute Toxicity Studies of Alchornea cordifolia Leaf Extract in SwissAlbino Rats