The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different fractions of the aqueous crude extract of Detarium senegalense stem bark on castor oil-induced diarrhea. Castor oilinduced diarrhea, gastrointestinal motility and castor oil-induced enteropooling methods were used to evaluate the antidiarrheal effects of the fractions. Castor oil was used to induce diarrhea and the effect of all the fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, methanol and residual aqueous) were evaluated at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight. The results show that all fractions significantly (p<0.05) decreased the frequency of defecation in rats following the induction of diarrhea with castor oil. Ethyl acetate which produced the highest antidiarrheal activity was further subjected to gastrointestinal motility and castor oil-induced enteropooling tests. In the gastrointestinal motility, two test doses of the extract (200 and 400 mg/kg) were administered orally to two groups of rats (n=5), while the third group of rats (control), were treated with normal saline, and the fourth group were treated with diphenoxylate, a conventional anti-diarrheal drug. In the castor oil-induced enteropooling experiment, normal saline was used for the control animals, while 200 and 400 mg/kg of the extract was administered to groups two and three, respectively and atropine, a standard drug, was administered to rats in group four. The ethyl acetate fraction significantly (p<0.05) decreased the gastro-intestinal motility, as shown by the extent of movement of the charcoal meal in the treated rats. It also significantly inhibited the fluid accumulation within the intestine. These findings suggest that the ethyl acetate fraction possess antidiarrheal effect, which may be due to the presence of some phytochemical constituents (alkaloids, flavonoids and tannins) in the plant, which may either be working alone or in combination with each other. This study has demonstrated that D. senegalense fractions, especially the ethyl acetate fraction, possess antidiarrheal activity thus supporting the use of the plant in the treatment of diarrheal diseases.
The antimicrobial activity of methanolic and aqueous extracts of Chrysophyllum albidum fruits was investigated against clinical isolates(Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia and Candida albicans). Qualitative phytochemistry of the plant indicated that the plant contained Flavonoids, Steroids, Alkaloids, Tannin, Anthraquinone and Cardiac glycosides while Saponins were reported absent. The maximum activity of the aqueous extracts in the test isolates was observed on Staphylococcus aureus, which showed clear zones with diameters of 24.0mm, 20.0mm and 16.5mm at concentrations of 100mg/ml, 50mg/ml and 25mg/ml respectively while it had low activity on Klebsiella pneumonia, with clear zones of inhibition of 15.0mm, 12.0mm and 10.5mm at same concentrations. On the other hand, Methanolic extracts activity on Staphylococcus aureus produced clear zones of 21.0mm, 17.5mm and 12.0mm at concentrations of 200mg/ml, 100mg/ml and 50mg/ml respectively as its best activity while the it had least observed activity on Klebsiella pneumonia with clear zones of 14.0mm, 11.5mm and 10.5mm at same concentrations. The aqueous extracts had greater activity than the methanolic extracts at same concentrations. Therefore, the fruit of the plant can be a good source of remedy in phytomedicine.
The total concentration of zinc, iron, nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as their water and acetic acid extractable forms - nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen and phosphate phosphorus - were determined in st. John's wort herb (Hypericumperforatum L.) yarrow herb (Achillea millefolium L.), nettle leaves (Urtica dioica L .) and birch leaves (Betula pendula Roth.), collected from four natural locations in northern Poland. The content of total Zn and Fe was determined by FAAS, whereas of total N, total P and their extractable forms by UV/Vis spectrophotometry. The obtained results showed that particular plant species differed significantly in the contents of Zn, Fe, P and P-P04. The area of harvest didn't have major effects on the concentration of analyzed elements in the studied plant species. Significantly, 13 inter-element correlations were obtained for the studied elements, mainly between iron and nitrogen, iron and phosphorus, phosphorus and nitrogen and among their water-extractable forms, indicating their involvment in metabolism of medicinal plants. Nutritional and toxicological aspects of the analyzed plants used commonly as folk medicines in Poland were evaluated by comparison of the obtained results with the WHO/FAO norms.
Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, reducing sugar, total glycoside and saponin glycosides in high concentration. Proximate analysis revealed the presence of moisture (6.18%), dry matter (93.90%), crude protein (12.06%), crude fibre (15.33%), nitrogen free extract (34.12%), ash (12.28%) and oil (19.21%). Comparative toxicological assessment of orally and intraperitoneally administered aqueous extracts of Abrus precatorius leaf was carried out in Swiss albino mice. Median lethal doses (LD50) of orally and intraperitoneally administered aqueous extracts of Abrus precatorius leaf were estimated at dose levels of 2558.9 mg/kg and 638 mg/kg body weight, respectively. Intraperitoneal 10 mg/kg body weight of the extract caused increased packed cell volume, neutropenia and decreased aspartate aminotransferase. However, 50 mg/kg oral dose caused increased packed cell volume, neutropenia, decreased alkaline phosphatase and hypochloraemia, whereas oral aqueous dose of 250 mg/kg of body weight caused body weight gain, neutropenia, decreased asparatate aminotransferase and alanineaminotransferase. All the test doses caused lymphocytosis and hypercreatinaemia, hence aqueous extract of Abrus precatorius leaf is toxic at dose levels of 10, 50 and 250 mg/kg body weight.
Water extractsfrom selected Geraniaceae plants, to which paraffin oil was added as adjuvant, were tested. It was observed that the plant extracts researched limited Colorado potato beetle feeding and development and adding adjuvant increased the effects. The highest antifeedant activity towards Colorado potato beetlesand their larvae wasobserved in extractsobtained from Pelargonium × hortorum Bailey and Geranium pusillum L. The extract from Pelargonium × hortorum Bailey added to food showed a negative effect on the development of female reproductive organs and embryo development and showed the highest effectiveness in field conditions.
Biocontrol of plant diseases has emerged as an eco-friendly measure of plant protection and has experienced a lot of devotion in the last two decades. Biocontrol agents include application of microbial agents, their secretion products and natural extracts from different parts of several plants. The present study, therefore, aimed at evaluating the potency of aqueous extracts of Tagetes erecta L. (marigold) in controlling bacterial speck disease in tomato plants. The experimental design consisted of two groups of 50 plants each: group 1 – sprayed with sterile water (control); and group 2 – sprayed with marigold extract. Spraying was performed under aseptic conditions at the third node from the base of each plant. Challenge inoculation with the bacterial speck pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato was performed to analyze the disease severity on the test plants. The parameters of study were analysis of alteration in the activity and gene expression of peroxidase (POX), phenyl ammonia lyase (PAL), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), as well as isoform expression of POX and PPO. The results demonstrated strong inductive effects of the extract on the activity and genes of POX, PAL and PPO. De novo expression of POX and PPO isoforms following marigold extract treatment was also observed. The observations indicate that marigold extract could be a promising biopesticide.
There were tested water extracts from selected Geraniaceae plants. It was observed that the plant extracts investigated inhibit feeding and development of Colorado potato beetle. The greatest antifeedant activity towards Colorado potato beetles and their larvae was noted for Pelargonium x hortorum Bailey and Geranium sanquineum L. extracts. The Pelargonium x hortorum Bailey extract added to food showed unfavourable effect on the development of female reproductive organs and significantly inhibited the number of eggs laid, however it showed effective neither towards the period of winter diapause nor towards spring emergence of beetles. The highest effectiveness under field conditions was recorded for extract from Erodium cicutarium L.
This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activities of sumac (Rhus coriaria L.) water extract (8.0 %, wt/vol), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) water (commercial hydrosol) and ½ thyme water (1:1, commercial hydrosol / distilled water, vol/vol) in vitro in comparison with lactic acid (1.0 %, vol/vol), against the foodborne pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes 4b, Staphylococcus aureus and Yersinia enterocolitica O3. The test microorganisms were inoculated to the treatment solution tubes. All the inoculated tubes were kept at 20 ± 2°C for 60 minutes. The numbers of the four test bacteria decreased to an uncountable level (<1 cfu/ml) in 1 min in the thyme water. The counts of all the pathogens, with the exception of L. monocytogenes 4b, were lower than the countable level after 1 min in the lactic acid. Both lactic acid and ½ thyme water reduced the test bacteria counts to the uncountable level in 10 min. In the sumac extract, the reduction time periods were 10 min for E. coli O157:H7, 30 min for Staph. aureus and 60 min for L. monocytogenes 4b and Y. enterocolitica O3. However, when enriched after treatment, E. coli O157:H7 and Staph. aureus were grown in lactic acid, S. aureus was grown in ½ thyme water and E. coli O157:H7, Staph. aureus, and L. monocytogenes 4b were grown in sumac extract. Thyme water had the strongest antibacterial activity against both the Gram negative and the Gram positive bacteria tested, followed by lactic acid, ½ thyme water and sumac extract.
In recent years there have been remarkable developments in the prevention of diseases, especially with regards to the role of free radicals and antioxidants. Ethanol-induced oxidative stress appears to be one mechanism by which ethanol causes liver injury. The protective effect of aqueous plant extract of Aframomum melegueta on ethanol-induced toxicity was investigated in male Wistar rats. The rats were treated with 45 % ethanol (4.8 g/kg b.w.t.) for 16 days to induce alcoholic diseases in the liver. The activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and triglyceride were monitored and the histological changes in liver examined in order to evaluate the protective effects of the plant extract. Hepatic malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione, as well as superoxide dismutase and glutathione-S-transferase activities were determined for the antioxidant status. Chronic ethanol administration resulted in a statistically significant elevation of serum alanine aminotransferases and triglyceride levels, as well as a decrease in reduced glutathione and superoxide dismutase which was dramatically attenuated by the co-administration of the plant extract. Histological changes were related to these indices. Co-administration of the plant extract suppressed the elevation of lipid peroxidation, restored the reduced glutathion, and enhanced the superoxide dismutase activity. These results highlight the ability of Aframomum melegueta to ameliorate oxidative damage in the liver and the observed effects are associated with its antioxidant activities.