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Background In 2003, a study in Mali showed that 87% of episodes of uncomplicated malaria were first treated at home. We investigated whether treatment-seeking patterns in Mali had changed 10 years later. Methods In 2013, we repeated the retrospective treatment-outcome study on 400 children with presumed malaria in the same area. Results Most children with reported uncomplicated malaria were still first treated at home (76% [196/258] in 2013 vs 85% in 2003; p=0.006), rather than in modern health centres (20% [52/258] in 2013 vs 12% in 2003; p=0.01). Overall, 58% of children with uncomplicated malaria were treated with herbal medicine alone, a significant increase from 24% 10 years earlier (p<0.001). This was associated with an increase in use of Argemone mexicana decoction from 8% to 26% (p<0.001), with a reported cure or improvement in 100% of cases among those aged >5 years. For severe malaria, first treatment was sought less often from a traditional healer compared with 10 years earlier (4% vs 32%; p<0.001) and more often from a modern health centre (29% vs 17%; p=0.04). Conclusions Two trends that emerged are that there is a greater use of modern health facilities for treatment of severe malaria, and a greater use of traditional medicine alone for treatment of uncomplicated malaria. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Context: Terminalia macroptera Guill. & Perr. (Combretaceae), a tree that grows in West Africa, has been used in traditional medicine against a variety of diseases such as hepatitis, gonorrhea, skin diseases, and diabetes. Objective: To investigate enzyme inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO) and toxicity against brine shrimp of extracts and compounds from T. macroptera leaves. Materials and methods: Methanol extract, ethyl acetate, and butanol extracts obtained from the methanol extract, six isolated polyphenols (chebulagic acid, chebulic acid trimethyl ester, corilagin, methyl gallate, narcissin, and rutin), and shikimic acid were evaluated for enzyme inhibition and toxicity. Results: In enzyme inhibition assays, all extracts showed high or very high activity. Chebulagic acid showed an IC50 value of 0.05 µM towards α-glucosidase and 24.9 ± 0.4 µM towards 15-LO, in contrast to positive controls (acarbose: IC50 201 ± 28 µM towards α-glucosidase, quercetin: 93 ± 3 µM towards 15-LO). Corilagin and narcissin were good 15-LO and α-glucosidase inhibitors, as well, while shikimic acid, methyl gallate, and chebulic acid trimethyl ester were less active or inactive. Rutin was a good α-glucosidase inhibitor (IC50 ca. 3 µM), but less active towards 15-LO. None of the extracts or the isolated compounds seemed to be very toxic in the brine shrimp assay compared with the positive control podophyllotoxin. Conclusion: Inhibition of α-glucosidase in the gastrointestinal tract may be a rationale for the medicinal use of T. macroptera leaves against diabetes in traditional medicine in Mali. The plant extracts and its constituents show strong inhibition of the peroxidative enzyme 15-LO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The root bark, stem bark and leaves of Terminalia macroptera were sequentially extracted with ethanol, 50% ethanol-water, and 50 °C and 100 °C water using an accelerated solvent extractor. Ten bioactive purified polysaccharide fractions were obtained from those crude extracts after anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The polysaccharides and their native extracts were characterized with respect to molecular weight, chemical compositions and effects in the complement assay. The chemical compositions showed that the polysaccharides are of pectic nature. The results indicated that there was no great difference of the complement fixation activities in the crude extracts from the different plant parts when extracting with the accelerated solvent extraction system. The purified polysaccharide fractions 100WTSBH-I-I and 100WTRBH-I-I isolated from the 100 °C water extracts of stem and root bark respectively, showed the highest complement fixation activities. These two fractions have rhamnogalacturonan type I backbone, but only 100WTSBH-I-I contains side chains of both arabinogalactan type I and II. Based on the yield and activities of the fractions studied those from the root bark gave highest results, followed by those from leaves and stem bark. But in total, all plant materials are good sources for fractions containing bioactive polysaccharides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three flavone-C-glycosides-cassiaoccidentalin A (1), isovitexin (2) and isoorientin (3)-were isolated from the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) soluble fraction of the methanol crude extract of the African medicinal plant Biophytum umbraculum, This is the first report of these compounds in this plant. All compounds were identified by spectroscopic analysis and comparison with published data. Isoorientin (3) and the EtOAc extract showed the greatest antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay as well as the strongest inhibition of xanthine oxidase (XO) and 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO). From these results, the extract of B. umbraculum might be a valuable source of flavone C-glycosides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The roots from Vernonia kotschyana Sch. Bip. ex Walp. (Baccharoides adoensis var. kotschyana (Sch. Bip. ex Walp.) M.A. Isawumi, G.El-Ghazaly & B. Nordenstam) (Asteraceae) are used in Malian folk medicine for the treatment of gastritis, gastro duodenal ulcers, as an aid to ameliorate digestion and as a wound healing remedy. Since a common feature among these conditions is related to immune responses, immunomodulating activities of fractions isolated from both the 50 °C and the 100 °C water extracts from Vernonia kotschyana were investigated in this study. The active principles were identified as acidic polysaccharide fractions, containing pectic arabinogalactan type II structures, which showed both complement fixing ability and T-cell independent induction of B-cell proliferation in vitro. Some activity was also observed on macrophages. The present study may provide additional support for the popular use of this plant to improve intestinal health. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A novel type polysaccharide was isolated from the bark of Cola cordifolia (Cav.) R. Br. (Sterculiaceae), a plant used in traditional medicine in Mali (West Africa). The polysaccharide was isolated from the water extract by ion exchange chromatography. Structural studies showed that this was a highly complex new type polysaccharide containing 20% of 2,3- and 2,4-linked rhamnose, 24% of galacturonic acid mostly 4-linked, 15% of terminal, 3- and 4-linked galactose, 20% of terminal and 3-linked 2-O-methyl galactose, 18% of 4-O-methyl glucuronic acid which was also terminally linked, and 2% of terminal 2-O-methyl fucose. This paper reports in addition to structural features, physical property and complement fixating activity using human serum as target of this novel polysaccharide. This is a first report of a plant polysaccharide containing such a diverse composition and quantity of natively methylated monosaccharides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aim of the study: The present study is aimed to determine the bioactivity and structure of polysaccharides present in the leaves from the Malian medicinal plant Opilia celtidifolia [Guill. & Perr. Endl. ex Walp (Opiliaceae)]. Materials and methods: The polysaccharides from the leaves of Opilia celtidifolia were isolated from water extracts of the leaves using gelfiltration and anion exchange chromatography giving the fractions Oc50A1 and Oc50A2. Monosaccharide composition was determined by gas chromatography of the derived TMS-derivatives of the methyl-glycosides. Linkages were determined of the partly methylated, partly acetylated alditol acetates obtained after a process including reduction, methylation, hydrolysis, reduction and acetylation followed by GC-MS. Effects on the complement system and the macrophages were determined using specific methods aimed for studying those activities. Results: The polysaccharide fractions isolated from the leaves of Opilia celtidifolia has high complement fixing activity and induce nitrite oxide release from macrophages in a dose dependent manner. The fractions had an ICH50 of 0.5 and 0.9μg/ml respectively in the complement fixing assay. They induced the release of 7.2 and 7.3μM of nitrite oxide from macrophages respectively at a dose of 100μg/ml. The monosaccharide composition in Oc50A1 and Oc50A2, analysed, showed the presence of arabinose (26.7 and 13.2%), galactose (31.5 and 28%) and galacturonic acid (5.3 and 7.8%) respectively. The Yariv test confirmed the presence of arabinogalactan type II in both fractions. Structural analyses did also show the presence of terminal and 1-4 linked galacturonic acid and terminal and 1-2 linked rhamnose. Endo-polygalacturonanase treatment was performed to isolate the heavily substituted parts of the polysaccharides. These parts contained the same monosaccharides in similar proportion, and showed stronger dose dependent complement fixing activity and also stimulated macrophages to release nitrite oxide. Conclusions: The leaves of Opilia celtidifola contains polysaccharides of pectic type that have both complement fixing and macrophage stimulating activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Extracts form 10 different Malian medicinal plants with a traditional use against schistosomiasis were investigated for their possible content of proteolytic activity. The proteolytic activity was studied by measuring the hydrolysis of two synthetic peptide substrates Z–Ala–Ala–Asn–NHMec and Z–Phe–Arg–NHMec. Legumain- and papain-like activities were found in all tested crude extracts except those from Entada africana, with the papain-like activity being the strongest. Cissus quadrangularis, Securidaca longepedunculata and Stylosanthes erecta extracts showed high proteolytic activities towards both substrates. After gel filtration the proteolytic activity towards the substrate Z–Ala–Ala–Asn–NHMec in root extract of Securidaca longepedunculata appeared to have Mr of 30 and 97kDa, while the activity in extracts from Cissus quadrangularis was at 39kDa. Enzymatic activity cleaving the substrate Z–Phe–Arg–NHMec showed apparent Mr of 97 and 26kDa in extracts from roots and leaves of Securidaca longepedunculata, while in Cissus quadrangularis extracts the activity eluted at 39 and 20kDa, with the highest activity in the latter. All Z–Phe–Arg–NHMec activities were inhibited by E-64 but unaffected by PMSF. The legumain activity was unaffected by E-64 and PMSF. The SDS-PAGE analysis exhibited five distinct gelatinolytic bands for Cissus quadrangularis extracts (115, 59, 31, 22 and 20kDa), while two bands (59 and 30kDa) were detected in Securidaca longepedunculata extracts. The inhibition profile of the gelatinolytic bands and that of the hydrolysis of the synthetic substrates indicate the cysteine protease class of the proteolytic activities. Several cysteine protease activities with different molecular weights along with a strong variability of these activities between species as well as between plant parts from the same species were observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]