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Eragrostis tremula is utilized in Nigeria and other African countries as a memory enhancer, lactation stimulant, antiemetic, aphrodisiac and remedy for snake bites. Scientific reports revealed that this plant has anti-oxidant, anticholinesterase, cytotoxic and memory enhancing properties; despite these potentials, there is paucity of safety data to support its continued usage. This study investigated the toxicity profile of hydroethanolic extract of E. tremula (HEET) in Wistar rats. Acute and sub-acute (28 days at doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg per oral) toxicity tests were conducted using OECD 425 and 407 guidelines respectively. Limit test at 5,000 mg/kg was conducted to ascertain the midpoint lethal dose (LD50). The LD50 of HEET was above 5000 mg/kg per oral and no significant alterations in haematological parameters and tissue morphology were observed. In the sub-acute study, no death was recorded. There were no changes in food intake, organ/body weight, lipid profile, liver and renal function indices. However, histology of the kidneys showed slight tubular adhesion and glomerular necrosis. HEET was practically safe after acute administration with no practical deleterious effect at 250 mg/kg after prolonged administration in rats. However, 28 days administration of high doses caused slight kidney injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorophytum alismifolium (C. alismifolium) tubers are used in the management of diabetes. This research evaluated the effect of ethylacetate extract of C. alismifolium (EACA) on microvascular complications and the possible association of oxidative stress and aldose reductase in type 2 diabetic rats. C. alismifolium tubers were subjected to sequential extraction until ethylacetate extract was obtained using a soxhlet apparatus. The LD50 was determined using the OECD 425 guideline. The animals were placed on high fat diet for 42 days and then induced with hyperglycaemia using 40 mg/kg of streptozotocin. Diabetic neuropathy was evaluated using thermal and mechanical methods. Serum was used for the assessment of oxidative stress markers and biochemical markers of retinopathy and nephropathy. Serum aldose reductase was investigated by utilizing the principle of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The median lethal dose of EACA was assessed to be above 5,000 mg/kg and it caused no mortality. Treatment with EACA significantly reduced the withdrawal times in both thermal and mechanical hyperalgesic methods (p<0.05). EACA also significantly reduced the levels of urea (p<0.001), albumin (p<0.05) and uric acid (p<0.001) in hyperglycaemic rats. EACA significantly decreased the amounts of low density lipoprotein and triglycerides (p<0.001). There was a remarkable elevation in the levels of high density lipoprotein (p<0.05). A significant (p<0.05) increase in the levels of magnesium was observed in the EACA-treated groups. EACA significantly increased catalase (p<0.05) and reduced malondialdehyde levels (p<0.05). The levels of aldose reductase was significantly (p<0.001) reduced by EACA compared to the hyperglycaemic control. The ethylacetate extract of C. alismifolium has beneficial effects in alleviating microvascular complications of diabetes through the inhibition of oxidative stress and aldose reductase in diabetic rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cissus cornifolia is an annual herb used in the treatment of mental derangement in the African Traditional Medicine. As part of a continuous research on this medicinal plant to scientifically validate its use in mental derangement, the fractions of the leaf extract were investigated for central nervous system (CNS) depressant effects. Successive fractionation of the methanol leaf extract of C. cornifolia was utilized to obtain the chloroform fraction (CLF), ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) and the residual aqueous fractions (RAF). These fractions were investigated for CNS-depressant effects in mice using diazepam-induced sleep, head-dip and motor-coordination tests. CLF, EAF and RAF significantly (p<0.01) prolonged the duration of sleep in mice. EAF significantly (p<0.05) reduced the mean headdips in mice at 75 and 150 mg/kg. Similarly, a significant decrease in the mean head-dips (p<0.05, p<0.01 and p<0.005) was produced by RAF at 150, 300 and 600 mg/kg respectively. In the beam-walking assay test, all the fractions did not produce motor coordination deficit in mice. The data obtained revealed the fractions of methanol leaf extract of Cissus cornifolia possess remarkable central nervous system depressant effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tubers of Chlorophytum alismifolium are used in Nigerian Herbal Medicine for the management of diabetes mellitus, painful and inflammatory conditions. The antinociceptive activity has been validated but the mechanism of this activity is yet to be explored. This study therefore, aimed to investigate the probable mechanism(s) of the antinociceptive activity of C. alismifolium tubers using experimental animal model of pain. HPLC and GC-MS analyses were carried out on the extract. Antinociceptive activity was investigated using acetic acid-induced writhing response test in mice. Three groups of mice were orally administered distilled water (10 ml/kg), C. alismifolium (400 mg/kg) and morphine (10 mg/kg) 60 min before administration of acetic acid and the resulting writhing were counted for 10 min. To establish the probable mechanism(s) of action of C. alismifolium , separate groups of animals were pretreated intraperitoneally with naloxone (2 mg/kg), prazosin (1 mg/kg), yohimbine (1 mg/kg), propranolol (20 mg/kg) and glibenclamide (5 mg/kg) 15 min before C. alismifolium administration. HPLC chromatogram of the extract revealed seventeen characteristic peaks with retention times ranging between 2.1 and 7.4 min. Administration of C. alismifolium significantly ( p  < 0.01) reduced the mean number of writhes compared to control group. Pretreatment with yohimbine and glibenclamide significantly ( p  < 0.05 and p  < 0.01 respectively) reduced the antinociceptive activity of extract-alone treated group. However, pretreatment with prazosin, naloxone and propranolol showed no effect on its analgesic activity. The findings from this research revealed the possible involvement of α 2 -adrenergic receptor and K ATP channels in the antinociceptive activity of Chlorophytum alismifolium tuber extract., (© 2019 Center for Food and Biomolecules, National Taiwan University. Production and hosting by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.)