School of Bio-Medical Sciences (Bio-Medical)

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Browsing School of Bio-Medical Sciences (Bio-Medical) by Subject "Acute toxicity"
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    Anti-mycobacterial activity and acute toxicity of Erythrina abyssinica, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta and Solanum incanum
    (Makerere University, 2010-10) Bunalema, Lydia
    Tuberculosis (TB) kills approximately two million people annually. Efforts to treat the disease have been made much more difficult due to development of drug resistant TB strains (MDR and XDR TB) and co-infection with HIV AIDS. There is an urgent need therefore, to search for and develop new, inexpensive and effective anti-TB drugs. Extracts from three plants, Solanum incanum, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta and Erythrina abyssinica used in traditional medicine to treat TB symptoms were screened for anti-mycobacterial properties against a Rifampicin resistant, pan sensitive and Mycobacteria avium strains. In addition, the acute toxicity profile and phytochemistry of the active extracts were studied. The chloroform extract of E. abyssinica was the most active on M. avium wild strain and the rifampicin resistant strain (MIC= 0.3 and 0.39 mg/ml respectively). Against the pansensitive strain the methanol total crude extract was most active (MIC= 0.2 mg/ml). C. sanguinolenta total crude methanol extract was also active against the three strains of mycobacteria; however S. incanum did not show activity on any of the strains. Toxicity studies showed that the two plants had an LD50 of more than 500mg/kg body weight and thus considered to be safe. E. abyssinica extracts and C. sanguinolenta total crude extract contained alkaloids, terpenoids, tannins and flavones. Saponins and phenols were not detected in all extracts. C. sanguinolenta and E. abyssinica have potential to be developed into new anti-TB drugs. The results have also validated traditional knowledge from the local people regarding the use of these species to treat TB.
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    Antinociceptive activity and acute toxicity profile of Leucus calostachys olive in animal models
    (Makerere university, 2024-11) Nyandejje, Francis Odongo
    Pain remains a cardinal sign and symptom for most diseases and a major reason for patients visiting healthcare providers. Conventional treatment modalities do not adequately address pain, and as a result, most local communities globally resort to natural remedies, including medicinal plants. Leucus calostachys oliv is one of the many medicinal plants used by the many local communities in East Africa to treat various medical conditions, including pain however, there is limited scientific evidence for its efficacy and toxicity. An experimental study evaluated the antinociceptive and acute toxicity profile of Leucus calostachys oliv using the formalin-induced pain and the acetic acid-induced writhing models of antinociceptive activity and the up-and-down method for median lethal dose estimation (LD50) in Wistar albino rats. In the formalin-induced pain model, the total crude extract groups exhibited the greatest antinociceptive activity followed by aqueous and methanol extracts with mean time spent licking and biting of 5.2 ± 1.1, 3.2 ± 0.7, 8.6 ± 1.5, 3.8 ± 0.8, 19.7±1.4 and 10.8±1.1 seconds respectively at 500mg/kg and 1000mg/kg body weight doses. In the Acetic acid-induced writhing method, similar trends were observed and the total crude extracts showed the lowest mean number of writhes followed by aqueous and methanol extracts with the mean number of writhes of 8.4 ± 1.2, 3.8 ± 0.8, 8.6 ± 1.5 and 3.8 ± 0.8, 19.7 ± 1.4 and 10.8 ± 1.1 at same doses. The LD50 was estimated to be above 5000mg/kg the limit test dose as no death was recorded.
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    Safety and antidiarrheal activity of Priva adhaerens aqueous leaf extract in a murine model.
    (Elsevier, 2014) Nansunga, Miriam ; Barasa, Ambrose ; Abimana, Justus ; Alele, Paul E ; Kasolo, Josephine
    Ethnopharmacological relevance:Priva adhaerens (Forssk.) Chiov.,awildly growing plant,is reported in central Uganda to be an effective traditional remedy for diarrhea.The objective of this study was to provide a scientific basis for the ethnopharmacological utility of this plant whose aqueous leaf and shoot extract was evaluated for acute toxicity and antidiarrheal activity using a murine model. Materials and methods: Acute toxicity of the aqueous leaf and shoot extrac was assessed after determining the major phytochemicals present in the extract.The aqueous leaf and shoot extract was assayed against castor oil-induced diarrhea, transit time, and enteropooling, in comparison to loper- amide, a standard drug. Results: The oral LD50 value obtained for Priva adhaerens aqueous extract was greater than 5000 mg/kg in rats; the aqueous leaf and shoot extract possessed several important phytochemicals. Furthermore,the aqueous extract significantly,and dose-dependently, reduced frequency of stooling in castor oil-induced diarrhea, intestinal motility,and castor oil-induced enteropooling in rats. Conclusion: This murine model shows that it is relatively safe to orally use the aqueous leaf and shoot extract of Priva adhaerens. The aqueous extract contains phytochemicals that are active for the treatment of diarrhea in a rat model.