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This study focused on documenting and evaluating the cercaricidal activity of medicinal plants used for schistosomiasis treatment in an endemic area in Ghana. Through semistructured questionnaires, personal interviews with herbalists in communities surrounding the Barekese dam in the Atwima-Nwabiagya district, where the disease is endemic, were carried out. Thirty medicinal plants distributed in 19 families were reported to be used for schistosomiasis treatment in the survey. Information on the plants, including scientific names, common names, families, and the used plant part were recorded. The families Apocynaceae and Euphorbiaceae recorded the highest number of plants (14% each), followed by Asteraceae (10%), Loranthaceae (7%), and Rubiaceae (7%). In vitro cercaricidal activity of methanol extracts of nine out of the thirty plants was performed by exposing human Schistosoma mansoni cercariae obtained from Biomphalaria pfeifferi to various concentrations of extracts over a duration of 240 minutes. All the plants tested demonstrated time- and concentration-dependent cercaricidal activity. With lethality being set at <1000 μg/mL, the cercaricidal activity in order of decreasing potency was as follows: Withania somnifera (LC50 = 1.29) > Balanites aegyptiaca (LC50 = 7.1) > Xylia evansii (LC50 = 11.14) > Jathropha multifida (LC50 = 12.9) > Justicia flava (LC50 = 22.9) > Anopyxis klaineana (LC50 = 182.81) > Ximenia americana (LC50 = 194.98) > Loranthus lecardii (LC50 = 223.87) > Bridelia tenufolia (LC50 = 309.03) > Zanthoxylium zanthoxyloides (LC50 = 851.94). Phytochemicals, including alkaloids, tannins, triterpenes, saponins, phytosterols, and flavonoids were identified in the plants. The result of this study gives scientific credence to the traditional use of these plants in the treatment of schistosomiasis and proves that the rich botanical knowledge of medicinal plants provides an incredible starting point for the discovery of new anti-schistosomal drugs for the local population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of indigenes in the rural areas of Ghana use herbal medicines for their primary health care. In this study, an ethnobotanical survey was undertaken to document medicinal plants used by traditional healers in the Ejisu-Juaben district in the Ashanti region of Ghana to treat infections and to further investigate the antibiofilm formation properties of selected plants in resisting pathogenic bacteria. Seventy medicinal plants used by traditional practitioners for the treatment of skin infections and wounds were documented from the ethnobotanical survey. Forty out of the seventy plants were collected and their methanol extracts evaluated for antimicrobial activity by the agar diffusion assay. Extracts that showed antibacterial activity were tested for biofilm inhibitory activity, and the most active plant was subsequently purified to obtain the active constituents. Biofilm formation was significantly mitigated by petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts of Holarrhena floribunda stem bark. Bioassay-guided fractionation of an alkaloidal extract prepared from the methanol fraction led to the isolation of three steroidal alkaloids, namely, holonamine, holadienine, and conessine. The isolated compounds demonstrated varying degrees of biofilm formation inhibitory properties. The current study reveals that screening of indigenous medicinal plants could unravel potential leads to salvage the declining efficacy of conventional antibiotics. Holarrhena floribunda stem bark extract has strong biofilm formation inhibition properties, which could be attributed to the presence of steroidal alkaloids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence and resurgence of P. falciparum resistance to generations of antimalarial drugs have prompted the search for new, effective, and safe antimalarial agents. This study aimed at investigating the in vivo antiplasmodial activity of the 70% hydroethanolic extract and constituents of the stem bark of Myrianthus libericus based on its ethnomedicinal use as an antimalarial agent. The antiplasmodial activity was assessed in Swiss albino mice employing the 4-day suppressive and Rane's tests. MLB significantly (p < 0.0001) suppressed parasitaemia by 52.26%, 65.40%, and 77.11% at 50, 100, and 200 mg·kg−1 doses, respectively, in the 4-day suppressive test. In Rane's test, the highest parasitaemia suppression of 72.50% was recorded at a dose of 200 mg·kg−1 of the extract. Fractionation of the bioactive ethyl acetate fraction by solvent-solvent partitioning and column chromatography led to the isolation of friedelan-3-one and stigmasterol being reported for the first time from this species. The compounds demonstrated remarkable antiplasmodial activity by suppressing parasitaemia by 65–72% in the suppressive test and 61–70% in the curative test at doses of 10–30 mg·kg−1. Both the extract and the isolated compounds significantly prolonged the survival time of infected mice and averted the cardinal signs associated with P. berghei-induced malaria including weight loss, hypothermia, and haemolysis. The results obtained confirm the prospect of M. libericus as an important source of new antimalarial compounds and justifies its folkloric use as an antimalarial agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To establish the pharmacognostic characters for the correct identification and quality control of Hilleria latifolia ( H. latifolia ), an important herb in Ghanaian folklore medicine, for the treatment of infections, pain and inflammation. Methods The macro-morphological, qualitative and quantitative microscopic features, physicochemical and phytochemical features of the medicinally used parts of H. latifolia were evaluated using standard methods. Results The plant has simple, alternate leaves with entire margin. The lamina is ovate to broadly lanceolate with an acuminate apex. It is hypostomatic with anomocytic stomata. The plant contains abundant prismatic crystals in all parts. Starch grains abound in the roots. The quantitative indices of the leaf and physicochemical parameters have also been established. Conclusions The pharmacognostic features established in this study may be used as part of the pharmacopoeial standard for the correct identification and quality control of H. latifolia . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Physicochemical properties are essential for assessing the quality of crude drugs. • Characteristic UV fingerprint and Thin layer chromatography reveal the differences in constituent for different plant parts. • Suppression of Carrageenan-induced foot oedema establishes the anti-inflammatory potential of plant extracts. • Microscopic examination of powdered plant parts reveal various cells plant cells. • Pharmacognostic standards are important for correct identification, authentication and quality control purposes. Loeseneriella africana (Willd.) R. Wilczek ex N. Hallé (Celastraceae) is a medicinal plant used by some traditional healers to treat microbial infections and inflammatory diseases in Ghana. This research was done to establish pharmacognostic standards and investigate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of Loeseneriella africana. Pharmacognostic studies were done on the stem and leaf whereas the biological investigations were done on the stem extracts of L. africana. The result of the pharmacognostic studies established organoleptic, macroscopic, and microscopic parameters for identification of the whole and powdered plant samples as well as physicochemical parameters such as solvent soluble extractives, pH and elemental content for quality control. UV, IR and TLC fingerprint as well as fluorescent characteristics of the stem and leaf of the plants were established. Preliminary phytochemical screening showed the presence of alkaloids, triterpenoids, phytosterols, flavonoids, tannins and coumarins which could be responsible for the medicinal uses of the plants. The extracts of L. africana demonstrated anti-inflammatory activities with percentage inhibition of oedema (18.80±5.00 - 36.70±4.60) at 300 mg/kg (p <0.0001). The extracts of L. africana exhibited DPPH scavenging activities at IC 50 (21.70 - 139.8 µg/mL). The whole extract of L. africana exhibited considerable total antioxidant capacity 477.7 mg/g of ascorbic acid equivalent. The results provide scientific evidence to support the traditional uses of Loeseneriella africana in treating inflammatory conditions, as well as standardization parameters for authentic sourcing of the plant for consistent use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical investigation of the stem bark extract of Anopyxis klaineana was carried out by various chromatographic techniques resulting in the isolation and characterization of three new tirucallane triterpenoids, namely 3,23-dioxotirucalla-7,24-dien-21-oic acid ( 1 ), 3,4-secotirucalla-23-oxo-4(28)7,24-trien-3,21-dioic acid ( 2 ) and 3,4-secotirucalla-4-hydroxy-23-oxo-7,24-diene-3,21-dioic acid-21-methyl ester ( 3 ), along with nine known compounds ( 4–12 ). The structural elucidation of the compounds was performed by means of high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS n ), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and by comparison to literature data. Although none of the isolated compounds showed antibacterial efficacy against selected environmental and clinically important pathogenic Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, they demonstrated moderate DPPH free radical scavenging properties. Furthermore, compounds 1 and 7 exhibited remarkable anti-inflammatory potential in a prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) competitive enzyme immunoassay with IC 50 values of 3.63 μM and 10.23 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]