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Abstract Background Herbal medicines used for male sexual disorders are widespread across the globe and have been noted as likely candidates for adulteration. To assure access to safe and quality herbal products, this study aimed at sampling some herbal capsules indicated for male vitality for quality analytical checks. Methods Herbal capsules sampled from two regions were subjected to physicochemical assessment, using pharmacopeial and regulatory standards. Microbial quality analysis was also performed on the selected products. A validated HPLC method for simultaneous analysis of sildenafil citrate and tadalafil was used to detect and quantify the possible presence of phosphodiesterase inhibitors in the selected products. Results Out of a total of 57 herbal capsules, 19 were indicated for male sexual related illnesses of which only 8 fulfilled the inclusion criteria of being used exclusively for male vitality. The majority (62.5%) of the herbal products failed the weight uniformity test but all of them disintegrated within the acceptable limit of 30 min. The moisture and heavy metal contents were within limits of acceptability. Majority (87.5%) of the herbal products failed the test for the aerobic bacteria count; however, none of the isolated bacteria was pathogenic. Sildenafil citrate was detected in the majority (87.5%) of the herbal products in concentrations of 0.98–33.95 mg/g. Two products contained both sildenafil and tadalafil. High batch-to-batch variability was recorded in some physicochemical parameters and pharmaceutical adulterants. Conclusion High incidence of quality fails and adulteration of herbal capsules for sexual disorders observed means there is a real risk of unintended dosing with phosphodiesterase inhibitors. This represents a public health issue and necessitates tighter monitoring of production standards by the regulator.

Herbal products lack standardization due to complex and variable phytochemical constituents. An approach to solving this the use of chemical markers to control quality and effectiveness. This study aimed at developing phytochemical standards for antimalaria herbal products documented in the Recommended Essential Herbal Medicines List of Ghana using the herbal marker ranking system (Herb MaRS). The products were reviewed, the frequently used raw materials were selected, and their evidence of safety and efficacy documented. Selecting bioactive compounds from the plants as potential markers were based on the Herb MaRS criteria. Compounds with of antimalarial activity scored 2 or 0 (not active); evidence of managing a symptom (1 or 0); concentration of the compound in the plant, 50 µg/g). Reference standards available (score 1), analytical method available (1 point). A toxic compound scored all 8 points. Compounds that scored 8 were considered as most suitable markers with those scoring 4 as appreciably suitable. All those scoring less than 3 were not considered. The selected markers include cryptolepine (in Cryptolepis sanguinolenta), echitamine, β-amyrin, boonein, loganin, and lupeol (in Alstonia boonei), azadirachtin, nimbolide, nimbin, and salanin (in Azadirachta indica), lucidin, alizarin, damnacanthal, Rubiadin and purpuroxanthin (in Morinda lucida), quercetin, caffeic acid, and quinovic acid (in Nauclea latifolia). The selected markers are the ideal compounds for the standardisation of antimalaria herbal products containing these plant materials. Herb MaRS criteria could be used to select chemical markers for herbal material quality control.

Hyperlipidemia accounts for about 17 million deaths worldwide each year. High cost and side effects have limited the use of conventional anti-lipidaemic agents in some cases, majority of whom resort to traditional medicine. The current research focused on validating the safety and efficacy of a herbal product, ‘LIPO A’ used in the management of hyperlipidaemia. Induction of hyperlipidaemia was achieved by oral administration of 3 mL of cholesterol in coconut oil for 4 weeks in male Sprague Dawley rats with water available as 40 % sucrose. Subsequently, the animals were treated with 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg of the product ‘LIPO A’ for 4 additional weeks with atorvastatin as reference drug (at 2 mg/kg body weight). Blood samples were taken for serum biochemistry and atherogenic ratios were then calculated. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay, total antioxidant capacity, physicochemical and phytochemical analysis were also carried out using standard methods. Treatment resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in total cholesterol with maximum reduction of 46.01 % at 400 mg/kg compared to atorvastatin with 49.30 %. There were significant changes in the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c/HDL-c) and Total Cholesterol (TC/HDL-c) ratios which measures the atherogenic and coronary risk indices respectively. Acute and subacute toxicity studies did not reveal any signs of toxicity. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint revealed six well resolved peaks with two prominent compounds with retention times 24.88 and 23.95 min, which could serve as quality control markers for the product. The herbal product showed considerable antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant actions in rodent models and lend credence to its use in traditional medicine for hyperlipidaemia.

Parkia biglobosa (Leguminosae) is used traditionally for managing leishmaniasis. However, there are no reports of the antileishmanial constituents from the plant. This study is aimed at isolating antileishmanial compounds, from the stem bark of P. biglobosa, and assessing their mechanism of action using molecular docking studies. Bioassay-guided fractionation led to the isolation of two known compounds, lupeol and monostearin. Their structures were elucidated using their mass spectra. Using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymathoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tretrazolium (MTS) assay, the evaluated antileishmanial effects of lupeol (1) and monostearin (2) showed IC50 values of 164.42 and 151.99 µg/mL respectively. The antileishmanial effects of the crude extract, non-polar, mid-polar and polar fractions were determined to be 64.43, 126.25, 725.65 and 167.52 µg/mL respectively. Molecular docking studies of the two isolates within the active sites of two validated targets in the Leishmania parasite: trypanothione reductase (TR) and pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1), showed that both compounds established important interactions with key amino acid residues in both proteins. Lupeol exhibited binding affinities of -7.1 kcal/mol and -10.2 kcal/mol for TR and PTR1, respectively, better than monostearin in both cases. Our findings back the claim that P. biglobosa stem bark possesses antileishmanial effects. Furthermore, the isolates lupeol and monostearin may be partly responsible for the observed activities.

Asthma is a respiratory disorder characterized by chronic airway inflammation, bronchial hyper-responsiveness and airflow obstruction. Its prevalence and associated mortality is expected to rise in the coming years particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This, together with cost and access limitations to effective disease management has highlighted the need to explore potentially effective, indigenous therapeutic alternatives. Our study set out to evaluate the effect of Pseudocedrela. kotschyi bark extract (PKE), a traditionally used remedy, on airway hyper-responsiveness and airway inflammation associated with ovalbumin-induced asthma in guinea pigs. We focused on the protective effect of PKE treatment on antigen-provoked hyper-responsiveness, inflammatory cell proliferation and structural changes in lung tissue associated with chronic asthma. Our investigations showed that PKE at 50, 100 and 500 mg/kg delayed onset of peak respiratory distress in asthmatic guinea pigs by 38.46 ± 8.88%, 61.54 ± 14.73%, 69.23 ± 8.88% respectively, relative to saline-treated group. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) analysis revealed significant suppression of eosinophil and total leucocyte proliferation associated with ovalbumin-induced asthma, in PKE-treated guinea pigs. Lung sections of PKE-treated guinea pigs showed a markedly preserved architecture with less severe bronchial smooth muscle hypertrophy, peri‑bronchiolar and alveolar inflammatory cell infiltration compared with saline-treated guinea pigs. Our findings therefore demonstrate that P. kotschyi is effective in reducing key features of experimentally induced chronic asthma and support its traditional use in the management of asthma.

Objective: To investigate the in vivo and in vitro antidiabetic potential of Chrysophyllum albidum. Methods: The effects of oral treatment with hydro-ethanolic extract (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg) of the stem bark of Chrysophyllum albidum and glibenclamide for 21 d on glucose level, serum enzyme markers for liver function, lipid profile, total protein, serum urea, serum creatinine, and body weight were evaluated in experimental diabetic rats administered with 45 mg/kg of streptozotocin. In vitro assays including glucose uptake in C2C12 cells and 3T3-L1 adipose tissues, α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition were employed to evaluate the possible mechanism of hypoglycemic action of the extract. DPPH and nitric oxide radical antioxidant activity of the extract was also measured. Results: The increased levels of blood glucose, triglycerides, low- density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, serum aspartate, and alanine transaminases, creatinine, and urea in the diabetic animals were reduced significantly (P

Objective: To explore the potential insecticidal, ovipositor deterrent and antifeedant effects of ethyl acetate extract of the seeds of Senna tora (Syn. Cassia tora) against cowpea weevil (Callosobruchus maculatus). Methods: The activities were evaluated using standard protocols. In these bioassays, the cowpea seeds were used directly as an insect feed. The activity of the extract and isolated compounds were tested at concentrations of 100, 200 and 300 μg/mL and compared to neem oil and cinnamaldehyde (as standard positive controls). Phytochemical analysis of the ethyl acetate extract was done through a number of chromatographic techniques and the structures of the isolated compounds were established through comprehensive spectroscopic analysis including 2D-NMR and ESI-MS studies. Results: Fractionation of the active ethyl acetate extract resulted in the isolation of one known anthraquinone, aurantio-obtusin (1) and a novel compound that was named as cassiatorin (2). Compounds 1 and 2 showed comparable insect antifeedant properties with the positive controls while their insecticidal and ovipositor deterrent effects were far superior to the standard controls. Conclusions: It is thus concluded that Senna tora extracts and the isolated compounds (1 and 2) may be employed in the postharvest management of stored cowpea seeds and as other crop protectants.