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Aim: To isolate the spermicidal constituents of Sacoglottis gabonensis. Materials and methods: The ethanolic extract with partitioned fractions of Sacoglottis gabonensis stem bark were subjected to sperm immobilization assay. The most active EtOAc fraction was further purifi ed by column and Semi-Preparative High Performance Liquid Chromatography to give compounds which were characterized by spectroscopic methods (UV, LC/MS, and NMR). The compound(s) was also tested for sperm immobilization activity. Results: The ethanolic extract showed 100% signifi cant (p < 0.05) sperm immobilization activity at a concentration of 30 mg/mL at 20 s compared to both negative and positive controls. The most active ethyl acetate fraction yielded methyl 3,5-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzoate, eriodictyol and bergenin. Bergenin had 100% sperm immobilization activity at 20 mg/mL in 60 s which was signifi cant (p < 0.05) also when compared to the positive and negative control while methyl 3,5-dihydroxy- 4-methoxybenzoate, eriodictyol were not active. Conclusion: The active spermicidal constituent in Sacoglottis gabonensis stem bark extract is bergenin. However, methyl 3,5-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzoate and eriodictyol showed no activity. This plant is known for its aphrodisiac action; hence, caution may have to be exercised in its use because of its spermicidal eff ect.

A preliminary evaluation of yeast fermented palm wine sourced from Imo State in Nigeria was carried out to establish compounds that contribute to the distinct flavor of the beverage and to determine if the product abundance is affected when the drink is supplemented with Sacoglottis gabonensis. Palm wine samples from two different trees Elaeis sp. and Raphia sp. (pH less than 5) that contain Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other yeast species identified by sequencing the D1/D2 domain of the 26S rRNA genes were used. Evaluation was carried out using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (APCI-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Samples contained 5.9–11.6, 2.2–7.1, 4.2–43.0, and 4.4–43.7 g/L of acetic acid, lactic acid, ethanol and glucose, respectively. Ethyl acetate, acetic acid and ethanol had the most aroma intensity and an assessment on the yeast metabolome database showed that 23 out of the 31 products detected were present in the database. Addition of Sacoglottis gabonensis supplement to a Raphia sp. palm wine sample showed lower abundance of acetoin, acetic acid, methylpropyl lactate, ethyl octanoate and propyl acetate. We conclude that Sacoglottis gabonensis supplementation could suppress specific compounds during palm wine fermentation. This knowledge could be applied in new product development for the beverage.

This study suggests that the fruits of Sacoglottis gabonensis (Baill.) Urb. (Humiriaceae) are a keystone resource for forest elephants ( Loxodonta cyclotis Matschie) in a coastal rain forest, the Réserve de Faune du Petit Loango, Gabon (now part of Loango National Park). Faecal counts demonstrated that forest elephants used Sacoglottis-dominated forest more when Sacoglottis was abundant and electivity indices suggest that Sacoglottis is a preferred food. The flora of Petit Loango is characterized by the absence of herbaceous vegetation such as Marantaceae and Zingiberaceae, and during the prolonged dry season few fleshy fruits are present other than Sacoglottis fruits, which are produced in a glut during this time. While inter-annual fruiting reliability remains to be confirmed, fruit production in 1998 and high stem density relative to other study sites provide indirect evidence that Sacoglottis fruits are a reliable inter-annual resource at Petit Loango. It is thus proposed that Sacoglottis gabonensis fruits fulfil an important role as a keystone ‘fallback’ resource for forest elephants during the dry season at Petit Loango. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The water extract of the stem bark of Sacoglottis gabonensis was evaluated for its preliminary acute toxicity and anthelmintic efficacy against gastro-intestinal nematodes of small ruminants and mice in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Intra-peritoneal administration of doses ranging from 400 to 3200 mg/kg of the aqueous stem bark extract produced varying degrees of toxicity manifested as depression, drowsiness and unsteady gait, paralysis of the hind limbs, dyspnoea, coma and death. The pathological lesions noted at necropsy were mainly congestion and edema of the lungs, bronchi and bronchioles and hepatomegally with focal necrosis of liver cells. The severity of the clinical symptoms and pathological lesions were dose-related. In the in vitro study, the extract significantly (P <0.05) reduced the hatching of strongyline nematode eggs from naturally infected small ruminants. The 100 mg/ml concentration of the extract produced the highest (94.4%) inhibition on nematode egg hatch and the result was comparable to similar effect produced by either levamisole (100% at 15 mg/ml) or albendazole (99.7% at 6.25 mg/ml). In rats experimentally infected with Heligmosomoides polygyrus, treatment with the S. gabonensis stem bark aqueous extract significantly (P <0.05) reduced adult worm burden and completely inhibited faecal egg output 5 days post treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study was designed to study the influence of Sacoglottis gabonensis stem bark extract on the metabolic and cytotoxic side effects of 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazine (2,4-DNPH) on the brain and blood using male weaning rats as the experimental model. This was after the effect of the bark extract and bergenin, its isolate, on membrane lipid peroxidation and tissue natural antioxidant defences was reported. Lipid peroxidation was induced experimentally with a single intraperitoneal phenylhydrazine (2,4-DNPH) administration at the end of 3 days exposure to the bark extract or bergenin in drinking water. Three hours later, the brain, liver and red blood cells of the experimental animals were analysed for glucose level and the blood was analysed for selected key indices of oxidative stress: red blood cell (RBC) count haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV) and white blood cell (WBC) count (total and differential). The bark extract exhibited a protective action on brain glucose, significantly inhibiting the glucose-depleting action of both 2,4-DNPH and ethanol. It also inhibited the lowering action of DNPH and ethanol on PCV, RBC and Hb concentration of rat blood, but inhibited proliferation of white blood cells (total and differential). The data on the effect of bergenin, on the side effects of 2,4-DNPH experimental lipid peroxidation and on ethanol followed an essentially similar trend to those of the bark extract on brain glucose. Bergenin, similar to the bark extract, exerted a protective action on the brain tissue, though to a lesser extent, against the oxidants, 2,4-DNPH and ethanol. It is evident that aqueous ethanol extract of S. gabonensis stem bark has biological antioxidant properties against 2,4-DNPH and ethanol-induced tissue damage exerting its action on the haematological and metabolic side effects of the oxidants. By virtue of its essentially similar activity under the same conditions, bergenin appears to be the phytochemical constituent that is largely responsible for the observed action of the bark extract. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study was designed to ascertain/verify whether Sacoglottis gabonensis stem bark extract has biological antioxidant activity in membrane lipid peroxidation using male weanling rats as the experimental animals and, if so, to attempt to establish/deduce the possible mechanism(s) of the antioxidant action of the bark extract. Lipid peroxidation was induced experimentally with a single intraperitoneal 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazine (2,4-DNPH) at the end of a 3-day administration with the bark extract in drinking water. Three hours later, the liver and red blood cells were analysed for the three primary antioxidant enzymes, namely catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase, and two nonenzymic antioxidants, namely vitamin E (α-tocopherol) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) levels.Results showed that pretreatment with the bark extract exhibited divergent effects on natural antioxidant enzymes: It impaired the enzyme-inducing action of 2,4-DNPH (and of ethanol) on liver and red blood cell catalase but reduced the SOD depressing effect of the experimental oxidant (2,4-DNPH) and ethanol. Neither 2,4-DNPH nor the extract had any measurable effect on glutathione peroxidase. The bark extract also exerted a sparing effect on tissue antioxidant vitamins, ascorbic acid and vitamin E, effectively inhibiting their depletion by 2,4-DNPH or ethanol in the liver, red blood cells and brain. It is being concluded that the mechanism of antioxidant action of the bark extract against membrane peroxidation is multifactorial/multisystem, involving inhibition of catalase, enhancing the SOD capability of the liver and red blood cells and sparing tissue depletion/utilization of vitamins C (ascorbic acid) and E (α-tocopherol). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]