A Survey of Medicinal Plants Used in Kieni Forest, Kiambu County, Kenya

Phytochemicals constitute reliable sources of antifungal and antioxidant compounds with low toxicity to mammals and safe to the environment which may serve as substitutes for synthetically produced chemicals. The present work aims at screening, and investigating the antimycotic and antioxidant activities of six medicinal plants, namely Croton macrostachyus (Euphorbiaceae), Clerodendrum (Rotheca) myricoides (Lamiaceae), Erucastrum arabicum (Brassicaceae), Melanthera scandens (Asteraceae), Senecio mannii (Asteraceae), and Senna didymobotrya (Fabaceae). A qualitative phytochemical screening was conducted by appropriate chemical methods. Antioxidant activity of 18 aqueous extracts has been tested by bleaching the solution of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. Antimycotic activity of all extracts was measured by the disc diffusion method on a potato dextrose agar plate against five fungal strains viz. Rhizopus stolonifer, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus and Fusarium oxysporum. The study revealed that the main phytochemical constituents of leaf, stem and root bark extracts were terpenoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids. Furthermore, the results showed that leaf extracts were richer in antioxidant potentials than the rest of the plant parts tested. However, scavenging capacity of leaf extract was lower than that of the ascorbic acid for all extracts except C. macrostachyus and M. scandens which exhibited approximately the same values as ascorbic acid. The leaf extracts displayed the highest inhibition zone average for most of the fungi. The strong antimycotic activity ranged from 14 to 27 mm and was observed mainly in leaf extracts. The leaf extract of M. scandens was the strongest against F. oxysporum with 27.0 mm inhibition zone diameter. The root extract displayed the lowest average zones of inhibition such as 2.0 mm for E. arabicum extract against R. stolonifer and 3.0 mm for S. didymobotrya extract against A. niger. Antioxidant and antimycotic activities were probably attributed to the presence of different groups of phytochemicals as such as terpenoids, flavonoids, and tannins. From the results of this study, plant extracts with higher antioxidant and antimycotic activity could be further studied and eventually be used in the development of natural antioxidants and food preservatives that could replace the synthetic compounds.

Three medicinal plant (Milletia laurentii, Tephrosia vogelii, Croton macrostachyus) extracts traditionally used in Cameroon to manage infectious diseases, were chosen and screened for their phytochemicals composition, antioxidant properties and antifungal activity againstTrichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton soudanense and Trichophyton violaceum. Plant powders were extracted by maceration in methanol and water. Afforded extracts were studied for their: phytochemical composition using indicators, antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging methods and antifungal activity using the agar dilution methods. Extraction yield were better with methanol than water for all the medicinal plants. Amongst the 11 phytochemical compounds (alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, triterpenoids, saponines, anthraquinones, tannins, anthocyanins, coumarins, essential oils, steroids, glycosides, lipids) tested, 9 were differently present in relative high amount in extracts, while glycosides and steroids were absent in all plant extracts. Aqueous extracts of T. vogelli showed the best antioxidant activity while methanolic extract of C. macrostachyus showed the lowest with IC50 values of 0.30 and 0.11 mg/ml, respectively.M. laurentii showed IC50 of 0.19 and 0.21 mg/ml for aqueous and methanolic extracts, respectively. All the extracts tested showed significant activity against the threeTricophyton species tested, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFC) varying from 17.50 to 27.50 and 20 to 30 mg/ml, respectively. These findings support the continued sustainable screen of medicinal plants as source of bioactive principles. Key words: Medicinal plant, phytochemical screening, antifungal, antioxidant.

A comparative study of the antimicrobial and phytochemical properties between outdoor grown and micropropagated Tulbaghia violacea Harv. plants

The leaves of two medicinal plants namely; Morinda lucida and Nauclea latifolia were investigated for their antibacterial, mineral and phytochemical properties. Results of the study showed that the aqueous and ethanolic extract of the two leaves had significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes and Proteus mirabilis. The biologically active constituents present in the extracts were cardiac glycosides, tannins, saponin, coumarins, reducing sugar, terpenoids, alkaloids, steroids and flavonoids. The percentage yield extracts of the respective plants were Morinda lucida leaves 12.9% for ethanol and 9.0% for aqueous extracts while Nauclea latifolia had 12.1% for ethanol and 8.4% for aqueous extracts. Results of the antibacterial activity analysis revealed that the ethanolic extracts of the two medicinal plants at different concentrations were more active against the test organisms named above than the aqueous extracts. The MIC values for the ethanolic extracts ranged between 25.0 and 100.0 mg/ml while that of aqueous extract ranged between 50.0 and 100.0 mg/ml. The MBC values for ethanolic extract ranged between 50.0 and 100mg/ml while that of aqueous extracts also ranged between 50.0 and 100mg/ml. Analysis of the mineral content of the plant leaves shows that they were rich in potassium and calcium. This study confirms that the leaf extracts have some reasonable level of antimicrobial activity and appreciable amounts of mineral content which could be beneficial to human health. The findings from this work can be further exploited for isolation and characterization of novel Phytochemical compounds which could be used in the treatment of infectious diseases especially in light of the emergence of drug-resistant microorganisms and the need to produce new effective antimicrobial agents.

This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of ethanol-extracts obtained from Ocimum gratissimum L. (clove or African basil, Lamiaceae) and O. santum L. (holy basil) against some microorganisms present in oral cavity related to either medical or dental disease. Antimicrobial properties of both ethanol-extracts of Ocimum species against Streptococcus mutans KPSK2, S. pyogenes ATCC 19615, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 16794, and Candida albicans ATCC 10231 were primarily determined by agar disk diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal or fungicidal concentration (MBC or MFC) of these herbal extracts were further determined by broth micro-dilution method. Ethanol-extracts of O. sanctum L. and O. gratissimum L. inhibited the growth of all tested microorganisms in various degrees ranging from the strongest antimicrobial activity of O. sanctum against S. pyogenes [MIC at 0.19% (w/v); MBC at 0.78% (w/v)] to the least inhibitory activity of O. gratissimum against C. albicans [MIC at 12.5% (w/v); undetectable MFC]. The ethanol-extract of O. sanctum showed stronger antimicrobial property against the tested bacteria and fungus than O. gratissimum. The ethanol-extracts of both Ocimum species showed stronger antibacterial than antifungal activity. However, the ethanol-extract of O. gratissimum even at a high concentration of 50% (w/v) was unable to eliminate the tested fungus. Ethanol-extracts of Ocimum species contain effective antibacterial and antifungal properties that may be beneficial for further development of antimicrobial agents in medical and dental fields.

Infectious diseases, including skin infections, have always been treated by plants and other natural products since ancient times. This study investigated the antimicrobial activity of nine medicinal plant species from Gonsé Forest and Bangreweogo Park, Burkina Faso on seven microbial strains involved in skin infections. Sixty-eight organic and aqueous extracts from leaves, stem and root barks of the nine plants were tested on five bacterial and two fungal American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) strains using the disk diffusion and microdilution methods. Twenty-eight extracts (41.17%) from eight of the plants differently inhibited bacteria and fungi, the exception being Wissadula amplissima specie. Gram-positive Cocci (GPC) were the most sensitive to the extracts. Eleven extracts had a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) lower than 1 mg/ml (MIC < 1 mg/ml). The extracts of Opilia celtidifolia gave the largest zones of inhibition ranging from 21.67 to 24.33 mm at 100 to 300 mg/ml on GPC and Candida albicans. Its MIC varied from 0.03 to 0.06 mg/ml on Streptococcus pyogenes, and from 0.07 to 0.24 mg/ml on Streptococcus agalactiae. Ethanolic extracts (80 and 96%) of Lawsonia inermis had MIC ranging from 0.29 to 9.37 mg/ml on the sensitive strains. The variable inhibitory activity displayed by the plants confirmed in part their traditional use in the treatment of some bacterial and fungal skin infections. Key words: Infectious diseases, inhibitory activity, plant extracts, minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), skin infections.

Medicinal plants are an important element of the health system of both human and animals in many counties. This is particularly the case in Ethiopia, one of the ancient nations located in the Horn of Africa. Floristically the country is rich with more than 6500 vascular plant species. For this reason, there has been ongoing and increasing interest in ethnobotanical studies. The aim of this study was to compile a comprehensive document on the medicinal tree species of the country. Accordingly, 65 published articles and MSc theses from 2001 to 2017 were collected and data on plant part used, preparation methods, ailments and route of administration, were summarized. A total of 274 tree species belonging to 174 genera and 69 families were identified as medicinal plants in the literature. The most dominant families were Fabaceae (51 species), Euphorbiaceae (15 species), Capparidaceae (14 species), Rubiaceae (12 species) and Anacardiaceae (12 species). Most of these species were located in Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities and People Regions. Large numbers of tree species were categorized to treat single rather than multiple types of ailments. Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts. Most of the remedies were prepared by crushing and administered orally. The most commonly used species include Croton macrostachyus, Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata, Balanites aegyptiaca, Brucea antidysenteria and Cordia africana. The largest number of taxa was used to treat parasites, abdominal pain, and dermatological problems. This review, therefore, sheds some light on the important medicinal tree species of Ethiopia, focusing on tree species and their local uses in the healthcare system. It also shows the need for carrying out such studies in the remaining districts of the country, to document and promote conservation and propagation of these indigenous and exotic medicinal tree species. In addition, it indicates the need to work on the validation of phytochemical and pharmacological properties of the relatively more important tree species traditionally associated with treating major health problems.

Background Chronic periodontitis is primarily caused by various bacterial species present in the plaque biofilm, which trigger a host inflammatory response. This leads to the abnormal release of inflammatory mediators such as proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α), which are free radicals that cause alveolar bone resorption and tooth loss. ​​​Momordica charantia (bitter gourd) is a widely used medicinal plant for the treatment of numerous diseases such as skin infections, diabetes, metabolic disorders, and carcinomas for several decades. Momordica charantia modulates the host immune response and inhibits the formation of proinflammatory mediators, thereby preventing periodontal tissue destruction. Aim This study aims to assess the antimicrobial activity of bitter gourd oil against early colonizing microorganisms of chronic periodontitis. Materials and methods In this in vitro study, plaque samples were obtained from 10 subjects with chronic periodontitis. Streptococcus pyogenes were subcultured from plaque samples, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of bitter gourd oil was determined using the disc diffusion method. The presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, quinones, flavonoids, and phenols in Momordica charantia (bitter gourd oil) was determined by phytochemical testing. Statistical analysis was conducted using the ANOVA test. Results Phytochemical analysis identified alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenols in the oil sample. The higher concentrations of Momordica charantia oilexhibited larger zones of inhibition against Streptococcus pyogenes. Conclusion Momordica charantia demonstrates antibacterial properties against Streptococcus pyogenes, making it a potential therapy for periodontal disease. Due to the setbacks of various antimicrobial agents such as drug interactions and antimicrobial resistance, medicinal plants such as Momordica charantia can serve as an alternative and desirable choice of treatment in patients with chronic periodontitis.

: This study evaluated the antibacterial effects of a mixture of Sophorae radix and Glycyrrhiza uralensisFischer (1 : 1) ethanol extracts (SGE) on mice infected with Streptococcus (S.) pyogenes. The minimum inhibitoryconcentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration of SGE necessary for antibacterial effects against S.pyogenes were 20µg/mL. Based on the time-kill curves for S. pyogenes, SGE was effective at 4× MIC after 16 h.On Day 12 after challenge, the survival rate of mice treated with 2.0 mg/kg SGE was 60%. In conclusion, SGE hadpotent in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activities against S. pyogenes.Keywords : crude extracts, medicinal plants, mice, Streptococcus pyogenes, treatment efficacy Streptococcus (S.) pyogenes, a group A streptococcus, is anaerobic, spherical, gram-positive extracellular bacterium thatis associated with a variety of mucosal and invasive humaninfections [3]. These bacteria cause various diseases rangingfrom mild and quite frequent non-invasive infections of theupper respiratory tract and skin to severe invasive infectionsthat include necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxicshock syndrome [4]. The most important modes of S. pyogenes transmission arevia respiratory droplets, hand contact with nasal dischargeand skin contact with impetigo lesions [1]. In addition, S.pyogenes can be spread to cattle and then back to humansthrough raw milk as well as contaminated food sources suchas salads, milk and eggs [7]. In a previous study [16] that analyzed for antimicrobialsusceptibility against S. pyogenes isolates in scarlet feverpatients between 2003 and 2011 in China, 100, 97.0, and89.4% of the 74 S. pyogenes isolates were found to be resis-tant to erythromycin, clindamycin and tetracycline, respec-tively. The emergence of antibiotic resistance has led to thesearch for new, safe and effective antimicrobial agents fromalternative natural resources. Medicinal herbs as alternativesto antibiotics are attracting considerable attention by manyresearchers, and many such herbs have a long history ofmedicinal use in Asia [14]. Many of these herbs are oftenused in combination to increase their effects. These herbscontaining bioactive components have many potential clini-cal and therapeutic applications in modern medical care [11].In addition, antimicrobial agents can be derived from herbs,and more than 1,340 plants have been reported to have anti-microbial effects [15].Sophora (S.) flavescens which has antibacterial, antiinflam-matory, antipyretic, antiulcerative and antineoplastic effectshas been used traditionally as medicinal herbs in the treat-ment of jaundice, leucorrhea, carbuncles, pyogenic infec-tions of the skin, scabies, enteritis, and dysentery [8, 9].Glycyrrhiza (G.) uralensis Fischer is one of the most gener-ally used herbal medicines in the world and has been provedto possess antiinflammatory, liver protection, antibacterial,and anticancer activity, which are attributed to the containedtriterpenoid saponins and flavonoids [5]. This study evaluated the antibacterial activity of a combi-nation of ethanol extracts from the medicinal herbs, S. flave-scens and G. uralensis Fischer, against S. pyogenes. Inaddition, a preparation of the herbs was fed to mice infectedwith S. pyogenes in order to determine its therapeutic poten-

Afzelia africana is used in folklore remedies for the treatment of diarrhoea, gastrointestinal disorders and gonorrhoea among other ailments; hence we assessed the in vitro antimicrobial activities of this important medicinal plant. Thirty bacterial isolates as well as four fungal isolates were tested in this study. The crude extract of the stem bark of the plant exhibited antimicrobial activities at a concentration of 25 mg/ml against twenty-one of the bacterial isolates, (i.e. 72.41% of the tested isolates) comprising both Gram positive and Gram negative strains. The zones of inhibition exhibited by the extract against the test bacterial species ranged between 13 and 22 mm. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) of the extract vary between 1.56 and 12.50 mg/ml while the Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) ranged between 3.13 and 25.00 mg/ml. However, the extract lacked activity against all four tested fungal species. Phytochemical assay revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids and saponins in the extract. We conclude that the stem bark of A. africana is a promising candidate as source of new antibacterial compounds. Key words: Afzelia africana, antimicrobial, phytochemical properties, medicinal plant, MIC, MBC.

Praziquantel (PZQ) remains the only drug of choice for the treatment of schistosomiasis, caused by parasitic flatworms. The widespread use of PZQ in schistosomiasis endemic areas for about four decades raises concerns about the emergence of resistance of Schistosoma spp. to PZQ under drug selection pressure. This reinforces the urgency in finding alternative therapeutic options that could replace or complement PZQ. We explored the potential of medicinal plants commonly used by indigenes in Kenya for the treatment of various ailments including malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea for their antischistosomal properties. Employing the Soxhlet extraction method with different solvents, seven medicinal plants Artemisia annua, Ajuga remota, Bredilia micranta, Cordia africana, Physalis peruviana, Prunus africana and Senna didymobotrya were extracted. Qualitative phytochemical screening was performed to determine the presence of various phytochemicals in the plant extracts. Extracts were tested against Schistosoma mansoni newly transformed schistosomula (NTS) and adult worms and the schistosomicidal activity was determined by using the adenosine triphosphate quantitation assay. Phytochemical analysis of the extracts showed different classes of compounds such as alkaloids, tannins, terpenes, etc., in plant extracts active against S. mansoni worms. Seven extracts out of 22 resulted in <20% viability against NTS in 24 h at 100 μg/ml. Five of the extracts with inhibitory activity against NTS showed >69.7% and ≥72.4% reduction in viability against adult worms after exposure for 24 and 48 h, respectively. This study provides encouraging preliminary evidence that extracts of Kenyan medicinal plants deserve further study as potential alternative therapeutics that may form the basis for the development of the new treatments for schistosomiasis.

Like many other parts of Ethiopia, people in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples&amp;rsquo; Region (SNNPR) do have indigenous knowledge on the preparation and use of traditional medicinal plants. Even though different studies have been conducted to document medicinal plants in different zones of SNNPR separately, there is no previous review work which summarizes the medicinal plants and the associated indigenous knowledge at the regional level (at SNNPR region as a whole or in large scale). Also, there is no previous review work that prioritizes the factors that affect medicinal plants at the regional level (including threatened medicinal plants). The purpose of this paper was to review habitat, growth forms, the method of remedy preparation and administration, marketability of medicinal plants, and to prioritize the factors that affect medicinal plants in SNNPR. Most of the medicinal plants in the majority of the reviewed areas are harvested from wild. Herbs are the most utilized life forms and leaves are the most utilized plant part in the preparation of remedies. Fresh plant materials are the most employed in the preparation of remedies. Majority of medicinal plants are not marketable. Agricultural land expansion is a major threat to medicinal plants which followed by deforestation. Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata, Prunus africana, Echinops kebericho, Croton macrostachys, Cordia africana and Dodonaea angustifolia, Hagenia abyssinica, Withania somnifera and Ficus spp are the highly affected medicinal plant species which require conservation and management priority in the region.

Medicinal plants are common in our environment and have been useful in traditional medicine. The present study was conducted to evaluate the mineral content, the phytochemical, and antimicrobial properties of Carica papaya seed extracts on clinical isolates. The C. papaya seeds were sourced from fruits sellers from the Ekosodin community in Ovia North East Local Government, Benin City, Edo State. The seeds were air-dried for 14 days. The extract was obtained by maceration using distilled water and ethanol as solvents. The results of the mineral composition for both aqueous and ethanolic extracts indicated that sodium, potassium, calcium, zinc, copper, phosphorus, nitrogen, chromium, and iron were present. The phytochemical screening for both aqueous and ethanolic extracts indicated the presence of compounds such as saponins, phenolics, alkaloids, and flavonoids. The antimicrobial assay revealed that C. papaya seed extracts had good antimicrobial properties with a minimum inhibition of 100 mg/mL observed in Staphylococcus epidermidis and Bacillus subtilis for the aqueous extract, 1.04 mg/ml S. epidermidis and B. subtilis, and 2.08 mg/ml Candida spp. for the ethanol extract. The minimum bactericidal concentration of the ethanol extract in this study was 4.16 mg/ml for S. epidermidis and 8.33 mg/ml for B. subtilis, and the minimum fungicidal concentration was 8.33 mg/ml for Candida spp. The results from this study indicated that C. papaya seeds possess sufficient mineral components and phytochemical components, indicating their potential use as supplementary antimicrobial agents and essential nutrients for both humans and animals.

식용 및 약용 식물 215 종의 천연물로부터 추출부위를 달리한 메탄올 추출물 309 종을 조제하였으며, 안전성이 우수한 천연물 충치예방 및 치료제 개발을 목표로 309종의 추출물의 S. mutans JC-2에 대한 항균 활성을 평가하였다. 항균활성은 96 well microtiter method에 의한 생육저해능 측정 및 disk paper method에 의한 생육저지환 크기를 측정하여 평가하였으며, 그 결과 가죽나무(가지), 곰딸기(열매), 독활(잎), 상수리나무(잎), 여뀌(전초), 작약(종자), 짚신나물(뿌리) 추출물에서 강한 활성을 확인하였다. 상기 7종 천연물의 최소 생육저지농도(MIC)를 측정하여 항균 활성을 비교한 결과, 여뀌, 상수리나무, 가죽나무 추출물이 <TEX>$25\∼30{\mu}g/ml $</TEX>의 농도에서 생육을 완전히 억제하였다 이러한 결과는 항균력이 우수한 천연물로부터 새로운 충치 예방 및 치료제 개발이 가능함을 제시한다 Oral streptococci are major constituents of dental plaques, and their prevalence is closely linked with various pathologic symptoms, such as dental caries. To develop natural anticaries agent, we prepared 309 kinds of plant extracts from 215 species of edible or medical plants, and antibacterial activity of the extracts against Streptococcus mutans JC-2 were evaluated based on 96 well microtiter plate assay and disk paper method, subsequently. Among the tested plant extracts, Ailanthus altissima, Paeonia lactiflora, Rubus phoenicolasius, Aralia continentalis, Quercus acutissima, Persicaria hydropiper and Agrimonia pilosa extracts showed strong antimicrobial activity. Determination of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the selected seven plant extracts showed that Ailanthus altissima, Persicaria hydropiper and Quercus acutissima extracts (<TEX>$MIC=25\∼30[\mu}g/ml$</TEX>) has potential as a source of natural anticaries agents.

In recent decades, medicinal plants have been of great interest as they have been the sources of natural products. As a result, there is a need to analyse the phytochemical and antibacterial properties of Eucalyptus globulus against Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study was carried out to determine the percentage yield, phytochemical properties, antibacterial activity, minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentration (MIC/MBC) of the crude extracts using the reflux extraction, qualitative phytochemical, agar well diffusion and broth dilution method respectively; while aqueous, normal hexane and ethyl acetate were used as extraction solvents. Aqueous extract has the highest yield of 16.08%, ethyl acetate extract (8.76%) while n-hexane extract had 3.84%. Phytochemicals such as tannins, alkaloids, and phenols were present in all three solvent extracts; while terpenoids, glycosides and steroids were absent. Saponins and flavonoids were present in water extract, flavonoids were present only in the ethyl acetate extract. The most active with mean inhibition zone (MIZ) diameter of 13.33±0.58mm and 10.33±0.58mm against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus respectively at 50mg/mL while the lowest activity of MIZ diameter of 8.00±2.00mm was obtained with same extract and concentration against Escherichia coli. N-hexane and ethyl acetate extracts show no activity against the test organisms. The lowest MIC of 15.6mg/mL and MBC of 31.3mg/mL were obtained against Escherichia coli. Based on these results, it can be concluded that Eucalyptus globulus leaf extracts possess antibacterial activity against some of the test organisms and can be considered for drug development.