Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
Context: The plethora of ethnomedicinal applications of Tamarindus indica Linn. (Leguminosae), tamarind, includes treatment of human and livestock ailments; preparations are recognized antipyretics in fevers, laxatives and carminatives. African folklore has various applications of tamarind. However, in Nyasaland, domestic fowl are fed with preparations for prophylactic properties.Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the antiviral properties of T. indica extract.Materials and methods: Tamarindus indica stem bark was extracted through ethanol maceration over 24 h, and the crude extract was fractionated by gravity-propelled column chromatography. Newcastle disease virus (NDV) inhibitory activity of extract and fractions were evaluated in vivo using 10-d-old embryonated chicken egg (ECE) as the medium for virus cultivation and antivirus assay. About 240 ECE were grouped into eight (three controls and five experimental) and, 200 μL of the extract and fractions respectively inoculated into NDV pre-infected eggs and incubated at 37 °C. Allantoic fluid was harvested 5 d post-virus infection and assayed for haemagglutination (HA).Results: Anti-NDV assessment showed 62.5 mg/mL of crude extract and fractions: TiA, TiC and TiD to yield a HA titre of 1:128 each, while TiB showed 1:64 HA titre. At 125 mg/mL, a titre of 1:16 was recorded against TiB and TiD and, 1:8 against TiA. Similarly, crude extract and TiC, each recorded 1:4 HA titre. However, the minimum concentrations of extract and fraction for virus inactivation were 0.24 mg/mL and 0.49 mg/mL, respectively.Conclusion: The antiviral activity shown by T. indica portends novel antiviral drugs and, perhaps, as scaffold for new drugs.
Highlights
Folk medicine overtly relies on herbs in the treatment of ailments of infectious and non-infectious nature and this practice dates into antiquity as early men mostly relied on herbs for primary health care (Abdalla et al 2012; Paulia et al 2016)
The virus replication inhibition and/or virucidal activity of T. indica, stem bark, crude ethanol extract and column chromatographic fractions evaluated on velogenic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) (KVD-NDV) showed positive activity
The allantoic fluid harvests treated with 62.50 mg/mL of the crude ethanol extract of the stem bark and fractions; TiA, TiB, TiC and TiD, each showed a positive spot HA while at a higher concentration of 125 mg/mL, only fractions TiA, TiB and TiD showed positive HA (Table 1)
Summary
Folk medicine overtly relies on herbs in the treatment of ailments of infectious and non-infectious nature and this practice dates into antiquity as early men mostly relied on herbs for primary health care (Abdalla et al 2012; Paulia et al 2016). The cost effectiveness of herbal remedies implies affordability and may be the reason why most rural dwellers of the third-world economies rely upon herbal remedies for primary health care (Nwodo et al 2011a). Documented folklore application of T. indica in the treatment of various human ailments includes inflammations, sore throat and as a liniment for rheumatism. Restoration of sensation in cases of paralysis has been ascribed to T. indica pulp. Veterinary folkloric applications of T. indica abound, and an important instance is the mixing of fowl feed with soaked stem bark of T. indica for various reasons including prophylactics
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
