Dissotis Rotundifolia Research Articles

METABOLIC SYNDROME: IN VITROANTIOXIDANT, ANTICANCER, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF DISSOTIS ROTUNDIFOLIA(SM.) WITH PHYTOCHEMICAL AND NUTRITIONAL COMPONENTS

Background:Dissotis rotundifolia(Sm.) Triana isa prostrate herb of the family Melastomataceae. It is used for the treatment of obesity, hypertension, circulatory problems and metabolic syndrome (MS). This study evaluated the antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory.and antimicrobial activities of the whole plant of D. rotundifoliato validateits therapeutic potential in the management and treatment of MS. Materials and Methods: The plant was screened for proximate, mineral, vitamin and phytochemical components, as well as antioxidant activities using standard laboratory techniques. The anticancer activities of the ethanol plant extract were against kidney (VERO) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cells. The anti-inflammatory activity of the extract was determined using nitric oxide production inhibition assay and the antimicrobial activity was evaluated against five pathogenic organisms. All data were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: The plant was rich in carbohydrate (47.87%), protein (22.5%), crude fibre (9.57%), Na (206.67 mg/100 g), Ca (183.33mg/100 g), vitamin C (25.53 mg/100 g), flavonoids (685.00 mg/100 g), alkaloids (616.67 mg/100 g) and saponins (471.67 mg/100 g) contents. Theextract exhibited considerableand variedantioxidant activities.The plant extract was very active against VERO and MCF-7 cellsatlow concentrations(0.145 mg/ml and 0.141 mg/ml respectively) compared to doxorubicin. It also exhibited significant anti-inflammatory action against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW macrophage. The extract was active against all test organisms. Overall, D. rotundifolia displayed significant antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Conclusion: The observed bioactivities of the plant could be attributed to its phytocontents and are indications of itspotential as an agent for the managementand treatment ofmetabolic syndrome.

Beninese Plant Extracts with Antiplasmodial Activity Select New Allele Variants Msp1 and Msp2 in Plasmodium falciparum.

Natural medicinal products are commonly used as a remedy against malaria infections in African populations and have become a major source of information for the screening of new and more effective antiplasmodial molecules. Therefore, in vitro studies are needed to validate the efficacy of these medicinal products and to explore the potential effects of such drugs on the genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum. The current study has investigated the impact of some Beninese plant extracts with antiplasmodial activity on the genetic diversity of P. falciparum. Five (5) ethanolic plant extracts (Dissotis rotundifolia, Ehretia cymosa Thonn, Hibiscus surattensis L., Cola millenii K. Shum, and Costus afer Ker Gawl) and a compound extracted from Ehretia cymosa Thonn (encoded CpE2) were tested against asexual stage parasites of a culture-adapted strain of P. falciparum. Subsequently, the P. falciparum Msp1 and Msp2 markers were genotyped, and the number of allelic variants and the multiplicity of infection (MOI) were compared between drug-exposed and unexposed parasites. All plant extracts have shown inhibitory activity against asexual P. falciparum and selected new allelic variants of the Msp1 and Msp2 genes compared to unexposed parasites. The newly selected allelic variants were K1_100bp and RO33_300bp of the Msp1 gene and FC27_150bp, FC27_300bp, FC27_400bp, and FC27_600bp of the Msp2 gene. However, there was no significant difference in MOI between drug-exposed and unexposed parasites. Our study highlights a source for the selection of new Msp1 and Msp2 alleles after exposure to antimalarial drugs. These findings pave the way for further studies investigating the true roles of these newly selected alleles in P. falciparum.

Microbial Contamination, Antimicrobial Activities of <i>Dissotis rotundifolia</i> Leaf: A Common Ethnomedicine for Ocular Diseases

Backgroud: Direct leaf extracts of Dissotis rotundifolia are commonly used in rural settings including Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria as traditional medicine for the treatment of eye injury and related diseases with limited information on the scientific basis of the microbiological quality/safety of the extract.
 Objective: This study investigated the microbial quality, antimicrobial effects of D. rotundifolia direct leaf extract.
 Materials and Methods: The extracts were evaluated for microbial contamination and stored for 5 days with daily screening for microbial quality. Antimicrobial test was assessed by agar diffusion at various concentrations against five clinical isolates namely; Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Citrobacter freundii and Candida species. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were also determined.
 Results: The findings of the study showed that D. rotundifolia fresh direct extract was not contaminated by any pathogenic bacteria or fungi until after 2 days of storage. The fresh extract was significantly (p < 0.05) more contaminated with Aspergillus flavus (20%) and Aspergillus niger (80%) whereas Aspergillus niger was the only contaminant in the dry extract up to 5 days of storage. The extract significantly (< 0.05) inhibited the growth of all test organisms with zone of inhibition varying between 4mm (S. Pneumoniae) to 15mm (Candida species). MIC for Candida species was observed at 500mg/ml and 200mg/ml for other test organisms while MBC was 500mg/ml for other test organisms.
 Conclusions: The findings of this study are supportive of the use of D. rotundifolia extract in the treatment of bacterial-related ocular diseases and inflammation.

In silico screening of phytochemicals from Dissotis rotundifolia against Plasmodium falciparum Dihydrofolate Reductase

BackgroundMalaria remains a major health concern in developing countries with high morbidity and mortality, especially in pregnant women and infants. A major obstacle to the treatment of malaria is a low effectiveness and an increase resistance of the parasite to antimalarial drugs. As a result, there is an ongoing demand for new and potent antimalarial drugs. Medicinal plants remain a potential source for the development of new antimalarial drugs. Amongst them is Dissotis rotundifolia is an ethnomedical important plant used in West Africa to treat malaria. PurposeThis study aimed at identifying new potential antifolates by virtually screening phytochemicals characterized from the whole plant methanolic extract of D. rotundifolia against Plasmodium falciparum Dihydrofolate Reductase (PfDHFR). MethodsLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS analysis was employed to identify the phytochemicals present in the whole plant methanolic extract of D. rotundifolia. These phytochemicals were docked against the catalytic site of PfDHFR. The docking protocol was evaluated using the Area Under the Curve (AUC) of a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. The binding mechanisms and the drug-likeness of the phytochemicals were characterized. A 100 ns Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation and Molecular Mechanics-Poisson Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) calculations were utilized to analyze the stability, the energy decomposition per residue and the binding free energy of the potential leads. ResultsTwenty nine phytochemicals were characterized and docked against PfDHFR. Dimethylmatairesinol, flavodic acid, sakuranetin, and sesartemin were identified as potential leads with binding affinities of -8.4, -8.9, -8.6, and -8.9 kcal/mol respectively, greater than a stringent threshold of -8.0 kcal/mol. The potential leads also interacted hydrophobically with critical residue Phe58. A novel critical residue, Leu46 was identified to be crucial in the catalytic activity of PfDHFR. The potential leads were also predicted to be anti-protozoal with a probability of active (Pa) value ranging from 0.319 to 0.537. ConclusionThis study elucidates the potential inhibition of PfDHFR by dimethylmatairesinol, flavodic acid, sakuranetin and sesartemin present in D. rotundifolia. These compounds are druglike, do not violate Lipinski's rule of five, have a high binding affinity to PfDHFR, and interact with crucial residues involved in the catalytic activity PfDHFR. Dimethylmatairesinol, flavodic acid, sakuranetin and sesartemin could therefore be further investigated and developed as new antifolate drugs for malaria.

In vivo inhibition of gastric acid secretions and H+/K+- ATPase activity, and enhancement of mucin activity by Dissotis rotundifolia plant extract

Gastric H+/K+ ATPase enzyme is a central biomolecule that controls gastric secretions and its inhibition is reported to correlate with healing and symptomatic relief in both gastroesophageal reflux disease and peptic ulcers patients. The current study was done to assess the claim that Dissotis rotundifolia possesses anti-ulcer potentials. The experiment was done on Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)-induced gastric ulcer rats to ascertain the ability of the plant extract in protecting against gastric ulcer. Histological investigation of gastric lesions and physical examinations of the stomach lining were carried out together with evaluation of gastric secretions. There was experimental evidence in rats to support the purported effectiveness of the plant in the management of gastrointestinal ulceration. The data shows that Dissotis rotundifolia extract at 300 mg/kgbwt acts as an antiulcer agent by serving as a proton pump inhibitor that also increases mucin activity, gastric mucus content, pH but decreases titrable acidity. This was confirmed in the observation of a marked reduction in gastric mucosal damage affirmed by histology in DR-pre-treated groups compared to negative control groups.

Impact of Ethanolic Extract of Dissotis rotundifolia Leaves on Wistar Rat Erythrocyte Membrane

Medicinal plants have been shown to affect the stability of the erythrocyte membrane. Dissotis rotundifolia leaves have been used in Nigeria to treat certain diseased conditions not minding the effect on the erythrocyte membrane. The aimed of this work is to investigate the impact ethanolic extract of Dissotis rotundifolia leaves have on wistar rat erythrocyte membrane. Twenty-five adult wistar albino rats were randomly distributed into five groups administered 0 (control), 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/100 g body weight. Erythrocytes osmotic fragility was determined by measuring the release of haemoglobin from blood added to tubes containing serially diluted phosphate buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4). The results of mean corpuscular fragility (MCF) showed non-significant (p > 0.05) decrease for 50 and 100 mg/100 g body weight doses, while 150 and 200 mg/100 g body weight doses showed non-significant (p > 0.05) increase. The erythrocytes were stabilized by 50, 100 and 150 mg/100 g body weight, while 200 mg/100 g body weight destabilized the erythrocyte membrane. Also, 200 mg/100 g body weight dose showed significant (p ≤ 0.05) increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. At relatively high doses, Dissotis rotundifolia may induce oxidative stress causing significant levels of MDA production resulting in alteration of the chemical and structural composition of the membrane. In conclusion Dissotis rotundifolia at low doses may be useful in maintaining the erythrocyte by stabilizing the membrane, whereas high doses destabilize the membrane and compromise membrane integrity.

In vitro evaluation of the cytotoxicity of Dissotis rotundifolia (Sm.) Triana (Melastomataceae) and Emilia sagittata (Vahl) DC. (Asteraceae) plants used in intimate hygiene among women in Mbandaka, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Plants used by Pygmy women in Mbandaka, Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of Congo include Dissotis rotundifolia (Sm.) Triana (Melastomataceae) and Emilia sagittata (Vahl) DC. (Asteraceae) known as the scarlet gland flower, and are geographically native to parts of Africa, particularly West and East Africa, whose leaves are used for birth spacing, sexual appetite and vaginal shrinkage respectively. The use of these plants as nutraceuticals for several diseases for decades, without any scientific data on their safety is at risk, because although they are natural, they are not completely free of toxic effects or other undesirable effects, hence the evaluation of the toxic effects of these phytomedicines on red blood cells to ensure its safety. For this purpose, the hydro-methanolic extracts of the leaves were prepared by maceration and human red blood cells were used. The results obtained showed a significant hemolytic effect of these extracts, depending on the concentration and the incubation time (15 and 60 minutes). However, the concentrations of 25 and 100 mg/mL of D. rotundifolia induced 34.2 and 51.2% of red blood cell lysis while those of E. sagittata induced only 20.8 and 38.7% of hemolysis. This led to the conclusion that the hydro-methanol extracts of D. rotundifolia are more hemolytic than those of E. sagittata. In view of this finding, the application of D. rotundifolia to the mucosa would cause more damage than that of E. sagittata. However, no significant difference was observed (p>0.05), after Student's test.

Methanolic Leaf Extract of Dissotis Rotundifolia Alleviates Acetic Acid-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Rats

Methanolic Leaf Extract of Dissotis Rotundifolia Alleviates Acetic Acid-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Rats

Effect of Aqueous Leaf Extract of Dissotis Roundifolia on Plasma Glucose and Creatinine Concentration in Normal Albino Rats

Dissotis rotundifolia?is a broad spectrum medicinal plant that has received worldwide recognition. This study was designed to investigate the effect of aqueous leaf extract of Dissotis rotundifolia on plasma glucose and creatinine level in normal albino rats. A total of 6 albino wistar rats each weighing 150g were assembled and randomly divided into 2 groups (control and tests) consisting of 3 rats each. The control group received pelleted growers mash and distilled water all through the period of experiment while the test group received 2ml/kg body weight of extract twice daily. Blood samples was collected into lithium heparin bottle for creatinine and sodium oxalate tube for glucose determination. The data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS version 20. Results showed a significant increase in the mean plasma glucose and creatinine levels in rats treated with Dissotis rotundifolia compared with normal control group. This suggests a deleterious effect of Dissostis rotundifolia at the investigated dosage and thus, may not be safe for oral consumption. Hence, there is need for further studies in this regard in order to ascertain the safety of Dissostis rotundifolia.

NMR characterization and free radical scavenging activity of pheophytin ‘A’ from the leaves of Dissotis rotundifolia

Dissotis rotundifolia is used traditionally in various parts of Africa for the treatment of various ailments. The air dried and pulverized leaves of Dissotis rotundifolia was extracted with distilled n-hexane and ethylacetate, using Soxhlet apparatus. Isolation and purification were carried out using column and thin layer chromatographic techniques. Fraction B14 gave a single spot on thin layer chromatography with a retention factor (Rf) value of 0.57. Characterization of B14 was doneusing 1H-NMR, 13C-DEPT, COSY, HSQC, HMBC and by direct comparison with literature values and pheophytin A was proposed as the structure of the compound. Pheophytin A exhibited a free radical scavenging activity of 10.10±0.05 and 19.51±0.02% at minimum and maximum concentrations of 1.00 and 4.00 mg/mL, respectively. The acclaimed ethnomedicinal uses of D. rotundifolia by the African natives could be linked to the presence of pheophytin A and other phytoconstituents in the plant. This is the first report of the isolation of pheophytin A from D. rotundifolia.
 
 KEY WORDS: Dissotis rotundifolia, Pheophytin A, Chromatographic techniques, Free radicals, NMR
 
 Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2021, 35(1), 207-215.
 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v35i1.18
 
 

In vitro Assessment of Antiplasmodial Activity and Acute Oral Toxicity of Dissotis rotundifolia Extracts and Fractions on Plasmodium falciparum Strains

Aim: Dissotis rotundifolia were selected after an ethnopharmacological survey conducted on plants used traditionally for malaria treatment in South Benin, with the aim of discovering new natural active extracts against malaria parasites.
 Place and Duration of Study: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Bioactive Natural Substances, University of Abomey-Calavi (Benin)/ Laboratory of Infectious Vector Borne Diseases, Regional Institute of Public Health (Benin)/ Laboratoire d’Histologie, de Cytogénétique et d’Embryologie, Faculté des Sciences de la Santé (Benin). The study was conduct from October 2018 to June 2019 in Benin.
 Methodology: The antiplasmodial activity of the plant extracts was evaluated using the parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) immunodetection assay. The extract with the best antiplasmodial activity were used on Wistar rats for acute toxicity.
 Results: Ethanolic extract of Dissotis rotundifolia showed promising activity (Isolate: IC50 = 22.58 ± 1.12 µg/mL; 3D7: IC50 = 6.81 ± 0.85 µg/mL) on Plasmodium falciparum compared to the aqueous extract (Isolate: IC50 > 100 µg/mL; 3D7: IC50> 100 µg/mL). The aqueous fraction of D. rotundifolia exhibit highly potent activity against P. falciparum strain (Isolate: IC50 > 100 µg/mL μg/mL; 3D7: IC50 = 4.05 ± 0.72 μg/mL). Haemolytic effect of actives extracts and fractions is less than 5%. Ethanolic extract of D. rotundifolia revealed no obvious acute toxicity in rat up to the highest dose administered (2000 mg/kg).
 Conclusion: This study justifies traditional uses of D. rotundifolia against malaria. A bioguided fractionation of these extracts would identify molecules responsible for their antiplasmodial activity. Moreover, these results could lead to the design of improved traditional medicines in the basis of this plant.

Flavonoid-Rich Extract of Dissotis rotundifolia Whole Plant Protects against Ethanol-Induced Gastric Mucosal Damage.

Dissotis rotundifolia is a plant in the family Melastomataceae. The methanolic extract of the whole plant is reported to be rich in C-glycosylflavones such as vitexin and orientin. Though there are several reports on the ethnomedicinal use of this plant extract in stomach ulcers, experimental-based data is unavailable. The drive for carrying out this research was to obtain data on the possible ameliorative effect of the whole plant extract of Dissotis rotundifolia (DRE) in gastric ulcerations induced by ethanol in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. SD rats were pretreated with 100, 300, and 500 mg/kg of DRE for 14 days after which an ulcerogen-ethanol was administered. Gross examinations of the stomach lining and histological analysis of gastric lesions were carried out coupled with an assessment of the antioxidant activity of gastric mucosa using MDA, GSH, CAT, and SOD as indicators. The data suggested a significant attenuation in gastric mucosal damage in DRE-pretreated ethanol-induced gastric ulcer reflected in the antioxidant status. There was also a reduction or absence of hemorrhage, edema, and leucocytes infiltration in DRE-treated groups compared to the negative control group. DRE conserved glutathione (GSH) levels, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and enhanced catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme levels. The present study shows that DRE possess protective effects against ethanol-induced ulcer damage in the stomach of rats, which could be attributed to its antioxidant activity.

Isolation of Helicobacter pylori from Gastric Biopsy of Dyspeptic Patients in Ghana and In Vitro Preliminary Assessment of the Effect of Dissotis rotundifolia Extract on Its Growth.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the human stomach. Infection with this microaerophilic bacterium causes gastric and duodenal ulcer. This study sought to isolate H. pylori, from gastric biopsy samples of dyspeptic patients in Ghana using a 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) dye incorporated medium method. This TTC dye method was further used in an antimicrobial susceptibility assay involving Dissotis rotundifolia extract (DRE). H. pylori were successfully isolated from gastric biopsy of dyspeptic patients. Pure cultures of H. pylori in 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) dye incorporated medium were seen as sparkling colonies. Isolates, identified as H. pylori, were gram-negative and urease, catalase, and oxidase positive and showed characteristic morphology as spiral-shaped bacteria under the microscope. The organisms were found to be susceptible to cephalothin and resistant to nalidixic acid. Above all, the observation that H. pylori grew only at 37°C and not 25°C or 42°C affirms that the bacterium is neither Helicobacter cinaedi nor Helicobacter fenneliae. The anti-H. pylori study depicts a statistically lower zone of inhibition for DRE compared to standard drugs [amoxicillin and clarithromycin] (p<0.05), whereas metronidazole showed no zone of inhibition. This study reports the first successful isolation and culturing of H. pylori in Ghana using TTC dye. It also shows that DRE possess an in vitro anti-H. pylori activity and that DRE has some therapeutic potential against H. pylori infection.

Total Phenolic, Flavonoid and Alkaloid Contents, Oxidative DNA Damage Protective and Antioxidant Properties of Methanol and Aqueous Extracts of Dissotis rotundifolia Whole Plant

Background: Antioxidants present in natural sources helps to scavenge free radicals and thus, provide health benefits. The main objective for this research is to determine phenolic, flavonoid, and alkaloid contents, nitric oxide scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, and DPPH-scavenging activity, ferric reducing power of the extracts and DNA damage protecting activity to evaluate the antioxidant potential of various extracts. Materials and Methods: In vitro antioxidant potential of the D. rotundifolia extract was evaluated using 1, 1‑diphenyl‑2‑picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO), and hydroxyl (OH) radical scavenging assays. Ferric reducing power ability of the extract was also examined using tannic acid, and ascorbic acid as standard. Concentrations of plant extracts ranging from 0.02 to 0.10 mg/ml were prepared and mixed with appropriate volumes of reagents. Results: Methanol extract of D. rotundifolia exhibited higher content of phytochemical compounds (alkaloid = 12.4 mg QE/g; flavonoids = 19.3 mg QE/g; and phenols = 18 mg QE/g) at concentration 0.1 mg/ml compare to the aqueous extract (alkaloid = 9.1 mg QE/g; flavonoids = 10.5 mg QE/g; and phenols = 16.5 mg QE/g). An over-all trend found in the present study highlights the fact that the methanol extract have better antioxidant capacities (DPPH, NO, OH and FRAP) than the aqueous extract. D. rotundifolia extracts exhibited considerable protection to the damage of native supercoiled circular at concentrations, 0.1 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml. Conclusion: The study showed that the extracts can competently protect the body against oxidative stress, therefore can be used as a source of potent natural antioxidant compounds.

In vitro H+/K+-ATPase Inhibition, Antiradical Effects of a Flavonoid-rich Fraction of Dissotis rotundifolia, and In silico PASS Prediction of its Isolated Compounds.

Background:Dissotis rotundifolia, commonly referred to as pink lady, has several medicinal uses including peptic ulcer. This study investigated the inhibitory effects of D. rotundifolia extract on H+/K+-ATPase and also assessed its antiradical activity. In silico study of some isolated compounds of this plant was also carried out to affirm the suspected binding properties of extract to H+/K+-ATPase enzyme.Materials and Methods:D. rotundifolia whole plant extract was obtained after extraction process and then assessed for its ability to scavenge free radicals in four in vitro test models. Its ability to inhibit the activity of H+/K+-ATPase enzyme was also evaluated. Molecular docking was carried out on phytoconstituents, namely, vitexin, isovitexin, orientin, and isoorientin reported to be present in the whole plant extract.Results:Data obtained indicated that D. rotundifolia extract (DRE) exhibits strong antioxidant activity. DRE also showed inhibitory effects on H+/K+-ATPase enzyme activity. Docking studies affirmed the in vitro binding effect of the extract to H+/K+-ATPase.Conclusion:These findings suggest that the plant extract possess antioxidant and antipeptic ulcer activity.

In vivo assessment of the toxic potential of Dissotis rotundifolia whole plant extract in Sprague–Dawley rats

ObjectiveTo assess the toxic potential of Dissotis rotundifolia (D. rotundifolia) whole plant extract in Spraque–Dawley rats within a 2-week period of administration. MethodsMethanolic extract of D. rotundifolia was administered orally once daily at dose levels of 0, 100, 300 and 1000 mg/kg body weight for 14 days. Toxicity was assessed using mortality, clinical signs, body and organ weights, hematological indices, serum chemistry parameters and histopathological analyses. ResultsThere were no treatment-related mortalities or differences in clinical signs, hematology and serum biochemistry. This was confirmed by micrographs obtained from histopathological analysis. ConclusionsThe results obtained from the sub-acute toxicological assessment of D. rotundifolia extract suggest that the extract is non-toxic at doses up to 1000 mg/kg/day administered for a period of 14 days.

Interspecific and Intergeneric Hybridization in Dissotis and Tibouchina

Four species of Dissotis and three species of Tibouchina, two genera of the Melastomataceae family, were crossed in an attempt to create interspecific and intergeneric hybrids. Intergeneric crosses set seed at a rate of 18.1% and interspecific crosses had a 32.3% rate of seed set. Germination was extremely poor, with only four crosses having germinated seed. Crosses produced 31 seedlings. Three of the seedlings were from intergeneric crosses between Dissotis canescens and Tibouchina lepidota. Interspecific crosses produced 25 seedlings from crosses between Dissotis princeps and Dissotis rotundifolia and three seedlings from crosses between D. canescens and D. princeps. The prognosis for conventional breeding for species in Dissotis and Tibouchina is poor due to low seed set, poor germination, and slow growth of progeny.

Spray and Drench Treatments of Paclobutrazol Influence Growth of Dissotis and Tibouchina

Dissotis rotundifolia (Sm.) Triana and Tibouchina fothergillae ×pilosa are members of the Melastomataceae family with high ornamental potential. The growth habits of these species are not ideal for nursery production or shipping. D. rotundifolia grows rapidly and needs frequent pruning. T. fothergillae ×pilosa has an open growth habit and could benefit from a more compact form. The effect of the plant growth regulator (PGR) paclobutrazol on D. rotundifolia and T. fothergillae ×pilosa was assessed to determine whether it could produce plants with a more compact growth habit. Paclobutrazol was applied as a drench and a spray. Drench application was more effective in reducing the growth of both species. Spray application was effective in reducing the growth of D. rotundifolia but was not effective on T. fothergillae ×pilosa. Neither drench nor spray application delayed or reduced flowering in D. rotundifolia. T. fothergillae ×pilosa did not flower during the study. For both D. rotundifolia and T. fothergillae ×pilosa, neither drench nor spray application had an effect on root dry weight. Low-to-medium dosages were effective at controlling plant growth in D. rotundifolia and T. fothergillae ×pilosa without adverse effects on plants. Drench treatments have more persistent effects on plant growth than spray treatments.

Medicinal plants used to treat TB in Ghana

AimsThe current study was designed to document medicinal plant species that are traditionally used to treat tuberculosis (TB) by Ghanaian communities. MethodsThe medicinal plants used against TB or its signs and symptoms were selected using library and online published data searches. A guided questionnaire interview was also conducted with a botanist involved in plant collection at the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine (CSRPM) at Mampong. Data obtained were entered in Excel and summarized into means and frequencies using SPSS 12.0.1 for windows, and expressed as tables and bar graphs. ResultsA total of 15 medicinal plant species distributed between 13 genera and 13 families were documented. The following medicinal plant species were found to be used against TB in Greater Accra and Eastern parts of Ghana: Azadirachta indica A. Juss. Stem bark (Meliaceae), Hygrophila auriculata Heine, whole plant (Acanthaceae), Chenopodium ambrosioides L. leaves (Amaranthaceae), Coix lacryma-jobi L. glumes (Poaceae), Solanum torvum Sw. unripe fruits (Solanaceae), Solanum torvum Sw. leaves (Solanaceae), Bidens pilosa L. whole plant (Asteraceae), Phyllanthus fraternus G.L. Webster leaves (Phyllanthaceae), Dissotis rotundifolia (Sm.) Triana, leaves (Melastomataceae), Cymbopogon giganteus Chiov. Leaves (Poaceae), Cyperus articulatus L. roots (Cyperaceae), Allium sativum L. bulb (Amaryllidaceae), Zingiber officinale Roscoe, rhizomes (Zingiberaceae), Allium cepa L. bulbs (Amaryllidaceae), Allium cepa L. leaves (Amaryllidaceae), Aloe vera var. barbadensis aqueous extract from leaves (Xanthorrhoeaceae), Aloe vera var. barbadensis organic extract from leaves (Xanthorrhoeaceae), Cocos nucifera Linn, water (Arecaceae) and Cocos nucifera Linn. Husk (Arecaceae). ConclusionsThe collected plant species could be a source of a new class of drugs against TB. Bioactivity guided fractionation is recommended to identify lead compounds for antimycobacterial activity. The current paper documents for the first time medicinal plant species used by Ghanaian communities to treat TB. These results are a basis for selection of plants for further pharmacological, toxicological and phytochemical studies in developing new plant-based antimycobacterial drugs.

The effect of methanolic extract of Dissotis rotundifolia on cadmium induced testicular damage in whistar rats

Cadmium is one of the most important toxic heavy metals, reported to have damage the testis of many mammals and Dissotis rotundifolia (Melastomaceae) Triana is known to have many uses in ethnomedicine. This present study was carried out to investigate the effect of Dissotis rotundifolia on the histology, sperm parameters, tissue antioxidant parameters on cadmium damaged testis and also to investigate its possible pro-fertility effect. Thirty (30) adult male Wistar albino rats divided into seven (7) groups were used in this research study. Group A received distilled water only, Group B received 2mg/kg b/w of cadmium only. Group C received 2mg/kg bw of cadmium and 50mg/kg bw of extract, Group D received 2mg/kg bw of cadimium and 300mg/kg bw of extract, Group E received 50mg/kg bw of exract only, Group F received 300mg/kg bw of extract only, Group G received 2mg/kg bw of cadmium and 300kg/mg bw of Vitamin E. Administration was done at 0800 hour daily foor 21days. Adminstration of Dissotis rotundifolia on cadmium induced testicular damage on Wistar rats showed signs of amelorative effect on the histology of testis, sperm parameters while on the normal testis it showed signs of pro-fertility effect, improving the histology of testis, enzyme antioxidant levels and sperm parameters at 50mg/kg per bw.