Browsing by Author "Engeu Ogwang, Patrick"
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Item Dioscorea bulbifera, a highly threatened African medicinal plant, a review(a review, Cogent Biology, 2019) Ikiriza, Hilda; Engeu Ogwang, Patrick; Peter, Emanuel L.; Okella, Hedmon; Umba Tolo, Casim; Muwonge, Abubaker; Mai Abdalla, Ali AbdallaDioscorea bulbifera bulbils are used in the treatment of Piles, dysentery, syphilis, ulcers, cough, leprosy, diabetes, asthma, and cancer. It is a raw material for contraceptives, and it is one of the most consumed yam species especially in West Africa. Unfortunately, this plant is at the verge of extinction because of increased harvest for medicinal purpose. This review aims at providing up-to-date information about its photochemistry, clinical benefits, conservation status and best possible way on how this plant can be conserved for future use. Literature database search was employed, and the findings indicate that much as Dioscorea bulbifera is of diverse clinical and ethnomedicinal benefits, it’s vulnerable to extinction. In order to conserve Dioscorea bulbifera, there is a need to enlighten the local inhabitants on its clinical and commercial importance and uses. Also for the sustainable growth of the plant, the government and Non-governmental agencies have to distribute Dioscorea bulbils to the farmers for planting and also encourage its planting back into the wild. In addition, micropropagation of the D. bulbifera will be the perfect tool for reestablishing the plant in the natural habitat with more advantages of improving growth conditions of the plants.Item In vitro anti-tuberculous study on the combination of extracts of stem-bark of Erythrina abyssinica Lam. ex DC and conventional drugs(Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 2019) Aber, Jacqueline; Engeu Ogwang, Patrick; Anyama, Norbert; Olusoji Ajayi, ClementTuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains an important public health issue worldwide and TB patients are reported to use conventional drugs concurrently with medicinal plants. This study investigated effect of co-administration of Erythrina abyssinica stem-bark extract with Rifampicin and Isoniazid on Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro. Methods: The stem-bark of E. abyssinica was extracted using Methanol and Ethanol, separately. The extract, Rifampicin and Isoniazid drugs were separately reconstituted with distilled water for the experiment. Preserved strain of Tuberculosis H37RV was used with 7H11 middle brook agar. The Minimum concentrations of each extract was mixed with Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations of Rifampicin and Isoniazid and tested on strain of Tuberculosis H37RV to determine the inhibitory effect. Results: The combination of 0.06μg/ml ethanol extract with 0.01μg/ml RI gave 99.2% inhibition and the combination of 0.06μg/ml methanol extract with 0.01μg/ml RI gave 99% inhibition while the combination of 0.01μg/ml RI gave 86.2% inhibition Conclusion: The addition of Erythrina abyssinica extracts to the two conventional drugs produced antituberculous effect and thus corroborates the use of E. abyssinica with conventional drugs to treat tuberculosis patients. There is thus need to further investigate clinically the effects of the combination of the E. abyssinica extracts with the conventional anti tuberculosis drugs on patients.Item Investigations of Artemisia Annua and Artemisia Sieberi Water Extracts Inhibitory Effects on β-Hematin Formation(Med Aromat Plants, 2014) Akkawi, Mutaz; Jaber, Suhair; Abu-Remeleh, Qassem; Lutgen, Pierre; Engeu Ogwang, PatrickMalaria is the most prevalent infectious disease in the world, killing 1-2 million people each year. New drugs are urgently needed to treat drug-resistant strains of malaria. In a previous study we found that extracts from Salvia palestinia leaves inhibited the formation of β-hematin with efficiency similar to that of chloroquine. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of other plant extracts on hemozoin formation. A comparison between the efficiency of aqueous extracts or infusions of Artemisia annua from Luxembourg and Artemisia sieberi from Palestine in inhibiting β-hematin formation was done. Although it was found that the Artemisia sieberi leaf tea infusion was less effective than that of the Artemisia annua, the stem infusion of Artemisia sieberi was found to be better than that of Artemisia annua stems. Results obtained with infusions prepared with tap or well water may be different from results obtained in the laboratory with distilled water. Artemisia annua leaf infusions prepared using salt water (0.5g salt/150ml water) had higher efficiency in inhibiting β-hematin formation than those infusions done with distilled water. Mixing equal amounts of Artemisia annua leaf and Artemisia sieberi stem water extract showed an increase in their inhibitory effect on β-hematin formation. An important finding in this investigation was that the Artemisia annua lyophilized extracts lost activity with time, which may have an impact not only on in vitro laboratory results but also on in vivo treatment efficiency obtained with old extracts. In light of this finding it might be advisable to use Artemisia annua in the form of dried leaf powder and not in the form of extracts or infusion. Stored in dry, ventilated conditions the plant keeps its properties for many years.Item Physical Properties and Compactability of Various Blends of Fully Gelatinised and Pregelatinised Maize Starch(Pharmaceutical and Biosciences Journal, 2020) Angupale, Jimmy R.; Engeu Ogwang, Patrick; Okafor, Sylvester I.The use of pregelatinised maize starch in direct compression as a sole binder produces tablets with relatively low tensile strength. Fully gelatinised maize starch possesses better binding properties but its use is limited in immediate release tablets. The aim of this work was to prepare a blend of fully gelatinised and pregelatinised maize starch possessing optimum tabletting properties. The pregelatinised starch was prepared by heating a 15 % slurry at 65 ℃ for 15 min followed by filtration and drying. The fully gelatinised starch was prepared by heating a 10 % slurry at 80 ℃ for 5min followed by precipitation with acetone, filtration and drying. The two samples were blended in 100:0, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25 and 0:100 proportions. Both local and BP starch samples were used and their blends compared for flow, packing characteristics and compactability. The disintegration time of the compacts was also determined. The results indicated that the BP starch blends exhibited better tabletting properties compared to the local starch. The proportion with 100 % fully gelatinised starch showed the best flow and compactability.Item Quality Control for the Safety of Natural Products(Poisonous Plants and Phytochemicals in Drug Discovery, 2020) Mekuriya Yadesa, Tadele; Engeu Ogwang, Patrick; Umba Tolo, CasimThe World Health Organization (WHO) has defined a medicinal plant as any plant in which one or more of its parts consists of substances that are used for the synthesis of beneficial drugs [1]. These plants need to be studied to better comprehend their characteristics, safety, and efficacy [2]. They comprise biologically active chemicals, including saponins, tannins, essential oil flavonoids, and alkaloids, among others [3], which all serve remedial purposes. It is estimated that 30 000–70 000 medicinal plants exist worldwide, most of which have not been systematically investigated [4]. Generally, herbal products are safer than conventional medications. While monitoring thousands of people who used ginkgo, St. John’s wort, and kava in Europe, a study revealed that mild adverse effects were encountered in fewer than 3% of users [5].Item Rumex usambarensis (Dammer) Leaf and Stem Extract Effect on Body Weight and Lipid Profile: A Study in Albino Rats(Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International, 2016) Nattabi, Hilda; Nkwangu, David; Engeu Ogwang, PatrickThe aim of the study was to determine the effect of Rumex usambarensis plant extract on body weight and lipid profile of fattened albino rats. Study Design: This was an in-vivo experimental study in laboratory animal model. Place and Duration: The study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda, from January to May 2015.Rumex usambarensis stems and leaves were collected from Kabale district in western Uganda during rainy season for the study while one whole plant was brought to the university for authentication by a university botanist. The fresh stems and leaves weighing 8.1 kg were blended in 1.045L of distilled water and filtered through a muslin cloth before evaporating in an oven set at 55°C to a constant weight of dry mass. A portion of the dry mass was screened for presence of phytochemicals groups while the remaining portion was dissolved in distilled water and administered to fattened wistar albino rats at the doses of 125 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg corresponding to group 1, 2 and 3 respectively daily by gavage for 21 days. The Control group received equivalent volume of distilled water by gavage daily. Mean body weights at baseline and at day 21 were statistically compared using ANOVA followed by sidak statistical test at p=0.05. Lipid profiles obtained on day 21 were also compared using the same statistical tests.Item Suboptimal Antiretroviral Drug Levels and Virologic Failures among PLHIV at a Rural Referral Hospital in South Western Uganda: A Descriptive Crosssectional Study(Research Square, 2020) Samba Twinomujuni, Silvano; Engeu Ogwang, Patrick; Roelofsen, Felicitas; Mukonzo, Jackson K.; Atukunda, Esther C.Achieving favorable HIV treatment outcomes is a major challenge, particularly due to nonadherence and consequent sub-therapeutic plasma antiretroviral drug levels. This is often complicated by the development of resistant strains due to mutations. Monitoring antiretroviral drug levels in the blood of patients enrolled on ART can reveal if levels are too high, enough, or too low. High levels may lead to dose-dependent side effects and sub-therapeutic levels could promote treatment failure and resistance. In Uganda, as part of routine HIV care, plasma antiretroviral drug level is estimated indirectly by clinic-based pill counts and patient self-reported adherence, which give no evidence of ingested medication. This study aimed at exploring steady-state nevirapine and efavirenz drug levels in HIV patients accessing ART at a rural referral hospital in South Western Uganda. Methods: This study was nested into a randomized clinical trial that evaluated the effect of Artemisia annua L. and Moringa oleifera on immunological response and viral load among persons living with HIV (PLHIV). In the parent study, 250 HIV-infected patients with continued immunologic suppression (CD4 count < 350cells/μL) despite a minimum of one-year on ART were enrolled. Out of 250 clinical trial participants, 95 were randomly selected for steady-state efavirenz and nevirapine plasma concentration sampling having taken the last at bedtime. Additionally, CD4 count, HIV load, liver, and renal function tests were determined. Participants were also interviewed for adherence, and factors that affect blood drug levels.Item Wound Healing Property and Phytochemical Analysis of Zanthoxylum Species from Uganda(Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International, 2017) Engeu Ogwang, Patrick; Oloro, Joseph; Angupale, Jimmy R.; Baruga, EvaristeThe study evaluated the efficacy and possible mechanism of the stem bark of Zanthoxylum species used by communities and herbalists for wound healing in South Western Uganda. Study Design: Experimental controlled. Place and Duration: Departments of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology. The study done between August 2016 and February 2017. Excision wounds were humanely made on the bark of healthy albino rats and then randomly divided into four groups i.e Group I (Zanthoxylum spp (Zanthoxylum species) water extract) n=9, Group 2 (control herbal drug) n=6, Group 3 (distilled water) n=9 and Group 4 (neomcycine antibiotic) n=3. Treatments were applied twice a day for 15 days. The wound areas determined at baseline (day 1), then at day 6 and day 15 for each of the animals in groups 1, 2 and 3. Percentage reduction in wound areas was determined on day 6 and 15 and statistically compared. On day 7 the rats in group 4 and three rats randomly picked by a blinded laboratory technician from groups 1 and 3 were humanely sacrificed for histology examination of wound tissues. Phytochemical analysis of the water extract of Zanthoxylum spp and the effect of the various solvent on extract efficacy were also evaluated.