Browsing by Author "Kang, Youngmin"

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    In Vitro Antiosteoporosis Activity and Hepatotoxicity Evaluation in Zebrafish Larvae of Bark Extracts of Prunus jamasakura Medicinal Plant
    (Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2020) Komakech, Richard; Shim, Ki-Shuk; Omujal, Francis; Agwaya, Moses; Nambatya, Grace Kyeyune; Motlalepula, Gilbert Matsabisa; Kang, Youngmin
    Osteoporosis is one of the main health problems in the world today characterized by low bone mass and deterioration in bone microarchitecture. In recent years, the use of natural products approach to treat it has been in the increase. In this study, in vitro antiosteoporosis activity and hepatotoxicity of P. jamasakura bark extracts were evaluated. Methods. Mouse bone marrow macrophage (BMM) cells were incubated with tartrate-resistant acid phosphate (TRAP) buffers and p-nitrophenyl phosphate and cultured with different P. jamasakura bark extracts at concentrations of 0, 6.25, 12.5, 25, and 50 μg/ml in the presence of the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand (RANKL) for 6 days. The osteoclast TRAP activity and cell viability were measured. Nitric oxide (NO) assay was conducted using murine macrophage-like RAW 264.7 cells treated with P. jamasakura ethanolic and methanolic bark extracts at concentrations of 0, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, and 200 μg/ml. For hepatotoxicity assessment, zebrafish larvae were exposed to P. jamasakura bark extracts, 0.05% dimethyl sulfoxide as a negative control, and 5 μM tamoxifen as a positive control. The surviving larvae were anesthetized and assessed for hepatocyte apoptosis. Results. TRAP activity was significantly inhibited ( < 0.001) at all concentrations of P. jamasakura extracts compared to the control treatment. At 50 μg/ml, both ethanolic and methanolic extracts of P. jamasakura exhibited significant ( < 0.01) BMM cell viability compared to the control treatment. P. jamasakura ethanolic and methanolic extracts had significant inhibitory ( < 0.01) effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO production at 200 μg/ml and exhibited significant ( < 0.01) and ( < 0.05) stimulative effects, respectively, on RAW 264.7 cell viability. No overt hepatotoxicity was observed in the liver of zebrafish larvae in any of the treatments. Conclusion. The TRAP activity of P. jamasakura bark gives a foundation for further studies to enhance future development of antiosteoporosis drug.
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    Medicinal plants used for cutaneous wound healing in Uganda; ethnomedicinal reports and pharmacological evidences
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2024-05) Gang, Roggers; Okello, Denis; Kang, Youngmin
    Wounds have become a major health challenge worldwide, presenting marked humanistic and economic burdens such as disabilities and death. Annually, approximately 14 million people suffer from wounds worldwide and 80 % of these occur in developing countries like Uganda. In Uganda, besides many cases of daily wound occurrences, approximately 10 % of surgical procedures become septic wounds and consequently lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Accordingly, several ethnomedicinal studies have identified plants used for wound treatment in different parts of Uganda and the wound healing activities of some plants have been reported. However, at present, these information remain largely separated without an all-inclusive repository containing ethnomedicinal and pharmacological information of the plants used for wound healing in Uganda, thus retarding appropriate evaluation. Therefore, this review focused on extensively exploring the plants used for treating cutaneous wounds in Uganda, along with associated ethnomedicinal information and their globally reported pharmacological potential. Electronic data bases including Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct were searched using key terms for required information contained in English peer reviewed articles, books, and dissertations. Additionally, correlations between selected parameters were determined with coefficient of determination ( ). The literature survey revealed that 165 species belonging to 62 families are traditionally used to treat wounds in Uganda. Most of the species belonged to families of Asteraceae (14 %), Fabaceae (10 %), and Euphorbiaceae (7 %). The commonest plant parts used for wound treatment include leaf (48 %), root (22 %), stembark (11 %), and stem (7 %), which are prepared majorly by poultice (34 %), decoction (13 %), as well as powdering (25 %). Fifty-four (33 %) of the plant species have been investigated for their wound healing activities whereas, one hundred eleven (67 %) have not been scientifically investigated for their wound healing effects. Pearson correlation coefficient between the number of wound healing plant families per part used and percent of each plant part used was 0.97, and between the number of wound healing plant families per method of preparation and percent of each method of preparation was 0.95, showing in both strong positively marked relationships. The preliminarily investigated plants with positive wound healing properties require further evaluation to possible final phases, with comprehensive identification of constituent bioactive agents. Additionally, the wound healing potential of the scientifically uninvestigated plants with claimed healing effects needs examination. Subsequently, information regarding efficacy, safety, bioactive principles, and mechanism of action could prove valuable in future development of wound healing therapies.
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    A Micropropagation Protocol for the Endangered Medicinal Tree Prunus africana (Hook f.) Kalkman: Genetic Fidelity and Physiological Parameter Assessment
    (Frontiers in Plant Science, 2020) Komakech, Richard; Kim, Yong-Goo; Kim, Wook Jin; Omujal, Francis; Yang, Sungyu; Okello, Denis; Kyeyune, Grace Nambatya; Matsabisa, Motlalepula Gilbert; Kang, Youngmin
    Prunus africana is an endangered medicinal plant and hence new propagation methods are urgently required to increase its populations. Unfortunately, propagation through seeds is challenging due to its long flowering cycle and recalcitrant seeds. We developed a protocol for micropropagation using nodal segment explants. A woody plant medium supplemented with vitamins, 15 g L−1 sucrose, and 1.0 mg L−1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) supported the optimum rate (100%) of axillary shoot initiation. Supplementation with 15 g L−1 sucrose and 1.5 mg L−1 indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) provided the optimum rate (75%) of root initiation. Rooted plantlets were successfully planted in sterilized horticultural soil containing perlite (2:1 v/v) and the survival rate was 98% following acclimatization. The photosynthetic rate assessed using FlourPen FP110 series showed that the ratio of variable fluorescence to maximum fluorescence mean value for in vitro regenerated P. africana (0.830 ± 0.0008) was similar to that of the maternal P. africana plant (0.825 ± 0.005), indicating similarity in their photosynthetic performance; a pivotal process for growth and development. The Fourier transform near-IR (FT-NIR) spectrometer analysis of the in vitro regenerated and the maternal P. africana plant samples exhibited homogeneity in the absorbance peaks at 8,273, 6,344, and 4,938–4,500 cm−1 associated with lipids, starch, and proteins. The genetic fidelity of regenerated plants was confirmed using the randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique. Our protocol is suitable for use in large-scale P. africana to meet the increasing demands for it in the global market.