Browsing by Author "Olet, Eunice A."

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    Ethnomedicinal plants used for malaria treatment in Rukungiri District, Western Uganda
    (Tropical Medicine and Health, 2023) Gumisiriza, Hannington; Olet, Eunice A.; Mukasa, Paul; Lejju, Julius B.; Omara, Timothy
    Malaria remains a major global health challenge and a serious cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda, limited access to medical facilities has perpetuated the reliance of indigenous communities on herbal medicine for the prevention and management of malaria. This study was undertaken to document ethnobotanical knowledge on medicinal plants prescribed for managing malaria in Rukungiri District, a meso-endemic malaria region of Western Uganda. Methods An ethnobotanical survey was carried out between May 2022 and December 2022 in Bwambara Sub-County, Rukungiri District, Western Uganda using semi-structured questionnaire. A total of 125 respondents (81 females and 44 males) were randomly selected and seven (7) key informants were engaged in open interviews. In all cases, awareness of herbalists on malaria, treatment-seeking behaviour and herbal treatment practices were obtained. The ethnobotanical data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, informant consensus factor and preference ranking. Results The study identified 48 medicinal plants belonging to 47 genera and 23 families used in the treatment of malaria and its symptoms in the study area. The most frequently cited species were Vernoniaamygdalina, Aloevera and Azadirachtaindica. Leaves (74%) was the most used plant organ, mostly for preparation of decoctions (41.8%) and infusions (23.6%) which are administered orally (89.6%) or used for bathing (10.4%). Conclusions Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants used as prophylaxis and for treatment of malaria still exist among the local communities of Bwambara Sub-County. However, there is a need to investigate the antimalarial efficacy, phytochemical composition and safety of species (such as Digitariaabyssinica and Berkheyabarbata) with high percentage use values to validate their use.
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    Exploring the genetic diversity of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) grown in Uganda based on SSR markers
    (Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 2020) Nakintu, Justine; Albrecht, Christian; Muller, Christina M.; Kagoro-Rugunda, Grace; Andama, Morgan; Olet, Eunice A.; Lejju, Julius B.; Gemeinholzer, Birgit
    Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. is an economically important tree crop that is widely cultivated inUganda for its fruit. Despite its economic importance, little is known about the genetic diversity of jackfruit in the country. This puts the crop’s genetic resource at risk as farmers selectively grow varieties based on market demand. The study analyzed the genetic diversity of A. heterophyllus trees from 12 districts belonging to three agro-ecological zones and three political regions of Uganda. Ten SSR loci were used to assess the genetic relationship among 200 trees, 197 from Uganda and 3 out-group individuals. All SSR loci were polymorphic with an average of 10.9 alleles per locus. STRUCTURE analysis proposed two genetic clusters: Cluster 1 was composed of samples from Eastern and neighboring Central districts, and Cluster 2 which constituted outgroups and samples from Western and neighboring Central districts. Results of STRUCTURE analysis were confirmed by PCoA. Mbarara District exhibited the highest genetic diversity (He = 0.79, I = 1.71), while Kamuli (He = 0.61, I = 1.08 and Pallisa (He = 0.59, I = 1.12) displayed the lowest genetic diversity despite high abundances of jackfruit trees. Molecular variation was higher within populations than among populations. Moderate and significant genetic differentiation was registered among geographical zones, while varietal differences displayed little insignificant genetic differentiation. Soft and white pulped varieties, considered inferior on the market, harbored private alleles which may be genetically valuable resources. Therefore, sustainable utilization and conservation efforts of the jackfruit genetic resource should consider preserving inferior varieties for future crop improvement.
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    Phytochemical Composition of Aqueous Crude Extracts of Selected Pesticidal Plants used against Brassica Vegetable Pests
    (International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 2020) Lamara, Racheal; Andama, Morgan; Olet, Eunice A.
    The phytochemistry of five plants (Phytolacca dodecandra, Azadirachta indica, Capsicum frutescens, Allium cepa and Tagetes minuta) was determined to evaluate their potential as sources of alternative pesticides against Brassica vegetable pests. Crude aqueous plant extracts were prepared, on which quantitative and qualitative analysis were performed using standard methods. Tannins and alkaloids were found in all plants examined with their highest quantities obtained in T. minuta at 0.4494 mgml-1and 0.1560 mgml-1 respectively. Steroids were highest in C. frutescens and A. indica at 2.2791 mgml-1 each. Saponins were more inP. dodecandra(31.06%) and flavonoids were highest in C. frutescens(26.13%). It was evident that C. frutescens, A. indica and T. minuta had higher quantities of phytochemicals. This may be responsible for them being more effective pesticides against Brassica vegetable pests than Allium cepa and P. dodecandra which had lower quantities or absence of some phytochemicals.