Evaluation of Wound Healing Activity of 80% Methanol Root Crude Extract and Solvent Fractions of Stephania abyssinica (Dill. & A. Rich.) Walp. (Menispermaceae) in Mice.

Background: The root of Stephania abyssinica (Dill. and A. Rich.) Walp. (Menispermaceae) is traditionally used to treat wounds. Despite the fact that there have been in vitro studies and claims supporting wound healing, there has been no scientific data on the in vivo wound healing activities of the root of S. Abyssinica. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the wound healing activity of 80% methanol root extract and solvent fractions of S. Abyssinica in mice. Methods: The roots of S. Abyssinica were air dried, ground and macerated by 80% methanol three times successively. The crude extract was fractionated by water, hexane and ethyl acetate separately. The acute dermal toxicity test was done by applying 2000 mg/kg of the 10% w/w crude extract. Wound healing activity of crude extract was evaluated on excision, incision and burn wound models, while the fractions were evaluated on excision wound model only. Results: In mice, an acute dermal toxicity test of 2000 mg/kg of the 10% w/w crude extract was found to be safe. The 10% w/w crude extract ointment (CEO) produced significant (p < 0.001) wound contraction from 4th to 16th post wounding days, and the 5% w/w CEO were significant (p < 0.01) wound contraction on 10th post wounding day as compared to simple ointment (SO) treated group on excision wound. On burn wound models, the CEO showed highly significant (p < 0.001) from the 6th post wounding days onwards. The tensile strength was increased significantly (p < 0.001) by the CEO treated mice as compared to the untreated group and SO group. Conclusion: The data obtained from this study showed 80% methanol crude extract, the aqueous and the 10% w/w ethyl acetate fraction possessed better wound healing activities, and decreased period of epithelialization.

Wound Healing Activity of 80% Methanolic Crude Extract and Solvent Fractions of the Leaves of Justicia schimperiana (Hochst. ex Nees) T. Anderson (Acanthaceae) in Mice.

Introduction: Justicia schimperiana has been used traditionally for the treatment of wound and skin burn, but there is no scientific evidence that supports the traditional claim. Objective: To evaluate the wound healing activity of 80% methanol crude extract and solvent fractions of the leaves of Justicia schimperiana in mice. Methods: Mice were used for wound healing study, while rats were used for acute dermal toxicity test. The 80% methanol crude extract and chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions were formulated in ointments with 5% and 10% strength. Burn, excision and incision wound models were used to evaluate the effect of the crude extract, whereas the activity of the solvent fractions was evaluated using excision wound model. Parameters such as wound contraction, and period of epithelialization were studied in the excision and burn wound models, while tensile strength was measured in incision wound model. Results: Treatment of wound with 80% methanol extract of Justicia schimperiana leaves using 5% (w/w) and 10% (w/w) ointment formulation induced significant (P<0.05) improvement in wound contraction rate, epithelialization time and skin breaking strength in excision, incision and burn wound model, respectively as compared to negative control. The chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions with 5% (w/w) and 10% (w/w) ointment formulation showed significant (p<0.001) improvement in wound contraction and epithelialization time in excision wound model as compared to the negative control group. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that the 80% methanol crude extract and solvent fractions of Justicia schimperiana leaves possess wound healing activity.

Antidiarrheal Effect of 80% Methanol Extract and Fractions of Clerodendrum myricoides (Hochst.) Vatke (Lamiaceae) Leaf in Swiss Albino Mice.

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea is one of the tempting symptoms of diseases in the world. In Ethiopian traditional medicine practices, Clerodendrum myricoides is utilized for the treatment of diarrhea without scientific evidence. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to evaluate the antidiarrheal activity of 80% methanol extract and fractions of the leaf of Clerodendrum myricoides in mice. METHODS: The crude extract was prepared by maceration in 80% methanol and then fractionated using hexane, chloroform, and distilled water. Antidiarrheal activity was assessed by castor oil-induced diarrhea, enteropooling, and gastrointestinal motility models using onset of diarrhea, number and weight of feces, volume and weight of intestinal contents, and distance travelled by charcoal meal as main parameters. Negative controls received either distilled water or 2% Tween 80 (10 ml/kg), positive controls received 3 mg/kg loperamide or 1 mg/kg atropine, and the test groups received 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg doses of the extract. RESULTS: The crude extract and chloroform fraction significantly prolonged the onset of diarrhea at 200 and 400 mg/kg and decreased the number of wet, total, and weight of fresh feces at all tested doses. Hexane fraction has a significant antidiarrheal effect on the onset, number, and weight of feces at 400 mg/kg. The crude extract and chloroform fraction at all tested doses, as well as aqueous fraction at 200 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, produced significant reduction in volume and weight of intestinal contents. Additionally, hexane fraction showed significant reduction of volume and weight of the intestinal content at 400 mg/kg. In the gastrointestinal motility test model, both chloroform fraction and crude extract at all tested doses and aqueous fraction at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg showed a significant antidiarrheal effect as compared to the negative control. CONCLUSION: The leaf of Clerodendrum myricoides showed antidiarrheal activity which supports the traditional use.

Bacterial Contamination of Multi-dose Eye Drops at Ophthalmology Department, University of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.

PURPOSE: Ophthalmic solutions used for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes were found to be contaminated with bacteria pathogens and caused serious ocular infections such as keratitis and endophthalmitis. The objective was to assess the magnitude and pattern of bacterial contamination of multi-dose ophthalmic medications and investigate the drug susceptibility pattern of the isolates in the Department of Ophthalmology at Gondar University Teaching Hospital. METHODS: A total of 100 ophthalmic medications in-use by patients and eye-care workers have been taken and cultured for potential bacterial contamination in the Microbiology Department after 1 week and >1 week of use. The dropper tip and the residual eye medications were examined for contamination. The contaminating bacteria were identified using a standard procedure and drug susceptibility testing to selected antimicrobial agents was done. RESULTS: Eleven ophthalmic medications were contaminated by different bacterial species with a prevalence of 11%. Multi-use and longer duration of use of eye medications were associated with higher rate of contamination. The contamination level ranges from 0% for antibiotics, 20% for local anesthetics, and 40% for povidone iodine. Among bacteria identified, Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species were resistant to methicillin while others were sensitive to the antibiotics tested. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of contamination was low, but methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus was a potential risk. It is recommended that the Department of Ophthalmology should design set of rules about duration of use and safe handling of ophthalmic medications by the staff and patients.

Methanol leaves extract Hibiscus micranthus Linn exhibited antibacterial and wound healing activities.

BACKGROUND: Infectious diseases are the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Wound and wound infections are also major health problem. Nowadays, medicinal plants play a major role in treatment of infectious diseases and wound healing and they are easily available and more affordable as compared to synthetic compounds. The aim of this study is therefore, to investigate the antibacterial and wound healing activities of 80% methanol extract of Hibiscus micranthus leaves using disc diffusion methods and rat excision model respectively. METHODS: In vitro antibacterial screening was carried out against S. aureus, S.pneumoniae, S. pyogenes, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae and P. mirabilis bacterial strains using disc-well diffusion assay. Would healing activity was done in rats divided into four groups each consisting of six animals. Group I was served as a negative control (ointment base), Group II served as a positive control Nitrofurazone (NFZ 0.2% ointment), Groups III and IV was treated 5 and 10% extracts respectively. The acute oral toxicity test and skin sensitivity test were also performed before conducting the actual study. The extract was analyzed for secondary metabolites using standard methods. RESULTS: Preliminary phytochemical screening have revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, steroids, phenols, diterpines, anthraquinones and the absence of glycosides, terpinoides and triterpines. Based on acute oral toxicity test the extract was found to be safe up to a dose of 2 g/kg. In addition, acute dermal toxicity test indicated no sign of skin irritation. The leaves extract exhibited varying degrees of sensitivity with zones of inhibition ranging from 14.00 ± 0.333 (S.pyogenes) to 22.67 ± 1.202 mm (S.aureus). It was found that S. aureus and S. pneumonia (p < 0.05) were the most sensitive to the extracts of the leaves at concentrations of 800 µg/ml and 400 µg/ml respectively followed by P. aeuruginosa [(18.33 ± .333 mm) (p < 0.05)] at a concentration of 400 µg/ml. However, E. coli and P. mirabilis were found to be resistant to the extract at any of the applied doses. In the wound healing study, the 5 and 10% w/w extract exhibited significant wound contraction rate of 99.30% and 99.13% as compared to NFZ ointment and simple ointment base treated groups from 6th to 16th day, respectively (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that the methanol extract of the leaves exhibited a potential antibacterial activity against the tested microorganisms and wound healing activity.

Antidiarrheal activity of crude methanolic root extract of Idigofera spicata Forssk.(Fabaceae).

BACKGROUND: Till now many of medicinal plants having claimed therapeutic value traditionally are waiting scientific verification of their efficacy and safety. Accordingly this study is conducted to evaluate the antidiarrheal activity of hydromethanolic root extract of Indigofera spicata Forssk. in castor oil induced diarrhea model, misoprostol induced secretion model and its antimotility activity using charcoal as a marker. METHODS: In all the three models the animals were randomly allocated into five groups of six animals each and then group I mice were received 1 ml/100 g normal saline, group II were treated with standard drug as a positive control whereas group III, IV and V were treated with 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg extract doses, respectively. Statistical significance of differences in the mean of number of defecations, fluid content of faces, intestinal fluid accumulation ratio, intestinal fluid weight and distance travelled by charcoal between groups was analyzed by SPSS version-21 using one way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc multiple comparison. RESULT: The hydromethanolic crude extract of Indigofera spicata at 200 and 400 mg/kg mg/kg doses showed statistically significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of the frequency of defecation and weight difference of the fluid content of the faces compared to the negative controls. For those doses the percentage inhibition of diarrheal feces was 43.62 and 53.51 %, respectively. The antisecretary activity of the extract in terms of fluid accumulation ratio was not found significant but in terms of intestinal fluid weight, all the extract doses revealed significant (p < 0.05) inhibition. Unlike the standard drug, the antimotility activity of the extract was not found statistically significant compared to the negative control. CONCLUSION: Root of Indigofera spicata Forssk. has shown promising antidiarrheal activity which validates its traditional use. Further studies are needed and possibly the plant may serve as a potential source of new agent in the therapeutic armamentarium of diarrhea.