Browsing by Author "Attah, A. F."

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Ethnobotanical study of plants used in the management of benign prostate hyperplasia in Ilorin, Nigeria
(African Journals Online, 2023) Gegele, I. B.; Ajayi, T. O.; Attah, A. F.; Moody, J. O.
Background: Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) is a prevalent illness in older men. It is a condition where the prostate becomes enlarged and blocks the ease of urine passage out of the bladder. Around 50% of the male population develops symptoms of BPH around 51- 60 years of age. Current therapeutic management options come with undesirable side effects like weight gain, dizziness, and impotence, hence, the need to source for safer alternatives initiated by the acquisition, recording, and preservation of traditional knowledge of medicinal plants. Objective: This study aims to preserve indigenous knowledge by documenting medicinal herbs in use as therapy for BPH. Materials & method: Ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the study areas through interviews using a semi structured questionnaire. Respondents included elderly members of the communities, herbalists, and practitioners of traditional medicine. Quantitative ethnobotany index (Use value index) and descriptive statistics were used to analyse data. Results: 50 respondents were interviewed, 64% were Herb sellers, 22% TMPs, Others 14%. 37 plants belonging to 24 plant families were mentioned in the survey. Methods of preparation of recipes mentioned includes: maceration (37%), decoctions (52%), juice (7%), infusions and paste/powder (4%). Method of administration were majorly oral route. The plant family Fabaceae (19%) had the highest representation. This was followed by the families Annonaceae (8%), Euphorbiaceae (6%), Curcubitaceae, Menispermaceae, Combretaceae, Apocynaceae and Rutaceae with 5% each. Other plant families represented 42% of the total number of plants mentioned. Conclusion: The study areas are endowed with abundant flora which serves as a repository for researchers in the quest to develop less toxic drugs with little or no side-effect for the management of BPH.
Ethnomedicinal survey of medicinal plants used in the management of diabetes in Ibadan north east and south east, Oyo state, Nigeria
(Svedberg Open, 2022) Ajayi, T. O.; Attah, A. F.; Tokede, G. A.
Diabetes mellitus, a lifestyle disease, affects 8.3% of the world’s adult population. It is one of the most frequent non-communicable diseases in the modern period with enormous burden due to changes in lifestyle, eating habits, the aging population, and urbanization. This work aimed to document the ethnomedicinal plants used in the management of diabetes among Traditional Medical Practitioners (TMPs), herb dealers, and persons with claims of medicinal plant knowledge in two regions of Ibadan. Data was collected from 100 respondents using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data was examined using descriptive statistics and quantitative ethnobotanical indices. Majority of responders (94%) were females with little or no formal schooling (60%). Sixty plant species belonging to 35 families, and 57 genera were found to be used as antidiabetics in the study areas. The most prominent, being Hunteria umbellata, with the highest Use of Mention Index (UMI-0.56). Plants from the Fabaceae family were most mentioned (23%). The most regularly used plant part is the leaves (25%). Oral route was the main means of administration, with decoction being the most preferred method of preparation. The southwestern Nigeria is rich in unknown plants effective in diabetes control, however, more research is needed to extract, chemically clarify, and describe bioactive components that could be used as lead for the development of new antidiabetic medicines with favorable efficacy and safety profiles.
In vitro antiviral activity of peptide‑rich extracts from seven Nigerian plants against three non‑polio enterovirus species C serotypes
(Springer Nature, 2021) Ogbole, O. O.; Akinleye, T. E.; Nkumah, A. O.; Awogun, A.O.; Attah, A. F.; Adewumi, M. O.; Adeniji, A.J.
Background: As frequent viral outbreaks continue to pose threat to public health, the unavailability of antiviral drugs and challenges associated with vaccine development underscore the need for antiviral drugs discovery in emergent moments (endemic or pandemic). Plants in response to microbial and pest attacks are able to produce defence molecules such as antimicrobial peptides as components of their innate immunity, which can be explored for viral therapeutics. Methods: In this study, partially purified peptide-rich fraction (P-PPf ) were obtained from aqueous extracts of seven plants by reverse-phase solid-phase extraction and cysteine-rich peptides detected by a modified TLC method. The peptide-enriched fractions and the aqueous (crude polar) were screened for antiviral effect against three non-polio enterovirus species C members using cytopathic effect reduction assay. Results: In this study, peptide fraction obtained from Euphorbia hirta leaf showed most potent antiviral effect against Coxsackievirus A13, Coxsackievirus A20, and Enterovirus C99 (EV-C99) with IC50< 2.0 μg/mL and selective index ≥ 81. EV-C99 was susceptible to all partially purified peptide fractions except Allamanda blanchetii leaf. Conclusion: These findings establish the antiviral potentials of plants antimicrobial peptides and provides evidence for the anti-infective use of E. hirta in ethnomedicine. This study provides basis for further scientific investigation geared towards the isolation, characterization and mechanistic pharmacological study of the detected cysteine-richpeptides.
Peptide-rich extracts from leaves of newbouldia laevis (P. Beauv.) seem. ex. bureau (bignoniaceae) with antimicrobial and brine shrimp lethality activities
(Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Jos, Nigeria, 2024-05) Nkumah, A. O.; Kehinde, C. T.; Oluremi, B. B.; Attah, A. F.; Ogbole, O. O.
Global concerns over antibiotic-resistant microbial pathogens have spurred a quest for innovative, stable, and target-specific molecules like bioactive peptides. This study evaluates the antimicrobial properties and toxicity of peptide-enriched extracts from Newbouldia laevis leaves. Aqueous extraction, thin layer chromatography (TLC), and Phenomenex's Stratum Giant Tube C18-E were used to obtain partly purified fraction (PPF) and crude peptide extracts (CPE). Antimicrobial inhibitory capacity was determined using p-INT dye, with gentamicin and fluconazole as standards. Cytotoxicity was assessed with Artemia salina nauplii. Microsoft Excel and GraphPad Prism 5 was used in analysing the data. Peptides were detected in CPE and PPF via TLC and modified G-250. PPF demonstrated more efficacy (IC50: 5.89μg/mL to 33.94μg/mL) against bacteria and fungi, with low toxicity (LC50: 5964.87μg/mL for PPF and 1094.20μg/mL for CPE) in the Brine shrimp lethality assay. The study presents the discovery of bioactive peptides from the leaves of Newbouldia laevis. Consequently, bioactive peptides extracted from this plant hold potential as foundational compounds for the development of novel broad-spectrum antibiotics aimed at combating microbial infections.