Sela Tea - High Blood (SHB) and Sela Tea - Blood Sugar (SBS) are brands made from traditional herbal medicine for lowering blood pressure and blood sugar, respectively. However, there are no reports supporting the therapeutic claims or concerning the efficacy when concomitantly use with prescription antihypertensive and antidiabetic drugs. The study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antihypertensive and antidiabetic potential of these teas and their combined effects with prescription drugs. Human embryonic kidney and Chang liver cells were used to assess the cytotoxicity effects of tea extracts. SHB was tested on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and renin inhibition while SBS was tested on α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition. A fixed dose combination design was used to evaluate the combined effects of teas and standard drugs namely, aliskiren for renin inhibition, lisinopril for ACE inhibition, and acarbose for α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition. The IC₅₀ concentration of the tea extract was used as fixed extract concentration and was then combined with varying concentrations of the drug. Conversely, the IC₅₀ concentration of the drug was used as the fixed drug concentration and was then combined with varying concentrations of the tea extract. SHB and SBS showed no cytotoxicity effects. SHB inhibited ACE and renin activities with IC50 values of 247.60 and 28.38 µg/mL respectively. SBS inhibited α-amylase and α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 1974.00 and 4.59 µg/mL respectively. The combination of the IC₅₀ values of SHB or SBS with varying concentrations of lisinopril, aliskiren, or acarbose, as well as the combination of the IC₅₀ values of these drugs with varying concentrations of SHB or SBS, resulted in significantly greater enzyme inhibition than that observed with the corresponding drug or Sela tea extract alone. The study highlights the potential of SHB and SBS to inhibit the targeted enzymes (ACE, renin, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase) and to enhance the inhibitory effects of the selected drugs. Sela tea may therefore provide complementary effects when used alongside these drugs. However, further studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.
With the increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), there is growing interest in affordable plant-derived products with potential antidiabetic activity. Chenopodium murale L. (CM) contains bioactive phytochemicals with reported antioxidant and metabolic effects, but its in vivo antidiabetic and renal biochemical effects remain insufficiently characterized. This study evaluated a 70
Abstract With the increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), there is growing interest in affordable plant-derived products with potential antidiabetic activity. Chenopodium murale L. (CM) contains bioactive phytochemicals with reported antioxidant and metabolic effects, but its in vivo antidiabetic and renal biochemical effects remain insufficiently characterized. This study evaluated a 70% aqueous methanolic extract of CM in alloxan-induced diabetic rats using glibenclamide as a standard comparator. Thirty-six albino rats were randomly allocated into six groups ( n = 6 per group): normal control, diabetic control, glibenclamide-treated diabetic rats, CM 200 mg/kg-treated diabetic rats, CM 400 mg/kg-treated diabetic rats, and non-diabetic rats treated with CM 200 mg/kg. Body weight, fasting blood glucose, serum urea, creatinine, and total protein were assessed during a 21-day treatment period. Both CM doses reduced fasting blood glucose by day 21 compared with diabetic controls and attenuated diabetes-associated body weight loss. Serum urea and creatinine were lower in CM-treated diabetic rats, while total protein showed improvement. Acute oral toxicity testing revealed no mortality or visible signs of toxicity at doses up to 2000 mg/kg. These findings indicate that 70% aqueous methanolic CM extract has antidiabetic activity and favorable effects on renal biochemical parameters in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.
Jatropha curcas is a well-known plant in Nigeria, frequently used to treat HIV infection and associated opportunistic infections. The potential herb-drug interactions (HDIs) mediated by drug metabolizing enzymes, which can arise from the popular use of this plant among HIV/AIDS patients who are on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of J. curcas extracts on cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme activity. The extracts were obtained by exhaustive mechanical extraction using water and ethanol as solvents. To investigate the effect of J. curcas on CYP1A2 and 3A4 activity, probe substrates of CYP enzymes were incubated in rat liver microsomes with and without J. curcas extracts, and IC50 were calculated. The results showed that aqueous and ethanol extracts of J. curcas had inhibitory effects on the activity of CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 at concentrations lower than 1000 µg/mL. The two extracts showed moderate inhibition of CYP1A2 with IC50 values of 90.24 ± 2.55 and 83.36 ± 2.06 µg/mL, respectively. The aqueous extract showed weak inhibition, and the ethanol extract showed moderate inhibition towards CYP3A4 activity with IC50 values of 194 ± 2.42 and 33.96 ± 3.72 µg/mL, respectively. Based on these study results, J. curcas extracts can affect CYP1A2 and 3A4 activity. When used along with conventional drugs metabolized by these enzymes, the possible risk of herb-drug interactions should be considered.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related condition characterized by prostate enlargement and lower urinary tract symptoms. Although pharmacological treatments such as finasteride are effective, their use may be associated with adverse effects, prompting interest in plant derived alternatives. Tetracarpidium conophorum (African walnut) seeds contain bioactive phytochemicals with reported antioxidant and other biological activities, but their potential role in prostate health remains insufficiently studied. This study investigated the phytochemical composition of T. conophorum seeds and the effects of dietary seed meal on biochemical and hormonal parameters in a rat model of testosterone induced BPH. Fresh seeds of T. conophorum were processed and incorporated into experimental diets. Acute toxicity was evaluated in mice using the Lorke method. BPH was induced in male Wistar rats by subcutaneous administration of testosterone propionate (20 mg/kg body weight) for 28 days. Phytochemical constituents were quantified spectrophotometrically. Serum lipid profile and antioxidant biomarkers were determined using standard biochemical assays, while serum testosterone and (PSA) levels were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Data were analyzed using one way analysis of variance followed by Duncan post hoc testing, with effect size estimation and Pearson correlation analysis. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Phytochemical analysis revealed appreciable concentrations of total phenolics (260.75 ± 23.54 mg/100 g), flavonoids (102.87 ± 0.22 mg/100 g), and reducing sugars (140.48 ± 13.14 mg/100 g). Acute toxicity testing showed no mortality or observable signs of toxicity at doses up to 5000 mg/kg body weight. In testosterone induced BPH rats, the positive control group exhibited higher PSA and cholesterol levels than the normal control group. Dietary administration of T. conophorum seed meal was associated with lower PSA levels, with the lowest value observed at 1200 mg/kg body weight (4.68 ± 0.40 ng/mL), and lower serum cholesterol levels in treated groups relative to the BPH control. Effect size analysis indicated large treatment effects on PSA (η² = 0.75) and total cholesterol (η² = 0.48). Pearson correlation analysis showed associations between PSA and selected oxidative stress biomarkers. Dietary administration of T. conophorum seed meal was associated with favorable changes in selected biochemical parameters in testosterone induced BPH rats, including lower PSA and cholesterol levels and changes in oxidative stress biomarkers. These findings indicate that T. conophorum seeds contain bioactive constituents that may influence biochemical processes associated with prostatic alterations and oxidative stress. Further studies incorporating histopathological, molecular, longer-term safety, and clinical assessments are required to clarify the potential relevance of these findings to prostate health. Not applicable
