Introduction: Liver fibrosis is one of the most common clinical manifestations of hepatic diseases. However, though many synthetic drugs exist for the treatment and prevention of liver diseases, liver injuries still persist. The present study, therefore, sought to investigate the subacute protective effects of Acalphya wilkesiana against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced toxicity in animals. Methodology: Liver injury was induced in experimental animals by administering CCl4 (1:1 v/v in olive oil, intraperitoneally (i.p.), twice weekly for 8 weeks) after pre-treatment with extract of A. wilkesiana (AWE). AWE (250 mg/kg) and Silymarin (120 mg/kg) were administered orally (daily for 8 weeks). The hepatoprotective effect was studied by assaying the activity of liver enzymes, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and alpha-fetoprotein. The effect of the treatments on liver prooxidants (e.g. malondialdehyde [MDA]) and antioxidants (e.g. superoxide dismutase [SOD], reduced glutathione [GSH], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], and glutathione transferase [GST]), as well as inflammatory cytokines (e.g. interleukin [IL]-17, IL-23, nuclear factor kappa beta [NF-kB], and cycloxygenase-1 [COX-1]) and the histology of the liver were also examined. Results: The activity of liver function biomarkers changed significantly upon CCl4 administration; increases in ALT, total and direct bilirubin, and some fibrosis indices (e.g. alpha-fetoprotein and APRI [p<0.05-0.001, compared with normal]) were observed. Co-administration of AWE with CCl4 restored these to normal levels. The intensity of structural alterations revealed that the AWE treatment has protective potential against subacute liver injury. AWE treatment also reduced the expression of IL-17, 1L-23, NF-kB and COX-1, underscoring its antiinflammatory properties. Conclusion: The results of the current study generally suggest that hydroethanolic leaf extracts of A. wilkesiana inferno possess some subacute protective activity by improving liver function and inhibition of inflammation, and could be developed as a potent antifibrotic agent.

Interest in medicinal plant research and usage has risen due to many reported side effects of synthetic drugs and their relatively higher cost. Ocimum americanum (family Lamiaceae) is a commonly used spice in Ghana with the aqueous extracts of leaves, flowers and stem been rich in saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, and tannins. The aim of the study was to evaluate the nephroprotective potential of the aqueous extracts of O. americanum parts on gentamicin- and cisplatin-induced toxicity in rats. In a ten-day experiment, nephrotoxicity was induced with gentamicin (GM; 100 mg/kg b.wt. for 8 days) and cisplatin (Cisp; 6 mg/kg b.wt. for 1 day) after pre-treatment with 250 mg/kg b.wt. of the leaves, stem, and flower extracts of O. americanum and standard drug, silymarin (100 mg/kg b.wt.) for 10 days. The nephroprotective activity was evaluated by assaying the activity of serum kidney function parameter, kidney oxidative stress parameters, kidney inflammatory cytokines (NF-κB and IL-1) and histopathology. The activities of kidney function parameters of animals were significantly increased following Cisp and GM treatment with resultant alteration is kidney microarchitecture, over-expressions of NF-κB and IL1 and kidney oxidative stress markers. Extract pre-treatment restored kidney function to near-normal, downregulating the expressions of IL-1 and NF-κB and improved levels of reduced GSH contents, GPx and SOD activities. However, leaves extract showed the best protection against GM while all extracts showed improved protection (> 50%) against Cisp. Extract of Ocimum americanum exhibit nephroprotective activity and could be developed as a potent kidney protector.

Nephrotoxicity is one of the most common kidney conditions. However, most conventional drugs are not adequate for treatment. This study was designed to evaluate the nephroprotective activity of 50% hydroethanolic leaf extract of Griffonia simplicifolia (DC.) Benth in drug-induced nephrotoxicity in Sprague–Dawley rats. Nephrotoxicity was induced in experimental animals by administering gentamicin and cisplatin after pre-treatment with hydroethanolic extract of G. simplicifolia (GSE). GSE at 100 and 250 mg/kg were administered for 7 and 10 days by oral gavage in the gentamicin and cisplatin models, respectively. Silymarin (120 mg/kg) was given as the standard nephroprotective drug. Nephroprotective effect was studied by assaying the activity of kidney function biomarkers such as creatinine, urea, sodium, chloride, and potassium concentrations. The effect of the treatments on kidney antioxidant enzymes (SOD, MDA, GSH, GPx, GST and NO), inflammatory cytokines (IL 17, IL 23 and COX-2) and the histology of the kidney were also examined. The activity of all the kidney function biomarkers changed significantly in gentamicin and cisplatin-treated rats; increased in urea and creatinine concentration and decreased in Na, K and Cl concentrations. Co-administration of GSE with the nephrotoxins restored these to normal levels. It also reduced NO concentration in both the gentamicin and cisplatin model and increased GPx concentration in the gentamicin model. GSE showed a higher percentage protection than silymarin, a standard nephroprotective drug, in both the gentamicin and cisplatin models. Intensity of structural alterations revealed that the GSE treatments have a protective potential against nephrotoxicity. GSE treatments improved expressions of IL17 and IL23, thus underscoring the proinflammatory and healing properties of GSE, respectively. The results generally indicate that leaves of G. simplicifolia possess nephroprotective activity.

The use of plants for medicine has constituted an important aspect of primary healthcare delivery system of people throughout the world for many centuries. Nonetheless, information on medicinal plants and their conservation are still lacking in some areas, including the Togo Plateau Forest Reserve in Ghana. This paper investigates the ethnobotany of the Togo Plateau Forest Reserve, Ghana, to document the traditional knowledge, uses and conservation of medicinal plants. Information on these plants was sought through a structured questionnaire administered to 384 registered members of the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners’ Association including certified traditional healers, traditional birth attendants (TBAs), vendors of herbal remedies, managers of herbal medicine centers, and local plant collectors from six communities within the catchment area of the Togo Plateau Forest Reserve. The study recorded 114 medicinal plant species, including 14 herbs, 6 lianas, 21 shrubs and 74 trees that are mostly collected from the wild. The most commonly cited medicinal plant species were Azadirachta indica, Alstonia boonei, Morinda lucidaand Nauclea latifolia, mostly used to treat human conditions such as malaria, jaundice, rheumatism, andcough. Mostof the herbal medicines were prepared as decoctions and administered by drinking. Majority of the informants (75%) were within the age bracket of 41-60 years, with males (39%) out numbering the females (36%). Barks, roots and leaves were the most commonly used plant parts, and these were mostly collected by destructive methods. The unregulated collection of plant parts and harvesting methods may reduce plant species richness and abundance in the area, requiring sustained conservation efforts in order to benefit from them medicinally. Key words: Medicinal plants, Togo Plateau forest reserve, plant diversity.