@article {1092, title = {Antifungal Screening of Surveyed Plants of Gwadabawa/Illela Communities of Sokoto State-Northwest Nigeria}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {14}, year = {2022}, month = {October 2022}, pages = {417-422}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {417}, abstract = {

Background: An earlier ethnobotanical study afforded fifteen surveyed plants, which are used as antifungal and wound healing remedies. This informed their antifungal screening to validate folklore claims. Materials and Methods: Identified, procured, and authenticated medicinal plants were each, defatted in hexane and extracted with methanol before partitioning with n-butanol to obtain an n-butanol extract with solubilized antifungal compounds in the organic phase. The resulting concentrated n-butanol extracts were then screened by subjecting each plant extract to in vitro antifungal assay for the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extract on Aspergillus niger in a 96-well flat bottom polystyrene microtiter plate using the broth microdilution method as outlined in the 2021 Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute guideline. Results: The antifungal screening of the plants presented active plant extracts with variable antifungal properties of MIC values ranging from 3.9 to 250 (mg/ml). Only the extract of Balanites aegyptica showed no activity at all concentrations tested. The lowest extreme was recorded for Ficus Platyphylla, which gave a slight activity at the highest MIC of 125mg/ml, while the highest activity was recorded for Faidherbia albida at the lowest test concentration with a MIC of 3.90625 mg/ml. The other thirteen extracts exhibited antifungal activity in varying degree with the following MICs: Stecullia setigera (7.8125 mg/ml), Annona senegalensis (7.8125 mg/ml), Uraria picta (7.8125 mg/ml) Combretum collinum (15.65 mg/ml), Afromosia lexiflora (15.65 mg/ml), Waltheria indica (15.65 mg/ml), Guiera senegalensis (15.65 mg/ml), Carica papaya (31.25 mg/ml), Rogeria adenophylla (31.25 mg/ml), Pennisetum hordeoides (31.25 mg/ml), Acacia nilotica (31.25 mg/ml) and Sida ovata (62.5 mg/ml). Conclusion: The in vitro antifungal potential of these surveyed plants supports their traditional use, hence, information (data) furnished by this study can be exploited for their further evaluations as antimicrobial drug leads of nature.

}, keywords = {Antifungal remedy, Faidherbia albida, Gwadabawa/Illela, Plant extract, Surveyed plants}, doi = {10.5530/pres.14.4.61}, author = {Mathias Sylvester Nefai and Mshelia Halilu Emanuel and Giaze Tijani Rabiu and Hussain Yahaya Ungo-Kore} } @article {1068, title = {Pharmacognostic Evaluations of Leaves and Rootback of Lophira lanceolata Tiegh. Ex Keay (False Shea)}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {14}, year = {2022}, month = {July 2022}, pages = {310-315}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {310}, abstract = {

Objectives: The present study sought to establish quality control parameters of a locally and ubiquitously occurring medicinal plant, Lophira lanceolata which is utilized as folk medicine among the local communities in Northern Nigeria as well as other regions, due to its therapeutic indication mainly as an aphrodisiac, among other uses. Materials and Methods: Pharmacognostically, different types of evaluations were carried out that focuses on organoleptic, macroscopic, microscopic, chemical evaluations as well as heavy metal assessments using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Results: Organoleptic and macroscopic studies revealed some features of the leaves as green and oblanceolate, pinnate venation, with an average leaf size length and width of 14-15 and 4-5 cm respectively. The root has a light pale-brown outer surface and a reddish-brown inner surface. The outer surface was soft and dry while the inner surface was moist and smooth. Leaf microscopy indicated the presence of anisocytic or cruciferous type of stomata while both the rootbark and leaves are not devoid of common ergastic cell contents of calcium oxalate, lignin, starch, protein and tannin. Phytochemical evaluations revealed abundance of phytoconstituent that are richly phenolic of the types of saponin, tannin, triterpenoid, flavonoid, glycosides, diterpenoids, alkaloid, steroid, anthraquinones and phenols etc. Physicochemical evaluations showed a good source of mineral content of carbohydrate (35.93 {\textpm} 1.9199 for leaves and 33.58 {\textpm} 1.6791 for rootbark), Ash (9.33 {\textpm} 0.4714 for leaves and 7.17 {\textpm} 0.2358 for rootbark) in the plant. Heavy metal analysis of the leaves and rootbark investigated for Cadmium, Copper, Lead and Mercury showed that their concentrations were within the WHO (2002) permissible limits. Conclusion: This study provides the scientific data for the proper identification and establishment of standards for the use of the plant, Lophira lanceolata (False shea).

}, keywords = {Chloral hydrate, Evaluation, Heavy metals, Lophira lanceolata, Standardization, Stomata}, doi = {10.5530/pres.14.3.45}, author = {Mathias Sylvester Nefai and Adamu Aliyu Aliero and Waziri Altine Fakka and Bilkisu Umar Jaja} }