Journal Article

Background: Plants materials have been used for medicinal purposes over the years. It is important that natural medicines used in various Nigerian communities are identified and studied for the potentials for standardization and development as sources of new drugs. This survey is an effort in this direction.

Objective: Precisely, the study aimed to survey four Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kwara State (Central Nigeria) for the medicinal plants used in the management of tumor related ailments by traditional medical practitioners (TMPs).

Method: Data relating to the identities of the natural medicines, level of education and demographic information of participating TMPs were collected using interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaires. This study is cross-sectional and descriptive, and sampling was purposive. IBM SPSS (V23) software was deployed for data analysis, with p-value set at 0.05 for significance.
Results: A total of forty-five respondents were interviewed (56% male and 44% female). Most of them are fairly educated with 11 to 20 years’ experience as traditional healers. A total of 50 plants were mentioned as being used in the management of tumors and related ailments. Tumor regression was mostly monitored by patients’ verbal responses and physical examinations of affected parts by the practitioner. Most of the healers do not keep records of their treatments.

Conclusion: Several herbs were identified by the TMPs for tumors and related ailments in Kwara, Nigeria. From their responses, the need for improvement is dire. These identified herbs may provide natural sources for drug development of cheaper alternatives in developing countries and globally.

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The aim of the study was to evaluate effects of betaine and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbic acid (AA) on tonic immobility (TI), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in broiler chickens, reared during the hot-dry season. Eighty White Ross breed day-old broilers were divided into 4 groups. Group I (control) was given sterile water; group II, betaine (250 mg/kg); group III, AA (50 mg/kg), and group IV, betaine + AA, at 250 + 50 mg/kg, respectively. The administration was done orally in drinking water and daily for 42 days. The duration of TI of each bird was measured. Serum obtained from blood samples collected from the birds were assayed for activities of the enzymes. The dry-bulb temperature (28.33°C-35.67°C), relative humidity (69.0-93.0%), and temperature-humidity index (27.85-36.1), recorded during the study period showed that the birds were subjected to heat stress. Betaine and its coadministration with AA decreased (P < 0.05) TI duration compared to the control group. Betaine + AA significantly increased (P < 0.01) SOD activity compared with the controls. There were significant increases in GPx activity in broiler chickens in betaine (P < 0.01), AA (P < 0.05), and betaine + AA (P < 0.001) groups, when compared with that of controls. The result demonstrates that betaine and/or AA decreased TI and enhanced activities of the antioxidant enzymes in heat-stressed birds. It is concluded that the administration of betaine and/or AA to broiler chickens alleviates the adverse effects of heat stress by decreasing fearfulness and increasing activities of SOD and GPx enzymes