N. Eluehike

The study investigated the chemical composition of the water-soluble fraction derived from Lonchocarpus cyanescens leaves, a West African medicinal plant traditionally used for ailments like arthritis and ulcers. After fresh leaves were extracted using a Soxhlet apparatus and the water fraction was isolated and derivatized, it was analyzed by GC-MS. Initial phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of key secondary metabolites like flavonoids, saponins, and tannins. GC-MS profiling of the water fraction identified 12 major compounds, comprising over 95% of the total composition. The most predominant constituents were hexadecanoic acid (palmitic acid, 18.5%), 9-octadecenoic acid (oleic acid, 15.2%), phytol (12.8%), and squalene (10.4%). These identified compounds, which also included beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol, are recognized for their antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, suggesting a chemical basis for the plant's ethnomedicinal applications. The results underscore the potential of the water fraction as a source of bioactive compounds and recommend further bioactivity assays to confirm therapeutic efficacy

Chasmanthera dependens stem is used in African traditional medicine as a remedy for various maladies and also as a as a remedy for leprosy and lupus; however, scientific evidence tovalidateits uses in gastric ulcer healing is lacking. This study investigated the 'Gastroprotective effect of methanol extract of Chasmanthera dependens on aspirin induced ulcerated rats. Atotal numberof twenty-five (25) albino Wistar rats weighing between (120g-200g) were usedinthegastroprotective screening. The rats were randomly divided into three (3) control groups (n=15)and two (2) test groups (n=10) which are classified as follows; Normal control (n=5):
Administered only clean water and commercial feed, Negative control (n=5): Aspirin (300mg/kg)body weight. Positive control (n=5): Misoprostol (20mg/kg) body weight for seven (7) days+Aspirin (300mg/kg) body weight, Gastroprotective (n=5): Chasmanthera dependens extract (250mg/kg) body weight for seven (7days) + Aspirin (300mg/kg) body weight, Gastroprotective(n=5): Chasmanthera dependens extract (500mg/kg) body weight + Aspirin (300mg/kg) bodyweight. The animals were fasted for a period of 24hours, 300mg/kg body weight dose of aspirinwas used to induce ulcer. After four (4) hours, under light anaesthesia by chloroform, the animal swere sacrificed, stomach removed, washed, opened on greater curvature and examined for ulceration. Gastric injuries, ulcer index, pH and acid output were evaluated. The results obtained revealed gastric mucosa damage as evident by marked morphological changes, increasedulcerscore, ulcer index and acid output at p< 0.05. Results of this study showed that methanol can effectively extract the active constituents responsible for anti-ulcerogenic properties. This result has therefore justified the use of extracts of roots of Chasmanthera dependens in the traditional treatment of gastric ulcers in Nigeria.

Luffa cylindrica is a popular, medicinal vine belonging to the Curcubitaceae family that reproduces from seeds. Commonly called loofah, Luffa cylindrica is used in treating pains, backaches, rheumatoid arthritis, fever, syphilis, dysentery and tumours. Luffa cylindrica fruit extracts, using ethanol was studied to explore its In-vitro antioxidant activity and HPLC profile. DDPH (α, α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl) radical, FRAP (Ferric reducing antioxidant power), Hydroxyl radical, and Nitric oxide scavenging activity were assayed to determine the antioxidant capacity of Luffa cylindrica. Also, bioactive compounds were determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Phytochemical screening of the ethanoic extract of the Luffa cylindrica fruit extracts indicated the presence of steroids, flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides, alkaloids and phenolic compounds. Quercetin was the most predominant compound present.

Luffa cylindrica is a popular, medicinal vine belonging to the Curcubitaceae family that reproduces from seeds. Commonly called loofah, Luffa cylindrica is used in treating pains, backaches, rheumatoid arthritis, fever, syphilis, dysentery and tumours. Luffa cylindrica fruit extracts, using ethanol was studied to explore its In-vitro antioxidant activity and HPLC profile. DDPH (α, α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl) radical, FRAP (Ferric reducing antioxidant power), Hydroxyl radical, and Nitric oxide scavenging activity were assayed to determine the antioxidant capacity of Luffa cylindrica. Also, bioactive compounds were determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Phytochemical screening of the ethanoic extract of the Luffa cylindrica fruit extracts indicated the presence of steroids, flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides, alkaloids and phenolic compounds. Quercetin was the most predominant compound present.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by high blood sugar levels. Inhibiting enzymes like alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase is a key strategy to control hyperglycemia. Lonchocarpus cyanescens is a medicinal plant with potential antidiabetic properties that warrants scientific evaluation. The major aim of this research is to ascertain and provide scientific information on the antidiabetic properties of Lonchocarpus cyanescens utilizing alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase inhibitory assay All materials used were of high quality which includes alpha amylase, alpha glucosidase, distilled water, ethanol, acetone, hexane. Methodology involves detrmining the antidiabetic properties of the plant extract utilizing alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase inhibitory assay. The potential for Lonchocarpus cyanescens extract to reduce hyperglycemia and perform antidiabetic functions was determined. Alpha-amylase inhibition activity of each fraction was determined by the method of Worthington 1993. An aliquot of 500 microliter of the extract (0.1–0.4 mg/ml) and 500 microliters (0.02M) of sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6.9 with 0.006M NaCl) containing 0.5 mg/ml of alpha-amylase will be mixed together and incubated for 10 min at room temperature.Afterwards, 500 microliters of 1% starch solution prepared with 0.02M sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6.9 with 0.006M NaCl) will be added and incubated in a water bath at 25°C for 10 minutes.The reaction mixture will be stopped by adding 1.0 ml (96 mM) of Dinitro salicylic acid.The mixtures in the test tubes will be incubated in boiling water in a water bath for 5 minutes and then cooled for alpha amylase. Then for alpha glucosidase Alpha-glucosidase activity of each fraction will be determined by the method of Apostolidis et al., 2007.The substrate solution, p-nitrophenyl- glucopyranoside (pNPG), was prepared in 0.02M phosphate buffer, pH 6.9. 1000 microliter of alpha-glucosidase was incubated with 500 microliters of different concentrations of the extract for 10 minutes at 25°C. An aliquot (500 microliter) of freshly prepared phosphate-buffered p- nitrophenyl-glucopyranoside (5 mM) solution will be added. The reaction mixture will be incubated at 25°C for 5 minutes and stopped by adding 2 ml of 0.1 Na₂CO₃. The alpha- glucosidase activity was determined by measuring the absorbance at 405 nm using a spectrophotometer. Absorbance reading assay was carried out and statistical analysis was also carried out to checkn for satistical significance. A p-value for alph amylase was found out to be [ p=0.0321] and for alpha glucosidase the p –value was recorded to be [p=0.0002] in this assay. In conclusion, Lonchocarpus cyanscens possess antidiabetic properties and can serve for several medical purposes.

Lonchocarpus cyanescens (Fabaceae), commonly known as Yoruba Indigo, is a medicinal plant widely utilized in West African ethnomedicine to treat skin infections, ulcers, and inflammatory conditions. This study aimed to characterize the phytochemical constituents of the acetone fraction of L. cyanescens leaves using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to provide a scientific basis for its traditional uses. Dried and powdered leaves were subjected to ethanolic maceration and sequential solvent partitioning to isolate the acetone fraction. Constituents were then identified by comparing their mass spectra against the NIST14 library. The GC-MS analysis led to the tentative identification of 40 distinct compounds, with many key components showing high spectral match quality scores (>80). The chemical profile was predominantly composed of aromatic hydrocarbons, with Benzene, 1,2,4-trimethyl- (19.05%) being the most abundant constituent. Other major components included various fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), such as Dodecanoic acid, methyl ester (5.18%) and 9-Octadecenoic acid (Z)-, methyl ester (4.18%). Biologically relevant minor compounds, including the monoterpene o-Cymene and the anti-inflammatory sesquiterpene Azulene, were also detected. These findings provide a chemical basis for the plant's traditional therapeutic uses and establish a valuable phytochemical fingerprint for future quality control and pharmacological research.

This study investigates the in vitro antioxidant activity of ethanol extracts derived from Foeniculum vulgare seeds, commonly exploited for its medicinal purposes. Foeniculum vulgare is rich in bioactive compounds with potential health benefits, including antioxidant properties. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis was employed to identify and quantify the bioactive constituents present in the extracts. The antioxidant potential was evaluated using various in vitro assays, including 2,2-diphenyl- 1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), Hydroxyl Radical Scavenging Activity, and Nitric Oxide Scavenging Ability. The results revealed significant a significant difference when compared with the standard ascorbic acid, ethanol extract of Foeniculum vulgare, presence of antioxidant activity with DPPH, FRAP and TAC assays. HPLC profiling provided valuable insights into the chemical composition of the extracts, elucidating the presence of specific antioxidant compounds. This study underscores the potential of Foeniculum vulgare seeds as a natural source of antioxidants and highlights the importance of HPLC analysis in characterizing their bioactive constituents. Further research may explore the therapeutic implications of these findings in the context of oxidative stress-related disorder.

Foeniculum vulgare, a well-known herbaceous plant widely utilized for tis culinary and medicinal properties in rural communities, this suggests the presence of bioactive compounds with therapeutic effects or action. This study aims at elucidating the medicinal properties of the plant by investigating the mineral and vitamin composition and alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase inhibitory properties of ethanol extracts derived from Foeniculum vulgare. Ethanol extracts of Foeniculum vulgare were prepared using standard extraction techniques, solvent extraction with absolute ethanol as the solvent used, the vitamins and minerals content of the extract were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The in vitro alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase activity of the plant extracts were assessed by subjecting the extracts to enzyme inhibition assays using acarbose as the control for each assay. The results obtained suggest that ethanol extract of Foeniculum vulgare were rich in vitamins, predominantly vitamin C (Ascorbic acid), vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and vitamin B3 (Niacin), also micronutrients like Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn) and Cadmium (Cd) were found to be present at varying concentrations. Furthermore, the extracts exhibited significant inhibition of alpha-glucosidase enzymes in vitro, indicating their potential as natural inhibitors of the carbohydrate-digesting enzyme. However, the results indicated little in vitro alpha amylase inhibitory activity. These findings uncover the pharmacological potential of Foeniculum vulgare extracts as functional food ingredients or dietary supplement for managing conditions associated with abnormal carbohydrate metabolism, such as diabetes, by controlling postprandial glucose levels through the inhibition of carbohydrate digestion.