METHANOL EXTRACT

Polyherbal formulations have long been utilized in traditional medicine for their synergistic therapeutic benefits. This study evaluated the comparative antimicrobial activities of Macedar a polyherbal formulation composed of Carica papaya leaves, Veronica amygdalina leaves, and Croton hirtus leaves and Carica papaya leaves alone. Methanol extracts were prepared using cold maceration and tested against selected Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria through agar well diffusion at varying concentrations (62.5–500 mg/ml). The results revealed that both extracts exhibited significant, dose-dependent antibacterial activity, with Macedar demonstrating stronger inhibitory effects across all test organisms. The highest inhibition zones were observed at 500 mg/ml, with Staphylococcus aureus showing the greatest susceptibility. These findings indicate that the synergistic interaction of the three plants in Macedar enhances antimicrobial potency beyond that of single-plant extracts. The study provides scientific validation for the ethno medicinal use of these plants and highlights the potential of polyherbal formulations Macedar as effective alternatives in combating resistant bacterial infections.

This study investigated the effects of methanol extract of Spondias mombin on body weight changes and liver histology in high-fat diet-fed rats. Obesity and metabolic disorders caused by high-fat diets are major global health concerns, prompting the search for safer plant-based therapeutic alternatives. In this study, thirty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: a normal control group, a high-fat diet (HFD) control group, and three treatment groups administered 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, and 600 mg/kg of Spondias mombin methanol extract respectively. The experiment lasted for six weeks, after which body weight and liver histological changes were assessed. Results showed that rats fed with a high-fat diet without treatment recorded the highest body weight gain (48.6%), confirming the successful induction of obesity. However, rats treated with the plant extract showed a significant and dose-dependent reduction in weight gain, with percentage gains of 32.9%, 30.0%, and 20.6% for the low, medium, and high doses respectively. Histological analysis of liver tissues revealed severe hepatic steatosis in the untreated HFD group, while extract-treated groups showed progressive improvement in liver structure, with the high-dose group exhibiting near-normal hepatic architecture and minimal fat accumulation. The findings suggest that methanol extract of Spondias mombin possesses significant anti-obesity and hepatoprotective properties and may serve as a potential natural therapeutic agent for managing diet-induced metabolic disorders.

Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD) management faces rising challenges from antibiotic resistance and side effects of synthetic drugs. The plant Sida acuta Burm. f. is traditionally used in African Traditional medicine for gastrointestinal ailments. Preliminary studies confirmed its anti-ulcerogenic and antioxidant potential. This study aims to evaluate the in vivo curative anti-ulcer activity of the fractions of the crude methanol extract of S. acuta leaves and to identify the most potent fraction and its possible mechanism of action. The study involved methanol extraction and subsequent fractionation of the extract using solvents of increasing polarity: n-Hexane, Dichloromethane, Ethyl acetate and Aqueous methanol. Phytochemical screening and antioxidant efficacy tests (DPPH, FRAP) were carried out to confirm the extract's components. The in vivo anti-ulcer activity was assessed in Wistar rats using the ethanol-induced ulcer model over five days. Groups received 100 or 200 mg/kg of each fraction, or 40 mg/kg Omeprazole (standard). Ulcer severity was determined via the Mean Ulcer Index (MUI) and percentage ulcer inhibition. Qualitative analysis confirmed Alkaloids, Carbohydrate, Saponins, Terpenoids, Phenols, and Flavonoids. The crude methanol extract, containing significant levels of Total Phenol (38.61 mg GAE/g) and Total Flavonoid (20.70 mg QE/g), exhibited potent antioxidant activity, confirmed by the DPPH (IC50 of 32.26μg/ml) and FRAP (0.21 mM FeSO4 equivalent/g) assays. The in vivo anti-ulcer study, using the ethanolinduced ulcer model in Wistar rats, showed the standard treatment group achieved 73.95% ulcer inhibition. Among the fractions, the n-Hexane fraction exhibited the superior anti-ulcer potential, achieving 61.5% inhibition at 100 mg/kg. The DCM, EtOAC, and Aqueous- Methanol fractions showed moderate to low inhibition (39.70% to 57.07%). The dominant activity concentrated in the non-polar n-Hexane fraction suggests that the primary anti-ulcer mechanism of S. acuta is rooted in cytoprotection (mucosal stabilization) rather than the polar antioxidant effects. This finding successfully validates the traditional use of the plant in treatment of gastrointestinal ailments and identifies the n-Hexane fraction as the primary candidate for future bioassay-guided isolation of novel anti-ulcer compounds.