Browsing by Author "Muregi, Francis W"

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    PublicationOpen Access
    ANTI-OXIDANT ACTIVITY OF AQUEOUS AND ORGANIC EXTRACTS FROM KENYAN RUELLIA PROSTRATA
    (International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 2017-03-01) Wangia, Christine O.; Jennifer A.Orwa,; Muregi, Francis W; Kareru, Patrick G.; Cheruiyot, Kipyegon; Kibet , Japheth
    Ruellia species belong to Acanthaceae family, and are perennial creepers with widespread medicinal uses including analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity. The objective of this study was to determine the qualitative phytochemical constituents and anti-oxidant activity of crude extracts from whole plant parts of Kenyan Ruellia species viz. Ruellia prostrata. Whole parts of the plants were collected, air-dried under shade and organic extraction was done by cold maceration using ethyl acetate and methanol. Aqueous extraction was done by boiling. Anti- oxidant activity was performed based on the ability of the aqueous, methanolic and ethyl acetate extracts to scavenge free radicals produced by 2,2-Diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Ascorbic acid was used as the standard. Anti-oxidant tests were done at eight concentrations (3.9, 7.8, 15.6, 31.3, 62.5, 125, 250 and 500 μg/ml). The anti-oxidant activity of both plant extracts and ascorbic acid increased with increase in concentration. Methanolic and ethyl acetate extracts exhibited a higher anti-oxidant activity with IC50 values of 20.58 and 22.26 μg/ml respectively, relative to aqueous extract (IC50 of 51.92μg/ml). Ascorbic acid standard exhibited high anti-oxidant activity with IC50 value of 2.11μg/ml. The phytochemical screening tests were based on visual observation of colour change and precipitate formation. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of terpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins and cardiac glycosides. Flavonoids and tannins are a major group of compounds that act as primary anti-oxidants. The presence of these compounds could attribute to the potent anti-oxidant activity of R. prostrata extracts. From this study, it was concluded that Ruellia prostrata could have anti-inflammatory activity.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF IFN-γ IN EARLY MORTALITY OF PLASMODIUM BERGHEI NK65-INFECTED BALB/ C MICE AFTER FEBRIFUGINE TREATMENT
    (S OUTHEAST A SIAN J T ROP M ED P UBLIC H EALTH, 2008-12) Ishih, Akira; Nagata, Toshi; Kobayashi, Fumie; Muregi, Francis W; Ohori, Kaneo; Miyase, Toshio
    Parasitemia patterns, survival and cytokine levels of Plasmodium berghei NK65-in- fected BALB/c mice, treated orally with the alkaloidal mixture of febrifugine and isofebrifugine at a dose of 1 mg/kg twice a day for 4 consecutive days were monitored. Whereas the un- treated mice showed a progressive increase in parasitemia and ultimate death, the alkaloid mixture-treated group showed a transient suppression of parasitemia during the course of treatment. However, the parasitemia increased on discontinuation of treatment, leading to earlier death of mice in the treated group than in the infected but untreated controls. Mice in the infected but untreated group displayed a significant elevation in serum IFN-γ levels during the first week post-infection (pI) and from Day 14 pI, relative to the levels in the uninfected con- trols. In contrast, although mice in the alkaloid mixture-treated group displayed no significant elevation in serum IFN-γ levels during the first week pI, they showed considerable levels on Day 14 pI. There were no significant differences in serum IL-4 levels among the groups. The titers of the parasite-specific IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b and IgG3 were significantly elevated from Day 11 pI in both the treated and untreated groups. There was a significant difference in sur- vival duration between the IFN-γ-/- mutant and BALB/c mice. IFN-γ-/- mutant mice showed a decrease in parasitemia levels while receiving medication, which was significantly lower than those of the treated BALB/c mice. The results of the present study suggest that although IFN-γ is significant for protective immunity in mice with malaria infection, it may play an adverse role post-medication, causing earlier mortality of treated BALB/c mice