The practice of traditional medicine for the control of fertility in most parts of Ethiopia is ba... more The practice of traditional medicine for the control of fertility in most parts of Ethiopia is based on the uses of plant medicines for many years. The fact that herbal medicines have been employed for such a long time does not guarantee their efficacy and safety. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to carry out phytochemical screening, efficacy and safety studies on one of the traditionally used antifertility plants: Rumex steudelii. The secondary metabolites of the root of this plant were determined. The methanolic extract of the roots of this plant were investigated for their antifertility activity in female rats and oral LD50 was determined in mice. The identification of the secondary metabolites showed that the roots of the plant contained phytosterols and polyphenols. It was found that the extract reduced significantly (p<0.01) the number of litters. It also produced antifertility effect in a dose dependent manner and the contraceptive effect was manifested for a definite period of time. Furthermore, the extract prolonged significantly the estrus cycle (p<0.05) and the diestrous phase (p<0.01) of the rats. The wet weights of the ovaries and uterus were shown to be reduced significantly (p<0.01) and (p<0.05), respectively. The oral LD50 of the extract was found to be 5 g/kg in mice. All these observations suggest that the extract has antifertility effect and is safe at the effective antifertility doses employed in this study.
Millettiea ferruginea (Hochst) Bak (Fabaceae) is an indigenous plant, traditionally used for the ... more Millettiea ferruginea (Hochst) Bak (Fabaceae) is an indigenous plant, traditionally used for the treatment of various disease conditions in Ethiopia without substantiating its safety. This study, therefore, evaluated its toxicity in albino Wistar rats. The hydroalcoholic extract of M. ferruginea was prepared by maceration of the powdered seeds in 70% ethanol. The effect of extract administration to albino Wistar albino rats for 90 days at doses of 125 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg b/w was investigated. Subchronic administration of the extract at a dose of 250 mg/kg decreased mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and monocytes in female rats. The blood levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine transaminase (ALT), creatine kinase (CK) and urea in the female, and CK in male rats treated with the extract at 250 mg/kg were significantly increased. Histopathological investigation of the liver revealed signs of blood congestions in portal vein and hepatic artery at 125 mg/kg, and mi...
Background:Skin diseases the common causes of morbidity in rural and urban areas of developing co... more Background:Skin diseases the common causes of morbidity in rural and urban areas of developing countries with a high proportion of visits to health facilities. The development of antimicrobial drug resistances challenges the management of skin infections. These prompted the search for new antimicrobials from plants for the management of skin infections. Objective: To develop effective topical anti-microbial formulations from Trachyspermumammi essential oil. Method: The essential oil obtained by hydro distillation, subjected for GC-MS analysis and antimicrobial activity test. The essential oil was formulated into five different semisolid vehicles. The inhibition zones of the essential oil and the formulated products were determined by using agar dilution and well diffusion method. The skin sensitization potential of the formulations were evaluated by guinea pig maximization. Results:The major constituents of the Trachyspermum ammi oil were γ-Terpinene (39.8%), thymole (34.1%) and p...
Background: National insecticide dipping program has been performed in Ethiopia for the last deca... more Background: National insecticide dipping program has been performed in Ethiopia for the last decade on sheep and goat to control ectoparasites. However, there is still high burden of ectoparasite in the country. On the other hand, the widespread use of chemical insecticides has significant drawbacks including increased cost, handling hazards, threat to human health and environment and insecticide resistance. These facts prompted the search for new alternative insecticides from plants for the control of ectoparasite. Objective: To determine insecticidal potency of essential oil formulations on sheep naturally infested by Melophagus ovinus (sheep ked). Method: A randomized block design studies were used on naturally ked infested sheep (n=6) as treatment and control (negative/Tween 80 and positive/diazinon) groups to evaluate insecticidal activity of two essential oils from Cymbopogancitratus and Eucalyptus globulus against Melophagus ovinus ectoparasite. Result: The essential oils sho...
This study was carried out to validate the traditional usage of Asparagus africanus for treating ... more This study was carried out to validate the traditional usage of Asparagus africanus for treating malaria in the traditional health care system of Ethiopia. The in vivo antimalarial activity of chloroform, butanol and aqueous fractionates (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg) of Asparagus africanus roots against a chloroquine (CQ) sensitive strain of Plasmodium berghei ANKA was assessed using the 4-day suppressive test procedure. The oral administration of the three fractions showed significant (P<0.05) parasitaemia suppression at all dose levels in dose related manner compared with the negative control. The butanol fraction showed the highest (85.94%) parasitaemia suppression at dose of 300 mg/kg/day while the aqueous residue induced parasitaemia suppression of 66.79% at the same dose. The chloroform fraction also showed significant parasitaemia suppression at all orally administered dose levels. The butanol fraction significantly prolonged (P<0.05) the survival times of P. berghei infecte...
BackgroundIn Ethiopian folk medicine, there is a claim that medicinal plants can treat urolithias... more BackgroundIn Ethiopian folk medicine, there is a claim that medicinal plants can treat urolithiasis although there is insufficient scientific evidence. The objective of this study was to evaluate the curative efficacy ofGomphocarpus fruticosusextracts in experimentally induced nephrolithiatic rats.MethodsUrolithiasis was induced in male Wistar rats by feeding ethylene glycol in drinking water for 28 days. The curative effects were evaluated after oral administrations of 200 mg/kg of the extracts from 15 to 28 days. Urine samples were collected 1 day before sacrificing the rats. Blood, liver and kidney samples were gathered under anaesthetic condition at day 28. Crystals in the urine were also analyzed by light microscopy.ResultsG. fruticosusEtOAc extract reduced significantly the level of sodium (P < 0.001), whereas it was significantly elevated the levels of magnesium and citrate (P < 0.01) compared to lithiatic control.G. fruticosusBuOH extract lowered the levels of potassiu...
BACKGROUND: The emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to antimalarial drugs ne... more BACKGROUND: The emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to antimalarial drugs necessitated the search for new drugs from natural products. Zingiber officinal Roscoe and Echinops Kebericho Mesfin are traditional herbal medicines widely used for the treatment of malaria in Ethiopia. The aim of the study was to assess the toxicity profile and in vivo antiplasmodial activities of 70% methanol crude extracts of both plant materials against Plasmodium berghei.METHODS: Healthy male Swiss Albino mice of age 4-5 weeks and weight 25-36 g were infected by P. berghei. The extracts were administered orally at doses 5000, 2500 and 1250 mg/kg for acute toxicity of E. kebericho Mesfin. Graded doses at 1000, 500 and 250 mg/kg used for four days suppressive studies. Parasitemia, body weight, packed cell volume (PCV) and survival time were determined. SPSS Version 20 was used for the analysis of data of parasitemia, body weight, PCV, and survival times. Statistical significance was de...
An outbreak of a chronic liver disease of unidentified cause, known as "Unidentified Liver D... more An outbreak of a chronic liver disease of unidentified cause, known as "Unidentified Liver Disease (ULD)" by local communities was first observed in a rural village in Tigray, northern-Ethiopia in 2001. Little was known about the geographical extent, trend, and epidemiology of the disease. The Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) by then Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and Tigray Regional Health Bureaue established the ULD surveillance system in 2009 to characterize and monitor trends for this emerging disease and to identify cases for treatment and follow up. A large-scale official training was provided to the surveillance staff on case identification, management and reporting. In absence of a confirmatory test, the system used simple case definitions that could be applied by frontline staff with varying clinical training. To maximize resources, health extension workers a...
Background: Many traditional medicines are sold by vendors in the large Merkato market area in Ad... more Background: Many traditional medicines are sold by vendors in the large Merkato market area in Addis Ababa but little is known about their trade, use, safety and sustainability. Objectives: This study aimed at obtaining information on traditional medicines sold by vendors and purchased by clients in Merkato, including their utilization, trade, and changes between 1973 and 2014. Methods: Forty-four vendors and 47 of their customers were interviewed using two questionnaires and a direct observation guide. Data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by applying a χ 2 test. Pharmacists in 2 pharmacies in Merkato were interviewed about the sale of taenicides. Results: Forty-five plant species and 4 minerals were found to be sold by the vendors for the treatment and prevention of various infectious and non-infectious diseases and magico-religious illnesses. The most common plant products were from Boswellia spp., Commiphora spp. (etan), Echinops kebericho (kabericho), Ruta chalepe...
Results: Garlic juice was found to inhibit the growth of the standard organisms of Cryptococcus n... more Results: Garlic juice was found to inhibit the growth of the standard organisms of Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus niger, and the clinical isolates of A. niger at a concentation of 25µl/ml (10mg/ml). A.flavus was inhibited at 37.5µl/ml (15mg/ml) &amp; T. rubrum, T.mentagraphyte, M. ...
The practice of traditional medicine for the control of fertility in most parts of Ethiopia is ba... more The practice of traditional medicine for the control of fertility in most parts of Ethiopia is based on the uses of plant medicines for many years. The fact that herbal medicines have been employed for such a long time does not guarantee their efficacy and safety. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to carry out phytochemical screening, efficacy and safety studies on one of the traditionally used antifertility plants: Rumex steudelii. The secondary metabolites of the root of this plant were determined. The methanolic extract of the roots of this plant were investigated for their antifertility activity in female rats and oral LD50 was determined in mice. The identification of the secondary metabolites showed that the roots of the plant contained phytosterols and polyphenols. It was found that the extract reduced significantly (p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.01) the number of litters. It also produced antifertility effect in a dose dependent manner and the contraceptive effect was manifested for a definite period of time. Furthermore, the extract prolonged significantly the estrus cycle (p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) and the diestrous phase (p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.01) of the rats. The wet weights of the ovaries and uterus were shown to be reduced significantly (p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.01) and (p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05), respectively. The oral LD50 of the extract was found to be 5 g/kg in mice. All these observations suggest that the extract has antifertility effect and is safe at the effective antifertility doses employed in this study.
Millettiea ferruginea (Hochst) Bak (Fabaceae) is an indigenous plant, traditionally used for the ... more Millettiea ferruginea (Hochst) Bak (Fabaceae) is an indigenous plant, traditionally used for the treatment of various disease conditions in Ethiopia without substantiating its safety. This study, therefore, evaluated its toxicity in albino Wistar rats. The hydroalcoholic extract of M. ferruginea was prepared by maceration of the powdered seeds in 70% ethanol. The effect of extract administration to albino Wistar albino rats for 90 days at doses of 125 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg b/w was investigated. Subchronic administration of the extract at a dose of 250 mg/kg decreased mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and monocytes in female rats. The blood levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine transaminase (ALT), creatine kinase (CK) and urea in the female, and CK in male rats treated with the extract at 250 mg/kg were significantly increased. Histopathological investigation of the liver revealed signs of blood congestions in portal vein and hepatic artery at 125 mg/kg, and mi...
Background:Skin diseases the common causes of morbidity in rural and urban areas of developing co... more Background:Skin diseases the common causes of morbidity in rural and urban areas of developing countries with a high proportion of visits to health facilities. The development of antimicrobial drug resistances challenges the management of skin infections. These prompted the search for new antimicrobials from plants for the management of skin infections. Objective: To develop effective topical anti-microbial formulations from Trachyspermumammi essential oil. Method: The essential oil obtained by hydro distillation, subjected for GC-MS analysis and antimicrobial activity test. The essential oil was formulated into five different semisolid vehicles. The inhibition zones of the essential oil and the formulated products were determined by using agar dilution and well diffusion method. The skin sensitization potential of the formulations were evaluated by guinea pig maximization. Results:The major constituents of the Trachyspermum ammi oil were γ-Terpinene (39.8%), thymole (34.1%) and p...
Background: National insecticide dipping program has been performed in Ethiopia for the last deca... more Background: National insecticide dipping program has been performed in Ethiopia for the last decade on sheep and goat to control ectoparasites. However, there is still high burden of ectoparasite in the country. On the other hand, the widespread use of chemical insecticides has significant drawbacks including increased cost, handling hazards, threat to human health and environment and insecticide resistance. These facts prompted the search for new alternative insecticides from plants for the control of ectoparasite. Objective: To determine insecticidal potency of essential oil formulations on sheep naturally infested by Melophagus ovinus (sheep ked). Method: A randomized block design studies were used on naturally ked infested sheep (n=6) as treatment and control (negative/Tween 80 and positive/diazinon) groups to evaluate insecticidal activity of two essential oils from Cymbopogancitratus and Eucalyptus globulus against Melophagus ovinus ectoparasite. Result: The essential oils sho...
This study was carried out to validate the traditional usage of Asparagus africanus for treating ... more This study was carried out to validate the traditional usage of Asparagus africanus for treating malaria in the traditional health care system of Ethiopia. The in vivo antimalarial activity of chloroform, butanol and aqueous fractionates (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg) of Asparagus africanus roots against a chloroquine (CQ) sensitive strain of Plasmodium berghei ANKA was assessed using the 4-day suppressive test procedure. The oral administration of the three fractions showed significant (P<0.05) parasitaemia suppression at all dose levels in dose related manner compared with the negative control. The butanol fraction showed the highest (85.94%) parasitaemia suppression at dose of 300 mg/kg/day while the aqueous residue induced parasitaemia suppression of 66.79% at the same dose. The chloroform fraction also showed significant parasitaemia suppression at all orally administered dose levels. The butanol fraction significantly prolonged (P<0.05) the survival times of P. berghei infecte...
BackgroundIn Ethiopian folk medicine, there is a claim that medicinal plants can treat urolithias... more BackgroundIn Ethiopian folk medicine, there is a claim that medicinal plants can treat urolithiasis although there is insufficient scientific evidence. The objective of this study was to evaluate the curative efficacy ofGomphocarpus fruticosusextracts in experimentally induced nephrolithiatic rats.MethodsUrolithiasis was induced in male Wistar rats by feeding ethylene glycol in drinking water for 28 days. The curative effects were evaluated after oral administrations of 200 mg/kg of the extracts from 15 to 28 days. Urine samples were collected 1 day before sacrificing the rats. Blood, liver and kidney samples were gathered under anaesthetic condition at day 28. Crystals in the urine were also analyzed by light microscopy.ResultsG. fruticosusEtOAc extract reduced significantly the level of sodium (P < 0.001), whereas it was significantly elevated the levels of magnesium and citrate (P < 0.01) compared to lithiatic control.G. fruticosusBuOH extract lowered the levels of potassiu...
BACKGROUND: The emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to antimalarial drugs ne... more BACKGROUND: The emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to antimalarial drugs necessitated the search for new drugs from natural products. Zingiber officinal Roscoe and Echinops Kebericho Mesfin are traditional herbal medicines widely used for the treatment of malaria in Ethiopia. The aim of the study was to assess the toxicity profile and in vivo antiplasmodial activities of 70% methanol crude extracts of both plant materials against Plasmodium berghei.METHODS: Healthy male Swiss Albino mice of age 4-5 weeks and weight 25-36 g were infected by P. berghei. The extracts were administered orally at doses 5000, 2500 and 1250 mg/kg for acute toxicity of E. kebericho Mesfin. Graded doses at 1000, 500 and 250 mg/kg used for four days suppressive studies. Parasitemia, body weight, packed cell volume (PCV) and survival time were determined. SPSS Version 20 was used for the analysis of data of parasitemia, body weight, PCV, and survival times. Statistical significance was de...
An outbreak of a chronic liver disease of unidentified cause, known as "Unidentified Liver D... more An outbreak of a chronic liver disease of unidentified cause, known as "Unidentified Liver Disease (ULD)" by local communities was first observed in a rural village in Tigray, northern-Ethiopia in 2001. Little was known about the geographical extent, trend, and epidemiology of the disease. The Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) by then Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and Tigray Regional Health Bureaue established the ULD surveillance system in 2009 to characterize and monitor trends for this emerging disease and to identify cases for treatment and follow up. A large-scale official training was provided to the surveillance staff on case identification, management and reporting. In absence of a confirmatory test, the system used simple case definitions that could be applied by frontline staff with varying clinical training. To maximize resources, health extension workers a...
Background: Many traditional medicines are sold by vendors in the large Merkato market area in Ad... more Background: Many traditional medicines are sold by vendors in the large Merkato market area in Addis Ababa but little is known about their trade, use, safety and sustainability. Objectives: This study aimed at obtaining information on traditional medicines sold by vendors and purchased by clients in Merkato, including their utilization, trade, and changes between 1973 and 2014. Methods: Forty-four vendors and 47 of their customers were interviewed using two questionnaires and a direct observation guide. Data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by applying a χ 2 test. Pharmacists in 2 pharmacies in Merkato were interviewed about the sale of taenicides. Results: Forty-five plant species and 4 minerals were found to be sold by the vendors for the treatment and prevention of various infectious and non-infectious diseases and magico-religious illnesses. The most common plant products were from Boswellia spp., Commiphora spp. (etan), Echinops kebericho (kabericho), Ruta chalepe...
Results: Garlic juice was found to inhibit the growth of the standard organisms of Cryptococcus n... more Results: Garlic juice was found to inhibit the growth of the standard organisms of Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus niger, and the clinical isolates of A. niger at a concentation of 25µl/ml (10mg/ml). A.flavus was inhibited at 37.5µl/ml (15mg/ml) &amp; T. rubrum, T.mentagraphyte, M. ...
Uploads
Papers by Asfaw Debella