Browsing by Author "Gitahi, Stephen Maina"

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    Antipyretic and Antinociceptive Properties of Dichloromethane: Methanolic Leaf and Root Bark Extracts of Carissa Edulis (Forssk.)Vahl in Rats
    (Kenyatta University, 2015-08) Gitahi, Stephen Maina
    Conventional medications are expensive, not easily available and arguably associated with various severe adverse effects hence the need to develop herbal agents that are effective as a complement. Carissa edulis (Forssk.)Vahl is the herb that has previously made thousands of people flock to a remote Loliondo village in Northern Tanzania, for its cure said to apply to all diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, ulcers, hypertension, and diabetes. Although C. edulis (Forssk.)Vahl is widely used for pyrexia and pain in the traditional system of medicine, review of the literature show no scientifically investigated report of its described effects. This study was therefore designed to bioscreen the dichloromethane: methanolic extract of the leaf and root bark of C. edulis on antipyretic and anti-nociceptive potential on rats. The plant parts were collected from Siakago-Mbeere north sub-county, Embu County, Kenya. Experimental rats were divided in to four groups; normal group, diseased negative control group, diseased reference group and diseased experimental groups. Pain was induced experimentally using formalin while pyrexia was induced into the rats using turpentine. The experimental groups were treated with leaf and root bark extracts at concentration of 50mg/kg, 100mg/kg and 150mg/kg. Antipyretic and anti-nociceptive activities in rats were compared with aspirin (100mg/kg) and diclofenac (15mg/kg) as the standard conventional drugs, respectively. The leaf extracts reduced the rectal temperature by between 0.02% - 2.98% while the root bark extracts reduced it by between 0.15% - 2.55%. Aspirin reduced the elevated rectal temperature by between 1.08% - 2.53%. For antinociceptive study, the leaf extract reduced pain by between 47.04% - 47.19% (in the early phase) and 38.96% - 89.26% (in the late phase) while the root bark extracts reduced it by between 21.5% - 41.89% (in the early phase) and between 21.4% - 90.62% (in the late phase). Diclofenac reduced pain by between 27.37% - 34.9% (in the early phase) and 88.24% - 90.28% (in the late phase). Further, the phytochemical screening results showed that the extracts had alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, phenolics and tepenoids. Alkaloids, flavonoids, and saponins have been associated with antipyretic and anti-nociceptive activities. Therefore, the study has established that the DCM: methanolic extracts of C. edulis (Forssk.)Vahl are effective in management of fever and pain.Therefore C. edulis can be explored as a possible bio-resource for generating an easily available herbal formulation that is more effective in the treatment of fever and pain.
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    Phytochemical Profile and Assessment of in VivoAnti-Inflammatory Efficacy of Ficus sycomorus L. (Moraceae) Extracts in Mice
    (Scientifica, 2025-08) Gitahi, Stephen Maina; Muthee, Eunice Wothaya; Ngugi, Mathew Piero; Machocho, Alex Kingori
    Infammation helps the immune system identify and eliminate disease-causing and foreign stimuli and initiate the healingprocess. Nonsteroidal anti-infammatory drugs have been often used in treating infammation. Synthetic drugs have been as-sociated with severe efects, necessitating the need for alternative medicinal agents. Herbal remedies have comparatively fewer sideefects, are widely available, and are arguably afordable, which makes them more attractive therapeutic agents. Ficus sycomorus isutilized by Kenya’s Mbeere community to treat infammation. However, the science-based data to support their claim werelacking. Te purpose of this study was to ascertain whether methanol (MeOH) and dichloromethane (DCM) leaf and stem barkextracts of F. sycomorus have anti-infammatory qualities in mice. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) andliquidchromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) were used in phytochemical analysis of the extracts. In anti-infammatory assays,6–7-week-old mice were randomly grouped into six clusters with fve mice each. Group one mice were administered normalsaline. Groups of two to four mice were injected with carrageenan to induce infammation and then received various treatments.Group two mice received the vehicle (normal saline), while group three mice received diclofenac (15 mg/kg body weight [bw]). Teextracts were administered to the remaining groups at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg bw. One-way analysis of variance was used to assessfor statistically signifcant diferences, followed by Tukey’s post hoc tests in case of statistical signifcance. Te signifcancethreshold was inferred at p < 0.05. Tis study revealed signifcant anti-edema efects of the extracts on carrageenan-induced pawinfammation in mice. Te GC–MS analysis identifed fatty acids, terpenoids, and terpenes, which have been associated with anti-edema efects. In conclusion, the fndings showed that the extracts have anti-edema efects and phytocompounds associated withthe efects. F. sycomorus extract is hence a novel candidate for developing efcacious anti-infammatory agents