Traditional Kenyan Herbal Medicine: Exploring Natural Products’ Therapeutics Against Schistosomiasis
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Date
2022
Authors
Ndegwa, Fidensio K
Kondam, Chaitanya
Aboagye, Samuel Y
Esan, Taiwo E
Waxali, Zohra Sattar
Miller, Margaret E
Gikonyo, Nicholas K
Mbugua, Paul K
Okemo, Paul O
Williams, David L
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Cambridge University press
Abstract
Praziquantel (PZQ) remains the only drug of choice for the treatment of schistosomiasis,
caused by parasitic flatworms. The widespread use of PZQ in schistosomiasis endemic areas
for about four decades raises concerns about the emergence of resistance of Schistosoma
spp. to PZQ under drug selection pressure. This reinforces the urgency in finding alternative
therapeutic options that could replace or complement PZQ.We explored the potential of medicinal
plants commonly used by indigenes in Kenya for the treatment of various ailments
including malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea for their antischistosomal properties.
Employing the Soxhlet extraction method with different solvents, seven medicinal plants
Artemisia annua, Ajuga remota, Bredilia micranta, Cordia africana, Physalis peruviana,
Prunus africana and Senna didymobotrya were extracted. Qualitative phytochemical screening
was performed to determine the presence of various phytochemicals in the plant extracts.
Extracts were tested against Schistosoma mansoni newly transformed schistosomula (NTS)
and adult worms and the schistosomicidal activity was determined by using the adenosine triphosphate
quantitation assay. Phytochemical analysis of the extracts showed different classes of
compounds such as alkaloids, tannins, terpenes, etc., in plant extracts active against S. mansoni
worms. Seven extracts out of 22 resulted in <20% viability against NTS in 24 h at 100 μg/ml.
Five of the extracts with inhibitory activity against NTS showed >69.7% and ≥72.4% reduction
in viability against adult worms after exposure for 24 and 48 h, respectively. This study provides
encouraging preliminary evidence that extracts of Kenyan medicinal plants deserve further
study as potential alternative therapeutics that may form the basis for the development of
the new treatments for schistosomiasis
Description
Article
Keywords
Traditional medicine, Artemisia annua, Ajuga remota, Bredilia micranta, Cordia africana, Physalis peruviana, Prunus africana, Senna didymobotrya, schistosomiasis
Citation
Ndegwa, F. K., Kondam, C., Aboagye, S. Y., Esan, T. E., Waxali, Z. S., Miller, M. E., ... & Hagen, T. J. (2022). Traditional Kenyan herbal medicine: exploring natural products’ therapeutics against schistosomiasis. Journal of Helminthology, 96, e16.