Browsing by Author "Onyeaghala, A.A."

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    COMPARATIVE PROXIMATE, PHYTOCHEMICAL AND MINERAL CONTENTS OF FREEZE-DRIED AND AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF VERNONIA AMYGDALINA DEL. LEAVES AND GARCINIA KOLA HECKEL SEEDS
    (International Journal of Herbs and Pharmacological Research, 2020) Bolajoko, E.B.; Onyeaghala, A.A.; Akinosun, O.M.; Attah, A.F.; Moody, J.O.; Khine, A.A.
    Medicinal plants have been used for centuries to meet primary healthcare needs. This study compared proximate, phytochemicals, micronutrient and toxic metal concentrations in freeze-dried and aqueous extract samples of Vernonia amygdalina (VA) leaves and Garcinia kola (GK) seeds. Fifty gram of freeze-dried samples and 50 mL of freshly prepared aqueous extracts of VA and GK each were used for the analysis. Proximate compositions of VA and GK were assessed using standard analytical methods. Phytochemicals were quantified spectrophotometrically, vitamins by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and mineral compositions by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Proximate compositions were significantly elevated in freeze-dried samples of VA and GK compared with aqueous extracts. Phytochemicals: tannins, polyphenols and flavonoids, were higher in freeze-dried samples of VA and GK compared to aqueous extracts (p<0.05). Terpenoids and alkaloids were only observed in VA (p<0.05) but not detected in GK. Similarly, micronutrients including manganese, iron, copper, zinc, vitamins A, C and E were more concentrated in freeze-dried samples compared to aqueous extracts (p<0.05); while, toxic metals such as lead and cadmium were not detected in both freeze-dried and aqueous extracts of VA and GK. The findings suggested that freeze-dried samples of Vernonia amygdalina leaves and Garcinia kola seeds could possess good medicinal and therapeutic properties.
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    Effect of Freeze-dried Vernonia amygdalina Del. Leaves on Glycaemia, Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Selected Metals in Type 2 Diabetics with or without Foot/Leg Ulcer
    (Arch. Bas. App. Med., 2020) Bolajoko, E.B.; Akinosun, O.M.; Onyeaghala, A.A.; Adewumi, O.J.; Adeoti, A.T.; Attah, A.F.; Iyun, A.O.; Fasanmade, A.A.; Moody., J.O.; Khine, A.A.
    Vernonia amygdalina (VA) extracts have been reported to possess antioxidant and hypoglycaemic properties in animal studies with paucity of data in human study. To bridge this gap, this study investigated the effect of 8 weeks supplementation of freeze-dried VA leaves on glycaemic indexes and oxidative stress biomarkers in Type 2 diabetics with or without foot/leg ulcer and compared with non-diabetics with or without chronic foot/leg ulcer. One hundred and twenty participants were recruited and grouped into four. Each group was randomly divided into 3 subgroups: subgroup-1 (250 mg VA); subgroup-2 (500 mg VA) and subgroup-3 (No supplementation, NS). Ten millilitres of fasting blood samples were collected for determination of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), total plasma peroxides (TPP), total antioxidant status (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI), antioxidant micronutrients. Also, the wounds were clinically assessed and rated (WA) using modified ABDEFS. Statistical significance was considered at p<0.05. In the subgroups supplemented with 250 and 500 mg VA for 8 weeks, decreases in FPG, HbA1c, TPP, OSI and improvement in WA (p<0.05) as well as increases in TAS and antioxidant micronutrients (p<0.05) were found in all the groups. However, in NS subgroups, increases in FPG, HbA1c, and worsening of wounds (p>0.05), TPP, OSI (p<0.05) with significant decreases in TAS and antioxidant micronutrients were observed. Supplementation with Vernonia amygdalina could be used as a potential adjunct for treatment of diabetes mellitus and diabetic foot ulcer, but with caution when used as prophylactic in non-diabetics to prevent occurrence of hypoglycaemia..
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    Metal Contents and Acute Toxicity of Combined Vernonia amygdalina Leaves and Garcinia kola Seeds-VAGK, a Herbal and Nutritional Formulation in Male Wistar Rats
    (Afr. J. Biomed. Res., 2019-05) Bolajoko, E.B.; Attah, A.F.; Akinosun, O.M.; Onyeaghala, A.A.; Moody, J.O.; Khine, A.A.
    While plants have been useful to man as food and medicine, many have the potentials to induce toxicity either singly or in combination, which may result from their phytochemical contents or accumulation of toxic metals. Therefore, this study investigated the metal contents and acute toxicity of Vernonia amygdalina (VA) leaves and Garcinia kola (GK) seeds in single and combined forms on rat′s kidney and liver. Aqueous extracts of these plants were used to investigate their acute toxicity potentials separately and in combined formulation, VAGK, using male Wistar rats. Following previous studies, a limit acute toxicity investigation of VA and GK were carried out. In addition, a full acute toxicity test was performed on VAGK using Lorkes’ method. The geometric means of doses were used to obtain the acute toxicity value. Histopathological examination was carried out on harvested rats’ kidney and liver while metal analysis was performed on the powdered plants. Results showed that all animals survived the limit dose as well as the full acute toxicity tests. The Kidney and liver revealed no notable pathological changes in the tested plants. Concentration of some of the analysed metals (mg/kg) in plants fell within recommended permissible limits except for Pb, Co, Cr and Ni, which were above these limits. In conclusion, although the acute oral toxicity test revealed no mortality and demonstrated no detrimental effects on the kidney and liver of the treated rats, however based on metal results, caution must be taken when using these plants as herbal remedy.