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Volume 7
Journal of Traditional Medicine & Clinical Naturopathy
Page 9
conference
series
.com
November 08-09, 2018 Auckland, New Zealand
8
th
International Conference and Exhibition on
Traditional & Alternative Medicine
Traditional Medicine 2018
November 12-13, 2018
Herbal medicine in management of non-communicable diseases: A case of two medicinal plants under
evaluation for bronchial asthma in Kenya
A
sthma is a chronic lung disorder of enormous public health concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates
that 235 million people worldwide suffer from this illness. According to the Global Burden of Asthma Report of 2014,
people of all ages in all parts of the world have asthma, causing a substantial burden to people, often with reduced quality of
life, not only due to its physical effects but also its psychological and social effects. In sub-Saharan Africa, despite improvements
in diagnosis and management and an increased understanding of the epidemiology, immunology and biology of the disease,
asthma prevalence, morbidity and mortality have progressively increased. Asthma has no known cure in modern medicine.
Medicinal plants constitute a rich treasure of sources of natural products, which provide health security to millions. Two plants,
Synadenium grantii Hook.f. (Euphorbiaceae) and Microglossa pyrifolia (Lam.) Kuntze (Asteraceae) are used traditionally for
the treatment and management of various ailments by different communities in Kenya. An observational study by a clinician
on concoctions of the plants for the management of bronchial asthma has indicated a high potential of the preparations. We
report on the anti-asthmatic activity of the extracts in an animal model. Total extracts from the two plants were evaluated
for their anti-asthmatic activity and safety in singular and in combination in a murine model of an allergic airway disease
employing an ovalbumin-induced allergic airway response. Levels of IgE and eosinophil counts were determined for efficacy
and CC50/ LD50 evaluated on mammalian cell lines and in mice for safety following WHO/EDM/TRM/2000.1 guidelines.
Both extracts, administered to mice in singular or in combination showed reduced levels of IgE in blood compared to control
(total OVA-specific IgE: 0.562±0.001×103 [of control] vs. 0.245~0.253±0.001×103 [of test extracts]; p≤0.001 test vs. control by
ANOVA Benferroni/Dunn) following oral treatments at 500 mg/kg. There was a significant reduction of eosinophil counts in
the BALF of mice treated with the extracts (>80% reduction) in treated mice vis-a-vis the untreated mice; p value≤0.001 test
vs. control by Student’s t-test. The concentrations of extract showing efficacy were not cytotoxic in mammalian cell lines or
acutely toxic in mice at tested concentrations (CC50>200 mg/ml in mammalian cell lines; LD 50>5000 mg/Kg in mice). IgE
antibodies and eosinophil are mediators of asthma and their elevation indicate a possible asthmatic attack. Reduced levels of IgE
and eosinophil in treated animals therefore indicated the potential of the extracts in management of asthma. This information
augments observational studies and forms a basis for validation and development of the extracts as alternative therapies for
asthma management.
Biography
Festus M Tolo is a Phyto-Medical Biologist with a PhD in Medicinal Phytochemistry. He is the Chief Research Officer and the Head of NAPREDA-KEMRI and
Fellow at the African Scientific Institute. He is an awardee of the the Nelon Gold Award (NGA) of KEMRI and a recipient of the Inter-Academy Medical Panel (IAMP)
Distinguished Scientist Award in Natural Products Research by the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS) and Chinese Academy of Engineering
(CAE). He is a part time Lecturer in Medical Microbiology and peer Reviewer of Quality Standards (QS) for the Commission for University Education (CUE), Kenya.
fmtolo1@gmail.comFestus M Tolo
Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kenya
Festus M Tolo, J Tradit Med Clin Natur 2018, Volume 7
DOI: 10.4172/2573-4555-C3-007