jibrin ahmed

Phytosterols derived from medicinal plants are well-known for their therapeutic effects in the treatment of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and microbial infections. Strychnos innocua (a Loganiaceae family member) grows in numerous African countries and is widely used for medicinal purposes. This plant's (root bark) ethyl acetate extract was subjected to chromatographic separation, resulting in the isolation of Campesterol (1) and β-Sitosterol (2). Their structures were verified using mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (1D and 2D NMR), and in comparison to published data. This is a novel report of phytosterol compounds which were isolated from S. innocua root bark. The in silico investigation found that the binding affinities of Campesterol (1) with binding sites of Staphylococcus aureus pyruvate carboxylase (PDB: 3HO8) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factor regulator (PDB: 2OZ6) were -7.8 and -7.9 kcal/mol, respectively. Furthermore, the binding affinities of β-Sitosterol (2) with binding sites of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa are -7.6 and -7.7 kcal/mol, respectively, while ciprofloxacin (standard drugs) exhibited binding affinities of -6.6 and -8.7 kcal/mol. This study concluded that the S. innocua root bark has a rich presence of Campesterol and β-Sitosterol, while their molecular docking studies revealed that they have excellent interactions with S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.

The use of plant products as medicines could be traced as far back as the beginning of human civilization. The medicinal plant “Strychnos innocua (a Loganiaceae plant)” is a deciduous shrub growing 2-12 m tall. This study aimed at using GC-MS to determine the chemical composition and antifungal activity of a root bark methanol extract against Candida krusei. The plant sample was collected and identified at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The maceration extraction method was used to obtain the methanol root bark extract. The chromatogram from the GC-MS analysis revealed sixty-four (64) peaks corresponding to fifty-five phytoconstituents from various organic groups. Among the significant compounds discovered are 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (5.48%), Benzofuran, 6-ethenyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-3,6-dimethyl-5-isopropenyl-, trans- (6.72%), Tetradecanoic acid, 12-methyl-, methyl ester (6.87%), Ethyl Oleate (8.29%), 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, butyl 8-methylnonyl ester (9.10%), Linoleic acid ethyl ester (10.31%) with 6-Octadecenoic acid, methyl ester and peak area of 11.42% being considered the highest peak area. In contrast, Bicyclo[13.1.0]hexadecan-2-one with a peak of 0.03% is considered the lowest peak area. It can be concluded that the phytocompounds discovered in the root bark methanol extract of Strychnos innocua could be valuable in treating some human ailments.

The antifungal and antibacterial effects of medicinal plants have long been known. The root bark decoction of Strychnos innocua (a Loganiaceae plant) has been used to treat skin infections, candidiasis, and other disorders. Hence, the aim of this study is to determine the phytochemical, antibacterial, and antifungal properties of root bark extracts of S. innocua. This is the first time a study of this nature is been conducted using the root bark of the plant. Maceration with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol as solvents was used in the extraction process, while the phytochemical analysis of the extracts followed a standard procedure. This confirmed the presence of flavonoids, coumarines, triterpenes, steroids, saponins, tannins, phenols, anthraquinones, quinones, carbohydrates, phlobatannins, glycosides, cardiac and alkaloids. The extracts exhibited antimicrobial activities against MRSA, B. subtilis, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, C. krusei, A. fumigatus, C. albicans while no activity against E. coli, S. pyogenes, S. typhii, A. niger and K. Pneumoniae were observed. MIC and MBC/MFC were also determined. In conclusion, the root bark of S. innocua is thought to be rich in phytochemicals and has antifungal and antibacterial effects against some of the tested pathogens.

Treatments of various diseases in pharmacology through herbs have begun a long time ago. Herbal medicines have been in practice since time immemorial, and over 80% of the global population depends on medicinal plants to treat disease. Medicinal plants contain active ingredients for functional therapeutics purposes, such as antimicrobial agents. Examples of those medicinal plants are found in different plant species belonging to different families such as Boraginaceae, Loranthaceae, Urticaceae, Plantaginaceae, Loganiaceae, Lamiaceae, among others. The genus, Strychnos belongs to the family of Loganiaceae and consists of about 200 species. Isolated compounds and antimicrobial of a few species from the Strychnos genus have been reported recently. This review aimed to detail the isolated compounds and antimicrobial efficacy of selected Strychnos species reported within 2014 – 2021. Based on the MIC result, the antimicrobial efficacy indicated that extracts of S. madagacariensis and S. pungens have the highest activity against S. typhi, extract of S. lucida have highest activity against B. cereus and S. pyogenes, extract of S. spinosa showed better activity against K. pneumonia and B. subtilis, extract of S. nux-vomica has highest activity against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. faecalis while extract of S. colubrine exhibited excellent activity against C. perfringens. About thirty compounds belonging to alkaloids, terpenoid, terpene, steroids and other class and their pharmacological properties were reviewed in this study. This is concluded that the Strychnos species under this review contains a wide variety of compounds belonging to different classes of phytochemical, possessing significant antimicrobial activity.

Depression has become burden to the society with millions of people suffering from annually. Symptoms of depression are including difficulties in concentration, sad mood, loss of interest, guilt, feeling of hopelessness, sleeping difficulty, restlessness, appetite loss, decreased energy, suicidal attempts among others. Therefore, the present work aimed to review the antidepressant activity of extracts from seventy six medicinal plants belonging to forty four plant families. Methodology such as open field test, force swim test, tail suspension test and beam walking assay were used for the determination of antidepressant activity in plants extracts. Different extraction techniques and solvents were utilized to extract phytochemicals from the plants materials. All information regarding the antidepressant medicinal plants in this research study were obtained from various research articles published in fifty nine Journals. The results indicated that the medicinal plants in this review possess significant antidepressant activity. These medicinal plants extracts may serve as a potential resource for natural psychotherapeutic agent against depression.