Anti-sickling potential of a Nigerian herbal formula (ajawaron HF) and the major plant component (Cissus populnea L. CPK)

• Published in: Phytotherapy research Vol. 17; no. 10; pp. 1173 - 1176
• Main Authors: Moody, J. O., Ojo, O. O., Omotade, O. O., Adeyemo, A. A., Olumese, P. E., Ogundipe, O. O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-12-2003; Wiley
• Subjects: Anemia, Sickle Cell - prevention & control; anti-sickling activity; Antisickling Agents - administration & dosage; Antisickling Agents - pharmacology; Antisickling Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Cissus; Erythrocytes, Abnormal - drug effects; General pharmacology; herbal formula; Humans; Medical sciences; Medicine, African Traditional; Nigeria; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Roots; sickle cell anaemia; Sulfites; Xylopia aethiopica; Nigeria; Africa; Human; Hemoglobinopathy; Sickle cell anemia; Root; Pharmacognosy; Red blood cell; Hemopathy; In vitro; Biological activity; Genetic disease; Crisis; Medicinal plant; anti-sickling activity; Hemolytic anemia; Folk medicine; Sodium; herbal formula; Plant origin; Xylopia aethiopica; sickle cell anaemia
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.1323

The anti‐sickling activities of the extracts of the roots of a plant Cissus populnea L. (CPK) (a major constituent of a herbal formula Ajawaron HF used in the management of sickle cell disease in south‐west Nigeria) has been examined. Phytochemical examination of the extract showed the presence of anthraquinone derivatives, steroidal glycosides and cardiac glycosides. Alkaloids and tannins were completely absent in the CPK extracts. Evaluation of the anti‐sickling activity involved the use of both positive (p‐hydroxybenzoic acid, 5 µg/mL) and negative control (normal saline) for each set of experiments aimed at the inhibition of sodium metabisulphite‐induced sickling of the HbSS red blood cells obtained from confirmed non‐crisis state sickle‐cell patients. The chloroform and water partitioned fractions of the cold methanol extracts of CPK exhibited a 62.2% and 52.9% inhibition of sickling, respectively, at 180 min. The herbal formula (HF) aqueous extract showed the highest anti‐sickling activity on a weight by weight basis of all the extracts and fractions tested, giving a 71.4% inhibition of sickling at the end of 180 min incubation when compared with the normal saline control. The maximum percentage inhibition of sickling exhibited by the p‐hydroxybenzoic acid control was 46.0% at 90 min incubation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.