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Persea americana mill (lauraceae) is a tree plant also called avocado or alligator pear. It is chiefly grown in temperate regions and sparsely grown in tropical regions of the world. It is recommended for anemia, exhaustion, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, gastritis, and gastroduodenal ulcer. [1] The leaves have been reported as an effective antitussive, antidiabetic, and relief for arthritis pain by traditional medicine practitioners of Ibibio tribe in South Nigeria. Analgesic and antiinflammatory properties of the leaves have been reported. [2] Although there are reports of the medicinal uses of this plant, there is no report on its antidiabetic activity. Therefore, it was thought worthwhile to evaluate its antidiabetic effects in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. In November 2004, the fresh leaves of Persea americana were collected from the farm of the Faculty of Agriculture,

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Context:Zea mays L. (Poacae) husk decoctions are traditionally used in the treatment of malaria by various tribes in Nigeria.Objective: To assess the antimalarial and antiplasmodial potentials of the husk extract and fractions on malaria parasites using in vivo and in vitro models.Materials and methods: The ethanol husk extract and fractions (187–748 mg/kg, p.o.) of Zea mays were investigated for antimalarial activity against Plasmodium berghei using rodent (mice) malaria models and in vitro activity against chloroquine sensitive (Pf 3D7) and resistant (Pf INDO) strains of Plasmodium falciparum using the SRBR green assay method. Median lethal dose and cytotoxic activities against HeLa and HEKS cells were also carried out. The GCMS analysis of the most active fraction was carried out.Results: The husk extract (187–748 mg/kg, p.o.) with LD50 of 1874.83 mg/kg was found to exert significant (p < 0.05–0.001) antimalarial activity against P. berghei infection in suppressive, prophylactive and curative tests. The crude extract and fractions also exerted prominent activity against both chloroquine sensitive (Pf 3D7) and resistant (Pf INDO) strains of P. falciparum with the ethyl acetate fraction exerting the highest activity with IC50 values of 9.31 ± 0.46 μg/mL (Pf 3D7) and 3.69 ± 0.66 μg/mL (Pf INDO). The crude extract and fractions were not cytotoxic to the two cell lines tested with IC50 values of >100 μg/mL against both HeLa and HEKS cell lines.Discussion and conclusion: These results suggest that the husk extract/fractions of Zea mays possesses antimalarial and antiplasmodial activities and these justify its use in ethnomedicine to treat malaria infections.

The antimalarial activities of ethanolic root extracts of two plants used traditionally as malarial remedies in southern Nigeria, Uvaria chamae (Annonaceae) and Hippocratea africana (Hippocrateaceae), were studied in vivo, in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei berghei. The extract of U. chamae, when given orally at 300-900 mg/kg.day, exhibited significant antimalarial activity against both early and established infections. When established infections were treated, the mean survival time of the mice observed with this extract at 900 mg/kg.day was similar to that seen with the positive control: chloroquine at 5 mg/kg.day. The extract of H. africana, tested at oral doses of 200-600 mg/kg.day, also demonstrated promising blood schizontocidal activity, both in early and established infections. Although the question of their toxicities has still to be fully addressed, it is clear that both U. chamae and H. africana possess considerable antimalarial activity and they, or drugs based on their antimalarial constituents, may prove useful in the treatment of human malaria.