Hematological disorders have attained epidemic proportions worldwide today. As a result, many people turn to medicinal plants for treatment thereby boosting and enhancing health because professional care is not immediately available, is too inconvenient, costly and time consuming. Certain medicinal plants are believed to promote positive health and maintain organic resistance against infection. The use of medicinal plants which are readily available and arguably efficacious would therefore over a better and affordable alternative for boosting and enhancing health. Assessment of hematological parameters can be used to determine the extent of deleterious effect of foreign compounds including plant extracts on the blood constituents of an animal. Various chemical constituents of Vernonia lasiopus are believed to possess therapeutic effects on hematological parameters. However, these effects have not been subjected to systematic studies to substantiate the therapeutic claims made regarding their clinical utility. This study was designed to investigate the hematological effects of V. lasiopus (O. Hoffman) in normal mice. The experimental groups were treated with leaf extracts at concentration of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg orally once per two days for a period of fourteen days. Hematological parameters and indices were determined from unclotted blood samples using standard protocols. Presence of various types of phytochemicals was assessed using standard procedures. The leaf extract of V. lasiopus (O. Hoffman) induced changes in erythrocytes and related parameter profiles, total and differential WBC counts, platelets and their related parameters in normal mice at the two tested dose levels of 50 mg/kgbw and 100 mg/kgbw. Further, the phytochemical screening results showed that the leaf extract of V. lasiopus (O. Hoffman) have phytochemicals associated with erythropoietin promoting activity, immunostimulatory activities and thrombopoietin stimulation.

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Conventional medications are expensive and arguably associated with various severe adverse effects, hence the need to develop herbal agents that are effective as alternative. Carissa edulis (Forssk.) Vahl is the herb that has previously made thousands of people flock to a remote Loliondo village in Northern Tanzania, for its cure said to apply to all diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, ulcers, hypertension, and diabetes. Although C. edulis (Forssk.)Vahl is widely used for pain in the traditional system of medicine; review of the literature shows no scientifically investigated report of its described effects. This study was, therefore, designed to bioscreen the DCM: methanolic extract of the leaf and root bark of C. edulis on anti-nociceptive potential. The plant parts were collected from Siakago-Mbeere north sub-county, Embu County, Kenya. Pain was induced into the rats experimentally using formalin. Anti-nociceptive activities in rats were compared with diclofenac (15 mg/kg) as the standard conventional drug. The leaf extract reduced pain by between 47.04% - 47.19% (in the early phase) and 38.96% - 89.26% (in the late phase) while the root bark extracts reduced it by between 21.5% - 41.89% (in the early phase) and between 21.4% - 90.62% (in the later phase). Diclofenac reduced pain by between 27.37% - 34.9% (in the early phase) and 88.24% - 90.28% (in the late phase). Further, the phytochemical screening results showed that the extract had alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, phenolics and terpenoids which have been associated with anti-nociceptive activities. Therefore, the study has established that the DCM: methanolic extracts of C. edulis (Forssk.)Vahl are effective in the management of pain.

Acetlycholinesterase (AChE) hydrolyses the neurotransmitter acetylcholine resulting in the termination of nerve impulse at the synapse. Anti-acetylcholinesterase activities stop the passage of the nerve impulse at the synapse resulting in continuous stimulation which can lead to death. The manufacturers of many pesticides target the AChE because it interferes with the passage of the nerve impulse. In vitro study revealed that DCM leaf extract of Carphalea glaucescens has anti-acetylcholinesterase activity against crude acetlycholinesterase (AChE) enzyme extracted from Chilo partellus and an IC 50 of 12.02 mg/ml was calculated. After qualitative phytochemical screening was carried out the phytochemicals which were present were tannins, phenols, flavonoids, steroids, terpenoids and alkaloids.