Herbal plants are very important in traditional community use and enrich our plant biodiversity and conservation. Natural products are vital substances of traditional knowledge systems in complementary and alternative medicine, nutraceutical, food supplements, and pharmaceutical bioactive metabolites of new chemical entities. Bioactive secondary metabolites from herbal plants of different forms are main sources and provide major opportunities for drug active pharmaceuticals due to the diverse flora and fauna biodiversity that produces the necessary available chemical diversity. There has been an increasing popularity in phytochemical research within the high through put (HTS) screening programs in search of lead. Phytochemicals of herbal extracts for traditional uses contain various types of bioactive metabolites of pharmaceutical and pharmacotherapeutic nature, and many phytomedicines for different therapeutic areas have been derived from herbal products. This paper is aimed at giving an insight into the extraction, isolation, and characterization of the rich medicinal plant biodiversity of potential pharmaceutical importance and the major drawbacks and challenges in the extraction, isolation, and characterization of phytochemicals in plant extracts. Phytochemicals in medicinal plants have been studied with more emphasis on the extraction process which is a vital stage in the analysis of bioactive compounds in medicinal plant research. The advantages and disadvantages of the different extraction methods is important to discuss following the regulatory guidelines and different pharmacopoeia. The analysis of bioactive molecules in herbal products involves the applications of various phytochemical screening methods, and the use of chromatographic techniques such as TLC and HPLC, including in some cases the non-chromatographic methods like Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR), immunoassay. This paper has been motivated by the challenges faced by most pharmacy students in data mining of information on phytochemical screening and testing of biological activities in projects related to herbal plants research. This write up is also geared towards providing students with information on the preclinical drug discovery process towards the formulation of an improved traditional medicine/ phytomedicine.

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that about 80% of the world’s population rely mostly on traditional medicine. Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) which results from an imbalance between stomach acid-pepsin and mucosal defense barriers is a chronic disease affecting up to 10% of the world’s population and represents 33% of gastroenterology consultations in Cameroon. The people in low medium incomecountries depend mostly on medicinal plants for primary healthcare since they can be accessed quickly and are affordable. Such plant is Ficus thonningii Blume, which is found abundantly in Africa and also in Cameroon. The objective of this study was to phytochemically screened the aqueous fruits extract of Ficus thonningii (AEFFt), and investigate their antiulcer activity. Methods: The aqueous fruits extract was phytochemically screened following standard qualitative methods. Four in vitro tests to characterize antacid properties were carried out. Ulcers were induced using an ethanol and hydrochloric acid (HCl/EtOH) solution. Ulcer preventive (anti-ulcer) activity was investigated in 6 different treatment groups: 2 conventional drugs (Maalox 100 mg/kg, Omeprazole 20 mg/kg), three doses of AEFFt at (125 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg, & 500 mg/Kg), and a vehicle treatment group (administered only the ulcerogenic agent). Histological analysis of the stomachs was carried out. Results: The phytochemical screening of the aqueous extract of fruits of F. thonningii showed the presence of flavonoids, mucilages, saponins, gallic tannins, betacyanins, and total polyphenols. Following the in vitro tests, we obtained a value of 7.4mEq for acid neutralization capacity (ANC) for the extract, and a pH of 4.2 for the extract following FDA test. For the in vivo tests, the aqueous extract of fruits of F. thonningii (AEFFt) showed a dose-dependent increase ulcer-preventive (gastroprotective) activity with the three treatment aqueous extracts doses. Conclusion: The study showed that, the aqueous extract of fruits of Ficus thonningii showed a dose-dependent ulcer-preventive activity that could be accounted for by the presence of bioactive phytochemicals like polyphenols (flavonoids, tannins).

The causative etiology of the viral pneumonia outbreak in the Wuhan province of China of December 2019 initially identified as “novel-Coronavirus-2019” and today called “Corona Virus Disease-2019 has been identified as “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)”. Tireless efforts have therefore been invested to elaborate a treatment and/ or vaccine though with much controversy due to the lack of proper mastery of the structure, mode of action, mutation, recombination and transmission mechanism of the virus. Numerous public health measures have thus been imposed to slow down the rate of invasion and/or transmission (regular hand washing, face mask wearing, quarantine as well as method of diagnosis and symptomatic treatment) and now a convinent and acceptable treatment protocol and/ or vaccine. With the difficulties encountered in the development of an effective and efficient control and / or preventive towards the virus even in the western world, countries in sub-Saharan Africa, especially those in the tropics like Cameroon will endure sigficant consequences due to limited funds, technology, equipment and experts. It is therefore imperative to exploit other possibilities as the recombination rate and mutation possibilities within the genome of SARS-CoV-2 is indicative that, the 2019 outbreak was just a tip of the iceberg as more virulent variants beyond Delta variants, are still to emerge. One of such suitable and affordable possibilities is to nutritionally fortify and prepared the body to fight against infection. Zinc, Copper and Sellenium are essential micronutrients with demonstrated viral chelating activities found in selected commond foods which in adequate amounts will strengthen the immune system and tonify the body energy. A non-exhaustive list of common foods rich in the indicated micronutrients as well as those endowed with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties have been established from an extensive literature search in order to emphasize on the regular consumption.

Aim: Azadirachta indica A. Juss commonly called ‘Indian Lilac’ or ‘Margosa’ is used in the South West region of Cameroon to treat malaria, typhoid, intestinal worms and diabetes, and as mosquito repellent. Diabetes, a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases, is associated with long term damage, dysfunction, and failure of various organs, especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels. This study was designed to determine the phytochemical constituents and to investigate the anti-diabetic property of Azadirachta indica A. Juss seed oil obtained from the Far North region of Cameroon in alloxan induced diabetic Wistar rats. Method: An in vivo experimental study was conducted in the laboratory for preclinical animal studies and pharmaco-toxicology research, of FMBS, UY1 Cameroon. A study population of 135 albino Wistar rats with average mass 100 ± 20g was used. The phytochemical screening of the seed oil used was done using the GC-MS technique. The antihyperglycemic property of the oil was evaluated after oral glucose hyperglycemia induction, using 2g/kg body mass of glucose. The anti-diabetic property of the oil was evaluated over a period of 28 days, and blood glucose concentration after diabetes induction using alloxan solution in citrate buffer. The oral acute toxicity profile of the oil was evaluated over a period of 14 days following oral single dose 3 mL/100g administration of neem oil. Results: Physico-chemical results showed that the oil was composed mainly of five fatty acides (oleic acid (30-55%) being the most abundant and linoleic acid (11-26%) least abundant) and nineteen biochemicals with the three most abundant being: nonacosane (20.6575%), hentriacontane (14.1515%) and 2-methylbenzaldehyde (11.8674%). The oil was antihyperglycemic and maximum effect observed at 1mL/100g body mass, and at t=20minutes, compared to 0.5 mL and 1.5 mL. Conclusion: This study showed that neem oil have a promising preventive diabetic properties. The oil also proved to be antidiabetic at the doses of 0.5 mL, 1 mL and 1.5 mL per 100g body mass, with maximum effect observed with neem oil at 1ml/100g. Acute toxicity results showed no lethality at the maximum standard toxicity range of 2000mg/kg body weight.

Introduction: Improved Traditional Medicines (ITMs), a recent concept by the World Health Organization (WHO) was introduced to promote the rational use of herbal medicine for primary health care in developing countries. The ITM by WHO andAIPO have categorized into 4 categories with respect to the quality of the active ingredient. However, this category needs more research in finding a greater variety of acceptable dosage forms. There is a need to account for formulation and process variables in these dosage forms to maintain product properties hence performance of plant extract, ensuring consistent quality. One of the methods to account for formulation and process variables is by using the Design of Experiments (DoE) approach. Objective: The main objective of this work was to optimize the formulation of a category 2 Improved Traditional Medicine containing Mangifera indica L. stem bark aqueous extract using Design of Experiments. Methods: Mangifera indica L. stem bark was collected and identified at the National herbarium. It was dried, ground and the powder used for extraction using digestion method using water as solvent (at 70°C). Phytochemical screening was done on the extract. The extract then proceeded unto pharmaceutical development. The formulation optimization of Mangifera indica aqueous stem bark extract (MIABE) started with the definition of the Quality Target Product Profile (QTPP) that was expected for the final product; which is an orodispersible tablet that will facilitate patient compliance and promote a rapid disintegration. These QTPPs formed the basis of the Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) which were identified (as hardness, disintegration time and mass uniformity) and used for all experiments. The experimental part was divided into 2 main manufacturing processes; direct compression and wet granulation techniques. Each process was investigated for drug product optimization.  A risk assessment was undertaken to identify the formulation variables that impact product quality. For direct compression, a 32 full factorial Design of Experiment (DoE) was used to investigate the effect of superdisintegrant (25%) and lubricant level (0.25-5%) on powder flow characteristics. For wet granulation, a 22 full factorial DoE was used to investigate the effect of superdisintegrant (2-5%) and binder (5-10%) on flow properties and tablet properties. Results: The design and evaluation of the formulations in this study resulted in successful formulation optimization of an Improved Traditional Medicine. DoE proved to be an excellent method to optimize formulations of ITMs, providing several tools that increase a much better understanding of the formulation and manufacturing process. Further studies on this formulation DoE are needed to evaluate the effect of more process variables (compression force and speed) and more formulation variables such as palatability. Conclusion: Optimization models were developed for the various responses (disintegration time, wetting time and hardness) showing the influence of formulation variables on these responses. Therefore, the formulation optimization of a category 2 ITM containing Mangifera indica L. stem extract using Design of Experiment is a suitable approach to save time, money and improve drug product understanding.