Bio-accessibility of iron and copper from seven Kenyan anti-anaemia medicinal plants

Abstract

Anaemia is a blood disorder which is widespread among populations of the world. In this study, seven medicinal plants used by one hundred and sixty herbalists from Nyamira County to manage anaemia were evaluated for iron and copper bio-accessibility. The competence of four hundred herbalists was assessed, of which 160 participated in the study. Twenty-one different medicinal plants were reported to be used by various herbalists to manage a number of ailments afflicting their communities in three sub-counties in Kenya. A total of ten different medicinal plants were found to be used by the herbalists to manage anemia which is endemic in the country. Seven of the medicinal plants, Aloe Vera, Carissa edulis, Croton macrostachyus, Clerodendrum myricoides, Melia azedrach, Toddalia asiatica and Warburgia ugandensis, were studied by all herbalists. The seven medicinal plants were prepared according to the herbalists' procedure and analyzed for iron and copper through flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The mean iron level in Carissa edulis from Borabu was the highest (2635.48 ± 17.33 mg/kg), while that in Warburgia ugandensis from the Nyamira study area was the lowest (175.76 ± 5.03 mg/kg). The highest mean copper level (9.2 ± 1.24 mg/kg) was reported in Melia azedrach from Ekerenyo, while the lowest (2.12 ± 0.02 mg/kg) was reported in Carissa edulis from the Nyamira study area. Fractionation results indicated that the proportion of iron potentially released (bio-accessible) from all the medicinal plants was quite small. Clerodendrum myricoides had the highest mean iron release and solubility (16.4 mg/kg), while Warburgia ugandensis had the lowest (5.94 mg/kg) among the medicinal plants. More iron and copper were extracted enzymatically as compared to the aqueous extraction. The amount of iron extracted in the intestinal mimicked phase was more than that extracted in the gastric phase, while the reverse was observed for copper. The levels of bio-accessible iron and copper from the medicinal plants, especially those released in enzymatic extraction are quite high and the plants can be used in the management of anaemia.

Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry versus flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry for the analysis of Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn and Cr in medicinal plants: a comparison study

“…The comparison of concentration of Fe, Cr, Cu, Zn and Mn determined by ICP-MS and FAAS in medicinal plants from Borabu were given in Figures 6-10 and Tables 2-6. The concentration of Fe determined by ICP-MS ranged from 230±8 to 5700±99, Cu from 2.7±0.03 to 14.2±1.98, Zn from 5±0.37 to 108±10.33, Cr from 0.12±0.003 to 2.43±0.23 and Mn from 57±6.1 while that determined by FAAS was from 216.08±5.6 to 5630.08±93, 1.87±0.2 to [22] to have said element in low molecular size species (<3 kDa) and hence the plants can be used in the management of diabetes. Mogwasi et al [23] using FAAS method reported the Fe and Cu levels in the anti-anemia medicinal form Borabu to range from 464.00+2.37 to 2635.48±17.33 and 3.2±0.63 to 8.94+1.5 mg/kg which were comparable to those in our study.…”

“…The twelve anti-diabetic medicinal plants (Plectranthus barbatus, Magnifera indica, Bidens Pilosa, Senna didymobotrya, Acacia abyssinica, Erythrina abyssinica, Vernonia auriculifera, Ultrica dioica, Solanum mauense, Tabernaemontana stapfiana, Acacia hockii and Solanum indicum) [22] and seven anti-anemia medicinal plants (Aloe Vera, Carissa edulis. Croton macrostachyus, Clerodendrum myricoides, Melia azedrach, Toddalia asiatica and Warburgia ugandensis) [22] were collected from forests in Borabu sub county of Kenya.…”

“…Majolagbe et al further used FAAS to determine the total concentration and bioavailability of iron in some selected blood-building medicinal plants of Nigeria and classified the medicinal plants as high iron source going by the WHO standards [20]. Mogwasi et al (2019) reported on the comparison of aqueous and enzymatic extraction combination with sequential filtration for the profiling of selected trace elements in twelve medicinal plants from Kenya using ICP-MS while Mogwasi (2023) reported on the bio accessibility of Fe and Cu from seven Kenyan antianemia plants using FAAS [21,22]. These implied that a number of methods are available for the determination of elements in plants and the characteristics of different methods should be elucidated to enable the most suitable one to be selected under the prevailing circumstances.…”

Coptisine inhibits the malignancy of bladder carcinoma cells and regulates XPO1 expression

“…Many medicinal herbs, previously mainly used in traditional medicine, are attracting more and more attention, for their potential application in treating human diseases as complementary/alternative medicine (Huang et al, 2022; Mogwasi, 2022). Anti‐tumor activities of multiple natural products and their derivatives are reported, which provide new clues for cancer treatment (Huang et al, 2022; Tan et al, 2016).…”