Hunteria

Abstract: Hunteria umbellate plant is used by West African traditional midwives as phytomedicine in herbal remedies to treat pregnancy related ailment and most especially to augment or induce labour in gravid uterus. The purpose of this study was to investigate this claim with view to validating scientifically the ethno - medicinal usage. The phytochemical analysis of the crude medicinal plant extract revealed the presence of saponin, saponin glycosides, steroid, tannins, volatile oils, phenols and copious amount of alkaloids. The aqueous extract obtained by maceration technique was subjected to pharmacological testing in vitro on a piece of isolated rat uterus previously pretreated with stilbesterol, suspended in De Jalon at 37 degrees C and aerated with 95% Oxygen and 5% CO(2). The oxytocic activity of the aqueous pulp extract of the pulp of Hunteria umbellata was compared with uterine stimulant like oxytocin. The extract affected the contractility of the uterus significantly (P<0.05) in a dose dependent manner. The effect of 10mg/ml extract was blocked by 0.1 ml of 0.1mg/ml atropine. The extract also potentiated the response shown by various doses of oxytocin. This preliminary investigation revealed that Hunteria umbellata has oxytocic effect thus justifying the use by the traditional birth attendants.

Abstract: A new bisindole alkaloid, bisnicalaterine A (1), consisting of two vobasine-type skeletons, and 3-epivobasinol (2) and 3-O-methylepivobasinol (3), with vobasine-type skeletons, were isolated from the leaves of Hunteria zeylanica, and their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical correlation. Bisnicalaterine A showed moderate cytotoxicity against various human cancer cell lines.

Abstract: Diabetes, a global cause of mortality in developing countries is a chronic disorder affecting the metabolism of macromolecules and has been attributed to the defective production and action of insulin characterized by persistent hyperglycemic properties. This global disorder harms organs of the body such as the liver, kidney and spleen. Medicinal plants such as Hunteria umbellate have been shown to possess hypoglycemic, antioxidative and anti-diabetic properties owing to the high concentration of active phytochemical constituents like flavonoids and alkaloids. The present study seeks to evaluate the hypoglycemic activities of ethanolic seed extract of Hunteria umbellate on streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats. Thirty (30) female experimental rats were randomly divided into five groups with six rats per group and were administered streptozotocin (STZ) and Hunteria umbellate as follows. Group 1 served as control and was given only distilled water, group 2 rats were administered 60 mg/kg STZ; Group 3 was administered 60 mg/kg STZ and 100 mg/kg metformin; group 4 rats were administered 60 mg/kg STZ and 800 mg/kg Hunteria umbellate, group 5 rats 60 mg/kg STZ and 400 mg/kg Hunteria umbellate. The fasting blood glucose level of each rat was measured before sacrifice. Rats were then sacrificed 24 h after the last dose of treatment. The results showed that Hunteria umbellate significantly reversed STZ-induced increase in fasting blood glucose and increase in body and organs weight of rats. Hunteria umbellate significantly reversed STZ-induced decrease in antioxidant enzyme in liver, kidney and spleen of rats. Hunteria umbellate significantly reversed STZ-induced increase in oxidative stress markers in liver, kidney and spleen of rats. Collectively, our results provide convincing information that inhibition of oxidative stress and regulation of blood glucose level are major mechanisms through which Hunteria umbellate protects against streptozotocin-induced diabketes rats.