V. Amygdalina Case Study

Utilization of glucose by the muscle and liver cell cultures was enhanced by the water and n-hexane/isopropanol extract of the plant but not on adipose cells (Erasto et al., 2009). In another study, oral intake of hot water V. amygdalina leaves extract (500 mg/kg) reduced blood glucose concentration of both normoglycaemic and hyperglycaemic rats induced by alloxan (Osinubi, 2007).
2.4.2.3 Antioxidant activity
Several studies have shown that V. amygdalina possess antioxidant activity (Yeap et al., 2010). Ethanol and aqueous extracts showed good antioxidant activity using different models (Ayoola et al., 2008; Owolabi et al., 2008). Igile et al. (1994) characterizes flavonoids occurring in V. amygdalina leaves, and evaluated their antioxidant
amygdalina, the extract was found to show significant inhibitory activity in vitro against cells derived from human carcinoma of the nasopharynx (KB) carried in tissue culture. Sesquiterpene lactones, vernodalin, vernolide and vernomygdin, were identified as components of the cytotoxic extract (Kupchan et al., 1969). Another study by Izevbigie (2003) evaluating the antitumour effect of the plant showed that the water-soluble leaf extract and fractions of V. amygdalina were potent inhibitors of cultured MCF-7 cells (human breast cancer cell model). Similar result was reported by Wong et al. (2013) of the 80 % ethanol extract on human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells) (Wong et al.,
amygdalina have been reported establishing its antimicrobial activity (Ijeh and Ejike, 2011). Study by Kambizi and Afolayan (2001) showed that acetone and methanol extracts (root) of the plant possess antibacterial activity towards Bacillus cereus, B. pumilus, B. subtilis, Micrococcus kristinae, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter cloacae and E. coli growth with MIC ranging from 0.5 – 5 (mg/ml) with the acetone extract showing higher activity. Chromatographic separation of the leaf ethanol extract by Erasto et al. (2006) yielded vernolide and vernodalol. The compounds exhibited a significant bactericidal activity against the Gram-positive bacteria (B. cereus, S. epidermidus, S. aureus, M. kristinae and Streptococcus pyrogens) while no activity against the Gram-negative strains except Salmonella pooni. In the antifungal test, while vernolide exhibited high activity against Penicillium notatum, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Mucor hiemalis, respectively, vernodalol showed moderate