African Bitter Leaf
Bitter leaf popularly called Vernonia amygdalina from the family Asteraceace is popularly known to be of immense importance when it comes to herbal therapy because of its potency to cure various diseases.
Vernonia amygdalina has a very bitter taste which can be reduced by proper washing of the herb. The bitter taste is also of great value because it helps detoxify the body system thereby making the body healthier and free from toxic substance which are harmful to the body.
* CANCER.
* LIVER DAMAGE.
* DRUG RESISTANT. MICROBIAL INFECTIONS.
* PROMOTE SAFE CHILD BIRTH.
* CONSTIPATION.
* FEVER.
* ARTHRITIS.
* STROKE.
* DIABETES.
* STOMACH ACHE.
* PNEUMONIA.
* INSOMNIA
* LOSS OF MEMORY
* REDUCE THE BODY WEIGHT.
Herbal therapy is known all over the world to be very effective and cheap making use of natures gift to mankind.
Vernonia amygdalina is available all over the world especially in the western part of Africa ( Nigeria ) where it is eaten raw or used to make various local delicacies and cure some of the diseases listed above.
Vernonia amygdalina is available all around us though we don't know how powerful this little green plant is.
Abstract
The aqueous leaf extract of Vernonia amygdalina, Del, (Compositae) given i.p. produced a dose-related fall in blood sugar. A dose of 80 mg/kg body weight of adult rabbit produced a maximum lowering of blood sugar in both fasted normal and alloxanized rabbits. The fasting blood sugar in normoglycaemic rabbits was reduced from 96 mg% to 48 mg% in 4 h. In alloxanized rabbits, the blood sugar was reduced from the mean value of 520 mg% to 300 mg% in 8 h. The hypoglycaemic effects were compared with those of tolbutamide. Acute toxicity studies of the extract in mice gave LD50 value of 1122 mg/kg body weight when given i.p. The blood sugar lowering effect of Vernonia amygdalina extract may involve a mechanism not related to insulin secretion.
VERNONIA AMYGDALINA
Mululuza, in Luganda, is a small shrub that is called bitter leaf in Africa due to its bitter taste. The macerated leaves of the plant are used in making soup while the water extract serves as a tonic drink for the prevention of certain illnesses.
The leaves have found relevance in traditional medicine as anti-helmint, a laxative herb, treatment of eczemafor its anti-mutagenic activity and as an anti-malarial as the herb is also known as a quinine substitute. Vernonia amygdalina (also call Labwori in Luo language) has also been reported for its use by wild chimpanzees for the treatment of parasitic diseases in Tanzania.
.The leaves are used in the treatment of diabetes because of its ability to lower blood sugar levels. Studies have shown that the aqueous extract also significantly reduced triglyceride levels and normalized cholesterol concentrations. This shows that the aqueous extract of V. amygdalina leaves have both hypolipidaemic and antioxidant properties. The possible hypocholesterolaemic potential and antioxidant property of V. amygdalina were investigated for its possible use for prophylaxis and treatment of atherosclerosis commonly found in diabetic diseases.
The anticancer activity of organic extracts of V. amygdalina was first reported for human carcinoma cells of the nasopharynx 34 years ago and recent research studies have elicited antitumor activities in leukemia cells. In addition, it has been shown to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells and shows promise for use as an agent to prevent or delay the onset of breast cancer and the herb's use as an alternative to Tamoxifen. By comparison, V. amygdalina is more than 17 times more potent than the most previously reported potent plant crude extracts on human breast cancerous cell growth and more than 170 times more potent than the least potent of the plant extracts previously reported by others. Furthermore, extracts from V. amygdalina have also been suggested to have inhibitory effects on prostate cancer cell lines with no effect on normal human blood cells.
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Thanks:Nigerian Journal Of Physiological Sciences 20 (1-2): 39-42@ Physiological Society Of Nigeria, 2005
Vernonia amygdalina is a shrub that has been commonly known as bitter leaf due the bitter taste of the leaves. It is widely used as a daily green vegetable or herb to treat malaria and diabetes. The potential of V. amygdalina was first noted when scientists observed chimpanzees use the pith of this shrub for self-deparasitization. Since that discovery, subsequent researches had unveiled more and more bioactivities possessed by different extracts of this plant such as antidiabetic, antibacterial, antimalaria, antifungal, antioxidant, liver protection and cytotoxic effects which are beneficial to health. Compounds including steroid glucosides, sesquiterpene lactones and flavonoids which contributed to its bitter taste and bioactivites have also been isolated from this plant. (93)
Vernonia amygdalina is a shrub that has been commonly known as bitter leaf due the bitter taste of the leaves. It is widely used as a daily green vegetable or herb to treat malaria and diabetes. The potential of V. amygdalina was first noted when scientists observed chimpanzees use the pith of this shrub for self-deparasitization. Since that discovery, subsequent researches had unveiled more and more bioactivities possessed by different extracts of this plant such as antidiabetic, antibacterial, antimalaria, antifungal, antioxidant, liver protection and cytotoxic effects which are beneficial to health. Compounds including steroid glucosides, sesquiterpene lactones and flavonoids which contributed to its bitter taste and bioactivites have also been isolated from this plant. (93)
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