ABSTRACT
An ethnobotanical survey of plants used in the treatment of viral infection was carried out in Jos North, Jos South and Jos East Local Government Areas of Plateau State, Nigeria by verbal interactions with Traditional Medicine Practitioners, Herbalist, Herb sellers and some indigenes/residents, being guided by a structured questionnaire. The study aimed at collecting and documenting medicinal plants used in the treatment of viral infections like common cold, measles, chickenpox, rabies, birdflu, hepatitis and HIV, within Jos. Pharmacognostic, phytochemical, antiviral and hepatoprotective were carried out on the two most used plants from the survey -Boswellia dalzielii stem bark and leaf and Enantia chlorantha stem bark. An invivo hepatoprotective assay of methanol extracts was analysed in liver injured CCl4 – treated rats. Biochemical parameters including Aspartate amino transaminase (ASAT), Alanine amino transaminase (ALAT), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), total proteins, albumin, total bilirubin and conjugated bilirubin in serum were analysed. The biochemical findings were supported with histopathological examination. The extracts of were also subjected to in ovo antiviral activity against Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV). A total of 64 medicinal plants species, represented by 62 genera from 39 families were obtained. Cell wall materials, cell inclusions and other diagnostic characters that can aid in the easy and proper identification of E. chlorantha were identified. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the leaves and stem bark of B. dalzielii showed the presence of carbohydrate, cardiac glycoside, steroid, triterpene, tannins and flavonoids. E. chlorantha stem bark, revealed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, steriods, and triterpenes. The methanol extracts of the two selected plants were found to be safe both in phase one and two of acute toxicity evaluation, with the highest dose of 3000 mg/kg, except for the leaf extract of B. dalzielii that showed viii toxicity at dose of 3000 mg/kg alone. Biochemical parameters obtained from the hepatoprotective assay showed no significant difference with that of the toxicant control .The activity of NDV was inhibited at lower concentrations for the three methanol extracts tested. These current findings have revealed and documented for the first time, medicinal plants used in treatment of viral infections in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. This information will be beneficial in public health, research and in providing lead to plants that can be useful in drug discovery.
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