Browsing by Author "Mbugi, Nicolaus"

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In vivo anti-schistosomal activity of the methanol extracts from Searsia longipes and Lannea schimperi
(Elsevier, 2024-11-01) Mbugi, Nicolaus; Maina, Geoffrey; Chacha, Musa; Mbega, Ernest
Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by the flat worms under the genus Schistosoma. The disease is prominent in tropical and sub tropical countries and it is manifested in two forms; the acute and the chronic form. Treatment and control of the schistosomiasis is constrained with various factors including immerging worm resistance and selective efficacy of the current recommended drug of choice. This therefore calls for the search of new approaches to offset the problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of the methanolic extract from Searsia longipes and Lannea schimperi against Schistosoma mansoni by using animal model. Swiss albino mice were used for the efficacy testing, whereby, for each extract, 5 groups of mice were used, and each contained 5 mice. Three different doses were administered to three groups, whereas the remaining two groups were used as negative and positive control arms. Efficacies were assessed based on the reduction of the worm eggs in the faeces and organs, body weight gain, loss of liver weight, as well as reduction of worm burden. Both extracts demonstrated significant egg and worm reduction, which was directly proportional to the dose increment. At the highest dose used, Searsia longipes expressed the higher percentage egg reduction (73.33 %), whereas Lannea schimperi demonstrated the higher worm burden reduction (68.53 %). The present study provides strong evidence of the anti-schistosomal activity of the extracts from both S. longipes and L. schimperi. These findings are a significant step forward, suggesting that these plants could be a promising alternative medicine for the treatment of schistosomiasis. However, further investigations are warranted to isolate the compound responsible for this activity and to assess the sub-acute toxicity of the plant extracts. This next phase of research is crucial for advancing our understanding and potential use of these plant extracts.
Prevalence of human schistosomiasis in various regions of Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies conducted for the past ten years (2013–2023)
(Public Library of Science, 2024-09-09) Mbugi, Nicolaus; Laizer, Hudson; Chacha, Musa; Mbega, Ernest
Schistosomiasis is a significant public health problem in Tanzania, particularly for the people living in the marginalized settings. We have conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis on the prevalence of schistosomiasis to add knowledge towards the development of effective approaches to control the disease in Tanzania. Online databases namely, Pub Med, SCOPUS and AJOL, were systematically searched and a random effect model was used to calculate the pooled prevalence of the disease. Heterogeneity and the between studies variances were determined using Cochran (Q) and Higgins (I2) tests, respectively. A total of 55 articles met the inclusion criterion for this review and all have satisfactory quality scores. The pooled prevalence of the disease in Tanzania was 26.40%. Tanzania mainland had the highest schistosomiasis prevalence (28.89%) than Zanzibar (8.95%). Sub-group analyses based on the year of publication revealed the going up of the pooled prevalence, whereby for (2013–2018) and (2018–2023) the prevalence was 23.41% and 30.06%, respectively. The prevalence of the Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma hematobium were 37.91% and 8.86% respectively. Mara, Simuyu, and Mwanza were the most prevalent regions, with a pooled prevalence of 77.39%, 72.26%, and 51.19%, respectively. The pooled prevalence based on the diagnostic method was 64.11% for PCR and 56.46% for POC-CCA, which is relatively high compared to other tests. Cochrans and Higgins (I2) test has shown significant heterogeneity (p-value = 0.001 and I2 = 99.6). Factors including age, region, diagnostic method and sample size have shown significant contribution to the displayed heterogeneity. The pronounced and increasing prevalence of the disease suggests potential low coverage and possibly lack of involvement of some regions in the control of the disease. This, therefore, calls for an intensive implementation of control interventions in all endemic regions, preferably using an integrated approach that targets several stages of the disease lifecycle.
Sub-acute Toxicity Effects of the Methanolic Extract from Searsia longipes on the Hematological, Biochemical and Histopathological Parameters of Wilstar Albino Rats
(SAGE Publications, 2025-02) Mbugi, Nicolaus; Chacha, Musa; Mbega, Ernest
Background: Searsia longipes is a medicinal plant used in Tanzania and other parts of Africa in the management of various diseases. Despite its wide utilization as folk medicine, there is a paucity of safety information about the extract from this plant. Objectives: The present study aimed at investigating the sub-acute toxicity of the methanolic extract from this plant. Methods: The crude extract from the stem bark of S. longipes was extracted by using methanol, after which the assessment of its toxicity was done on Wilstar albino rats. Parameters including haematological, biochemical, histopathological, as well as organ and animal weight were examined to unveil the toxic effect of the plant extract. Results: The plant extract did not induce significant changes to most hematological parameters except for white blood cells, which demonstrated a dose-dependent increase. Notably, thrombocytes showed an increase that was directly proportional to the increase in the extract dose, although not significant. The biochemical parameters did not show significant increase, whereas the histopathological analysis demonstrated mild morphological changes to the liver and kidney at the highest dose used. There were no significant variations in the organ weights; meanwhile, the body weights in treatment groups expressed time-dependent increases, which is similar to that of the control group. Conclusion: This study reports the sub-acute toxicity profile of the extract from S. longipes for the first time. This information is crucial as it not only fills a significant gap in our knowledge but also paves the way for further exploration of this plant as a potential source of diverse therapeutic agents.