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Sunday 21 February 2016

Ethobotanical survey of Rinorea dentata (Violaceae) used in South-Western Nigerian ethnomedicine and detection of cyclotides

Volume 179, 17 February 2016, Pages 83-91


Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstr. 17, Vienna, Austria
Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Harris-Wellbeing Preterm Birth Centre, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance People living in the tropical rain forest of South-Western Nigeria use Rinorea dentata (P. Beauv.) Kuntze (Violaceae) in ethno-veterinary medicine to facilitate parturition. There are no evidence-based pharmacological investigations for the uterotonic activity of this plant. Aims of study (i) Collection of data about the ethnopharmacological uses of R. dentata and evaluation of its uses and applications in health care; (ii) determining potential uterotonic effects in vitro, and (iii) chemical characterization of R. dentata, which is a member of the Violaceae family known to express circular cystine-knot peptides, called cyclotides. Materials and methods The ethnopharmacological use of R. dentata in settlement camps within the area J4 of Omo forest has been investigated by semi-structured questionnaires and open interviews. Use index analysis has been performed by seven quantitative statistical models. Respondents' claim on the beneficial ethno-veterinary application of the plant to aid parturition has been investigated in vitro by myometrial contractility organ bath assays. The bioactive plant extract was screened by chemical derivatization and mass spectrometry-based peptidomics using reversed-phase HPLC fractionation and MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis. Results Based on the survey analysis, medicinal preparations of R. dentata have been used for anti-microbial and anti-malaria purpose in humans, and for aiding parturition in farm animals. The latter application was mentioned by one out of six respondents who claimed to use this plant for any medicinal purpose. The plant extract exhibited a weak uterotonic effect using organ bath studies. The plant contains cyclotides and the peptide riden A has been identified by de novo amino acid sequencing using mass spectrometry. Conclusion Few dwellers around the settlement camps of the tropical forest of Omo (Nigeria) use R. dentata for various health problems in traditional veterinary and human medicine. The weak uterotonic effect of the cyclotide-rich extract is in agreement with the low use value index obtained for this plant. Cyclotides have been reported in the genus Rinorea confirming the ubiquitous expression of these stable bioactive plant peptides within the family of Violaceae. © 2015 The Authors.

Author keywords

Cyclotides; Ethnopharmacology; Rinorea dentata; Uterus muscle contractility; Veterinary medicine; Violaceae

Indexed keywords

EMTREE drug terms: antiinfective agent; antimalarial agent; cyclotide; plant extract; riden A; unclassified drug; uterotonic agent
EMTREE medical terms: Article; contraction assay; ethnopharmacology; Nigerian; nonhuman; peptidomics; reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography; Rinorea dentata; semi structured interview; sequence analysis; traditional medicine; uterus contractility; Violaceae
ISSN: 03788741 CODEN: JOETDSource Type: Journal Original language: English
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.12.038Document Type: Article
Publisher: Elsevier Ireland Ltd
Funding Details
Number; Acronym; Sponsor: P24743-B11; FWF; Austrian Science Fund