Evaluation of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitory properties of extracts from some medicinal plants in Kenya

  • Geoffrey M Rukunga Kenya Medical Research Institute, P O Box 54840, Nairobi Kenya
  • Mawuli W Kofi-Tsekpo Kenya Medical Research Institute, P O Box 54840, Nairobi Kenya
  • Masahiko Kurokawa Japan International Cooperation Agency (JIC), Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Toyama Japan
  • Seiji Kageyama Japan International Cooperation Agency (JIC), Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Toyama Japan
  • Geoffrey M Mungai The East African Herbarium, Nairobi Kenya
  • John M Muli Kenya Medical Research Institute, P O Box 54840, Nairobi Kenya
  • Festus M Tolo Kenya Medical Research Institute, P O Box 54840, Nairobi Kenya
  • Rukia M Kibaya Kenya Medical Research Institute, P O Box 54840, Nairobi Kenya
  • Charles N Muthaura Kenya Medical Research Institute, P O Box 54840, Nairobi Kenya
  • James N Kanyara Kenya Medical Research Institute, P O Box 54840, Nairobi Kenya
  • Peter M Tukei Kenya Medical Research Institute, P O Box 54840, Nairobi Kenya
  • Kimiyasu Shiraki Japan International Cooperation Agency (JIC), Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Toyama Japan

Abstract

Extracts from twenty two medicinal plants popularly used in preparing traditional remedies in Kenya were screened for activity against the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. The screening procedure involved the use of tritium labeled thymidine triphosphate as the enzyme substrate and polyadenylic acid.oligodeoxythymidylic acid [poly(rA).p(dT)12-18] as the template primer dimer. Foscarnet was used as a positive control in these experiments. At a concentration of 100µg/ml, extracts from eight of these plants showed at least 50 per cent reverse transcriptase inhibition. This activity was abitrarily considered as significant. This indicates that there is the probability that some antiretroviral compounds could be identified and isolated from materials from these plants.
[Afr. J. Health Sci. 2002; 9:81-90]
Published
2004-08-12
Section
Articles

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eISSN: 1022-9272