Local plants show promise in asthma relief Says News Reports
The Nigerian Times is reporting that There are limited ailments as problematic as asthma. It is characterised by a frightening condition in which the patient’s body is deprived of oxygen as a result of sudden tight-feeling in the chest, spasm, constriction of the air passage and swelling of their mucous lining.
Seasonal asthmatic attacks especially during extremely wet or dry condition and perennial attacks are often accompanied by dry cough, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and hay fever. Severe attacks may end in death if not immediately arrested.
With increasing scarcity and cost of these medicines used in treatment of asthma, especially in the community, researchers have been evaluating indigenous plant resources to enrich Nigeria’s traditional herbal therapy as well as source for additional raw materials for the local manufacturing of modern drugs.
Ethnobotanical efforts have shown that some of the herbs used singly or in combination with certain others that are good for the respiratory organs, are also good for the treatment of asthma.
One of such herbs that researchers see as a potential raw material for the treatment of asthma is that commonly referred to as Crinum jagus, “asthma cough plant” or Ogede odo in Yoruba.
Moreover, the common name ‘asthma coughs plant’ people in Yoruba land claimed, rightly fitted the plant for it has long been found potent in the local relief of asthma and related coughs.
The medicinally useful part of the plant is the fleshy, bulb-like underground rootstock herein referred to as the ‘bulb’ for convenience. The asthma concoction is prepared by chopping one mature ‘bulb’ into pieces, mashing with mortar and pestle one average size ‘bulb’ of white onion and two tablets of kafra (that is menthol), all into a one-litre bottle of water.
Crinum jagus is a common plant found in swampy locations with white flowers that appear in the dry season. It is a tender perennial bulb that is native to tropical Africa with tulip-like white flowers, which bloom in clusters during drier season atop leafless stalks typically growing up to about one metre tall from a clump of strap-shaped green leaves.
For instance, an ethnobotanical survey of plants used in the treatment of asthma in Oyo, Ogun and Osun states also listed “asthma cough plant” as one of the common ingredients of asthma traditional herbal preparations.
This 2008 survey entitled “Ethnobotanical Survey of Anti-asthmatic Plants in South Western, Nigeria” was carried out by Dr M. A Sonibare of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan in collaboration with Mr Z.O Gbile from the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye was published in the African Journal of . Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines.
The survey, which was aimed at providing information on the available local remedies for asthma, their mode of preparation and administration of these phytomedicines with a view to promoting further studies on these plants involved questioning several herbalists and traditional medical practitioners. Most of them were women.
According to the herbalists and traditional medical practitioners, 46 plants (including stem, bark, fruits, leaves, bulb, seeds and flower) with anti-asthmatic properties were used in the treatment of asthma. Most of the herbs were prescribed along with other recipes, mono-prescription was rare. Modes of administration of the phytomedicines were concoction, decoctions and powdered ash residue.
However, there were diversities in the preparation and use of the herbal medicines in the different markets surveyed. The 20 recipes include:
Olax subscorpioidea (Ifon in Yoruba), Euphorbia hirta( Emi-ile in Yoruba), Euphorbia lateriflora (Enu-opiri), Securidaca longipedunculata (Ipeta in Yoruba), Crinum jagus (Ogede-odo in Yoruba), Allium sativum (Ayuu in Yoruba), Tetrapleura tetraptera (Aidan in Yoruba): Wash and cut into them pieces before soaking in water in a covered glass jar for three days.
Olax subscorpioidea, Chasmanthera dependens (Ato in Yoruba), Calliandra portoricensis (Tude in Yoruba), Mimosa pigra (Ewon agogo in Yoruba), Securidaca longipedunculata (Ipeta in Yoruba), Crinum jagus (Ogede-odo in Yoruba), Allium ascalonicum (Alubosa elewe in Yoruba), Tetrapleura tetraptera is also prepared similarly.
Chasmanthera dependens, Picralima nitida (Erin in Yoruba), Crinum jagus, Allium ascalonicum, Tetrapleura tetraptera and Alum: Wash Crinum jagus and cut them into pieces and then mix this with the scrapped portion of Tetrapleura tetraptera in a mortar. The mixed herbs are soaked in water with alum. The liquid extract is administered.
Olax subscorpioidea, Crinum jagus Tetrapleura tetraptera, Chasmanthera dependens, Gongronema latifolium (Madunmaro in Yoruba), Xylopia aethiopica (Eeru in Yoruba), Euphorbia lateriflora (Enu-opiri in Yoruba), Nauclea latifolia (Egbesi in Yoruba), Gossypium barbadense (Owu in Yoruba), Allium ascalonicum: Wash and cut into pieces all the herbs. A cold maceration of the ingredients is administered.
Tetrapleura tetraptera, Chasmanthera depends, Crinum jagus, Allium ascalonicum: A concoction of the ingredients is made. The concoction is left for about 10 hours for effective extraction.
Tetrapleura tetraptera, Crinum jagus, Xylopia aethiopica, Gossypium barbadens, Olax subscorpioidea, Securidaca longepedunclata: Wash, cut into pieces and soak in water for three days, then administer.
Crinum jagus, Chasmanthera dependens, Olax subscorpioidea, Tetrapleura tetraptera (Aidan in Yoruba), Allium ascalonicum: Wash, cut into pieces and soak in water for a day, then administer.
Crinum jagus (Ogede-odo in Yoruba), Allium ascalonicum (Alubosa elewe in Yoruba), Gossypium barbadense (owu in Yoruba), Chasmanthera dependens (Ato in Yoruba), Olax subscorpioidea, Xylopia aethiopica, Tetrapleura tetraptera, Calliandra portoricensis.
Crinum jagus and Eugenia aromatic. Wash, and chop ingredients before soaking in local gin. The preparation is left for a day before administering.
Olax subscorpioidea (ifon in Yoruba), Calliandra portoricensis(Tude in Yoruba), Aristolochia ringens (Ako-igun in Yoruba), Allium ascalonicum (Alubosa elewe in Yoruba) : Wash and cut the ingredients into pieces, soak in water for three days.
Anacardium occidentale(cashew bark), Bitter kola. Extract the cashew juice and mix with sugar, cut the Bitter kola into pieces and soak in the juice. Administer after a day.