Papers by Yaw Duah Boakye, PhD
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Soil-transmitted helminthiasis affects more than 1.5 billion people globally and largely remains ... more Soil-transmitted helminthiasis affects more than 1.5 billion people globally and largely remains a sanitary problem in Africa. These infections place a huge economic burden on poor countries and affect livestock production, causing substantial economic losses and poor animal health. The emergence of anthelmintic resistance, especially in livestock, and the potential for its widespread in humans create a need for the development of alternative therapies. Medicinal plants play a significant role in the management of parasitic diseases in humans and livestock, especially in Africa. This report reviews anthelmintic studies that have been conducted on medicinal plants growing in Africa and published within the past two decades. A search was made in various electronic databases, and only full articles in English were included in the review. Reports show that aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts and polar fractions obtained from these crude extracts form the predominant (80%) form of the ex...
Background: Antimicrobial resistance is associated with increased morbidity in secondary infectio... more Background: Antimicrobial resistance is associated with increased morbidity in secondary infections and is a global threat owning to the ubiquitous nature of resistance genes in the environment. Recent estimates put the deaths associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019 at 4.95 million worldwide. Lymphatic lariasis (LF), a Neglected Tropical Disease, is associated with the poor living in the tropical regions of the world. LF patients are prone to developing acute dermatolymphangioadenitis (ADLA), a condition that puts them at risk of developing secondary bacterial infections due to skin peeling. ADLA in particular, worsens the prognosis of patients, but also leads to the usage of antibiotics as a therapeutic intervention. This may result in inappropriate usage of antibiotics due to self-medication and non-compliance, thereby exacerbating antimicrobial resistance in LF patients. In this perspective, we assessed the antimicrobial resistance in LF patients. We focused on antibiotic usage, antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates and looked at genes coding for resistance in multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria isolates. Results: Amoxacillin (54%) and chloramphenicol (22%) were the most frequently used antibiotics by participants for self-medication. This is representative of the resistance pro les of the bacteria isolates. Penicillin and erythromycin were respectively the highest and least antibiotic that Staphylococcus aureus was resistant to. All Escherichia coli isolates were sensitive to meropenem, while they were all resistant to antibiotics such as tetracycline and ampicillin. Pseudomonas aeruginosa were least resistant to cipro oxacin, gentamicin and ceftazidime. The incidence of multi-drug resistant methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), cephalosporin resistant E. coli and carbapenem resistant P. aeruginosa are respectively 15.38% (n=4), 40% (n=2) and 25% (n=2) in LF patients. Extended-spectrum betalactamase [ESBL] (blaxCTX-M) and mecA genes were implicated in the resistance mechanism of E. coli and MRSA, respectively. Conclusion: Our ndings have shown presence of MDR isolates from larial pathology patients presenting with chronic wounds and; thus, the need to prioritize antimicrobial resistance of multi-drug resistant bacteria into treatment strategies optimizing the morbidity management protocols. The ndings in this study can potentially guide the choice of antibiotics for treating individuals presenting with larial pathologies with wounds.
Regulation of Nrf2 and NF-κB activities may contribute to the anti-inflammatory mechanism of xylopic acid
Inflammopharmacology, 2022
Xylopic acid (XA) is a kaurene diterpene which naturally exists in African plants such as Xylopia... more Xylopic acid (XA) is a kaurene diterpene which naturally exists in African plants such as Xylopia aethiopica. It has been established to exhibit acute and chronic anti-inflammatory activities from our earlier studies. This current work sets out to shed light on the potential molecular target(s) of xylopic acid. Selection of investigated targets (NF-κB, Nrf2 and PTP1B) was based on an unbiased approach, using the SPiDER in silico prediction tool, and a candidate approach, examining well-known anti-inflammatory targets. Reporter gene assays were used to test for altered NF-κB and Nrf2 activities in transfected HEK or CHO cells, respectively, and immunoblot and flow cytometric analyses examined protein expression of the Nrf2/NF-kB target genes HO-1 and VCAM-1 in HUVEC. An effect of XA on PTP1B activity assay was studied using an in vitro enzyme assay with recombinant human enzyme and pNPP as substrate as well as by looking at insulin receptor phosphorylation in HepG2 cells. XA at 30 µM significantly (p < 0.001) inhibited the NF-κB-dependent reporter gene expression and enhanced activation of Nrf2 in a concentration-dependent manner when compared to the control. XA also marginally increased HO-1 protein expression levels while expression of VCAM-1 was reduced to 70% in XA-treated endothelial cells. However, XA did not show any sign of inhibition of PTP1B or a related phosphatase. Our findings suggest that the anti-inflammatory mechanism of XA entails the inhibitory effect on NF-κB and an increased activity of Nrf2, accompanied by increased expression of HO-1 and reduced expression of VCAM-1.
Sensitivity Patterns, Plasmid Profiles and Clonal Relatedness of Multi-Drug Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated From the Ashanti Region, Ghana
Environmental Health Insights, 2022
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of most opportunistic nosocomial infections in Ghana. The... more Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of most opportunistic nosocomial infections in Ghana. The study sought to characterize P. aeruginosa isolates from market environments, poultry farms and clinical samples of patients from 2 district hospitals in the Ashanti region of Ghana. The genetic relatedness, plasmid profiles and antimicrobial sensitivity of the isolates were investigated. Culture based isolation and oprL gene amplification were used to confirm the identity of the isolates. Susceptibility testing was conducted using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. Random whole genome typing of the P. aeruginosa strains was done using Enterobacterial repetitive-intergenic consensus based (ERIC) PCR assay. The most active agents against P. aeruginosa isolates were ceftazidime (90%), piperacillin (85%), meropenem, cefipeme and ticarcillin/clavulanic acid (81.6%). The isolates were most resistant to gentamycin (69%), ciprofloxacin (62.1%), ticarcillin (56.3%) and aztreonam (25%). Abou...
Medicinal Spices and Vegetables from Africa, 2017
Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka states. Petroselinum crispum leaves look like coriander ... more Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka states. Petroselinum crispum leaves look like coriander leaves but the taste and aroma hold opposing views. Petroselinum crispum contains small, dark seeds which content volatile oil [1]. In Britain, they prefer the curly leaves forms for culinary purposes and on the continent plain leaves varieties are preferred for garnishes and flavoring [2] (Figure 1) (Table 1). Table1: Classification of Petroselinum crispum. Rank Scientific Name and (Common Name) Kingdom Planate Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants) Super division Spermatophyta (Seed plants) Class Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons) Order Petroselinum crispum Family Apiaceae / Umbelliferae Genus Petroselinum J. Hill (Parsley) Species Petroselinum crispum (Mill.
Glyphaea brevis (Spreng.) Monach.: A Review of the Ethno-medical, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Investigations
British Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 2016
Medicinal Chemistry, 2016
Med chem (Los Angeles), an open access journal Volume 6(2): 095-104 (2016)-95 M e d ic ina l che ... more Med chem (Los Angeles), an open access journal Volume 6(2): 095-104 (2016)-95 M e d ic ina l che m is tr y
Antioxidant and in vivo Wound Healing Activities of Clausena anisata
European Journal of Medicinal Plants, 2015
Leaves of Clausena anisata are used in many parts of West Africa including Ghana for management o... more Leaves of Clausena anisata are used in many parts of West Africa including Ghana for management of wounds and other skin infections. The study was to evaluate the in vivo wound healing and antioxidant properties of ethanol leaf extract of C. anisata. The wound healing activity of ethanol leaf extract of the C. anisata was investigated using excision wound model. The antioxidant activity was determined using 2, 2-diphenyl-1 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method. For wound healing activity, concentrations of 7 and 10% w/w aqueous cream of the extract were used. The progression of wound healing was determined by the periodic assessment of the contraction of excision wounds and histological studies. The leaf extract cream (7% w/w) was found to significantly increase the rate of wound contraction (p<0.001) at days 13 to 19 compared to the untreated. The n-propyl gallate used as the reference antioxidant agent had IC50 of 4.19 μg/mL and that of the ethanol extract was 32.9 μg/mL. These findings may justify the medicinal uses of C. anisata for the management of wounds. Original Research Article Agyepong et al.; EJMP, 10(2): 1-8, 2015; Article no.EJMP.19792 2
Diversity and antibiograms of bacteria isolated from cutaneous leishmaniasis wounds in the Nkwanta South District of Ghana
Archives of Microbiology
BMC Microbiology
Background Antimicrobial resistance is associated with increased morbidity in secondary infection... more Background Antimicrobial resistance is associated with increased morbidity in secondary infections and is a global threat owning to the ubiquitous nature of resistance genes in the environment. Recent estimate put the deaths associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019 at 4.95 million worldwide. Lymphatic filariasis (LF), a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), is associated with the poor living in the tropical regions of the world. LF patients are prone to developing acute dermatolymphangioadenitis (ADLA), a condition that puts them at risk of developing secondary bacterial infections due to skin peeling. ADLA particularly worsens the prognosis of patients leading to usage of antibiotics as a therapeutic intervention. This may result in inappropriate usage of antibiotics due to self-medication and non-compliance; exacerbating antimicrobial resistance in LF patients. In this perspective, we assessed the possibilities of antimicrobial resistance in LF patients. We focused o...
Applied Microbiology: Theory ＆ Technology
Helminths in recent times are said to be highly resistant to anthelmintic therapeutics. The level... more Helminths in recent times are said to be highly resistant to anthelmintic therapeutics. The level of attention paid to this area is quite low, therefore causing a serious threat to humans and livestock. Helminth’s infection is rampant in developing countries contributing significantly to economic losses and food security in general. This study aims to determine the Anthelmintic properties of methanol extract of Bridelia micrantha (Hochst) Baill leaves. Methods: The anthelmintic activity of helminths was determined by exposure to various concentrations of reference anthelminthic (albendazole, praziquantel and mebendazole) drugs and plant extract. Measurements were taken based on times for death and paralysis. Results: The extract exhibited a concentration-dependent anthelmintic activity against Lumbricus terrestris with significant (p < 0.0001) paralysis and death times when the extract concentrations were 4, 8, 16 and 32 mg/mL respectively. In the presence of 0.125 mg/mL of the e...
BioMed Research International
Background. Parkia clappertoniana Keay (Family: Fabaceae) (P. clappertoniana) fruit husk is commo... more Background. Parkia clappertoniana Keay (Family: Fabaceae) (P. clappertoniana) fruit husk is commonly used in northern Ghana for wound treatment. However, this folk claim remains to be confirmed scientifically. Objective. This study investigated wound healing and antimicrobial effects of P. clappertoniana fruit husk extract (PCFHE) by using excision wound model in rats. Materials and Methods. After preparation and phytochemical analysis of PCFHE, it was reconstituted in purified water and emulsifying ointment yielding a wound healing formula (0.3, 1, and 3%). Excision wounds were established in healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats (aged 8-10 weeks; weighing 150–200 g). Rats were randomly assigned into six groups (model, 1% silver sulfadiazine [SSD], vehicle, and PCFHE [0.3, 1, and 3%, respectively]) and topically treated daily until complete wound healing. The endpoints (period of epithelialization, wound contraction, collagen content, erythema index, oedema index, inflammatory cell infi...
Anti-trypanosomal and anthelminthic properties of ethanol and aqueous extracts of Tetrapleura tetraptera Taub
Veterinary Parasitology
Trypanosomosis and helminthosis, considered as part of neglected tropical diseases, are parasitic... more Trypanosomosis and helminthosis, considered as part of neglected tropical diseases, are parasitic infections of public health importance, especially in Africa. Medicinal plants have been used in most parts of Africa, to treat these parasitic infections. The study aims to determine the anti-trypanosomal and anthelminthic properties of Tetrapleura tetraptera (fruit and stembark). The aqueous extracts of T. tetraptera fruit (TTFaq) and stembark (TTSaq), as well as ethanol extracts of T. tetraptera fruit (TTFe) and stembark (TTSe), were screened for their in vitro anti-trypanosomal and anthelminthic activities against T. b. brucei and Pheretima posthuma worms, respectively. Preliminary phytochemical screening of all extracts and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of most active extracts were conducted. TTFaq exhibited anti-trypanosomal activity with IC50 of 18.18 μg/mL. TTSe and TTFe had moderate anti-trypanosomal activity with IC50 of 34.76 and 34.84 μg/mL, respectively. TTSaq had relatively low activity against the parasite with IC50 of 55.03 μg/mL. The SI of T. tetraptera extracts was between the range of 0.14-2.09. TTFaq showed dose-dependent activity causing paralysis and death of the adult worms at all concentrations. At the least concentration of 0.625 mg/mL, TTFaq induced paralysis and death after 101.88 ± 0.8 and 242.64 ± 0.38 min of exposure, respectively compared with the negative control (p < 0.0001). TTFe, TTSe and TTSaq caused paralysis of worms after 318.32 ± 0.74, 422.5 ± 0.72, 422.20 ± 0.55 min of exposure at minimum concentrations of 2.5, 10 and 5 mg/mL, respectively (p < 0.0001). However, no death was observed in worms treated with TTFe, TTSe and TTSaq at all test concentrations. In the presence of sub-minimal inhibitory concentration of the extracts, TTFaq potentiated the anthelminthic activity of albendazole whiles TTFe, TTSaq and TTSe inhibited the activity of albendazole. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, triterpenoids, reducing sugars, flavonoids (absent in TTFe), steroids (absent in TTFaq) and tannins (absent in TTSe and TTFe) in the extracts. GC-MS revealed the presence of 9-octadecenamide and betulic acid in TTFaq. Hence, there was evidence provided here that Tetrapleura tetraptera may be effective. This gives credence to their folkloric use. However, further study might be necessary to ascertain safety use in both humans and animals.
Advances in Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Cnestisferruginea is a tropical plant, which is traditionally used in the treatment and managemen... more Cnestisferruginea is a tropical plant, which is traditionally used in the treatment and management of various conditions including skin infections and wounds. The aim of this study was to investigate the dermal toxicity and wound healing potential of C. ferruginea. Ten millimeter full-thickness mucosal wounds were created on the dorsal midportion of the Sprague Dawley rats. Wounds were treated with 10, 5, and 2.5% w/w aqueous creams, prepared from the methanol extract of the root bark of C. ferruginea (CFM). The wound tissues were harvested on day 21 for histology studies. Compared with the untreated group, 10, 5, and 2.5% w/w CFM-treated wounds significantly reduced the wound size over the study period ( P < 0.0001 ). Tissue histology revealed a healed wound with well-regenerated collagen and skin appendages with no pus cells. A skin irritation test was conducted on CFM, as well as the dermal toxicity of CFM was determined in the repeated dose and acute dermal toxicity bioassays...
Journal of Chemistry
The most common diseases that affect low-income countries are helminthosis and trypanosomosis. In... more The most common diseases that affect low-income countries are helminthosis and trypanosomosis. In Ghana, and in many other African countries, herbal treatment of various diseases is still common. In the present study, we sought to determine the antitrypanosomal and anthelminthic activities of Carica papaya and Ceiba pentandra. The ethanol extracts of Carica papaya stem bark (PPSe) and leaves (PPLe) and ethanol extracts of Ceiba pentandra stem bark (CPSe) and leaves (CPLe) were screened against Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Pheretima posthuma worms in vitro. CPSe exhibited strong antitrypanosomal activity, while the other extracts exhibited moderate activity against T. b. brucei. All the extracts showed weak selective indices (SI) when tested on Jurkat cell lines, which is indicative of a potential toxic effect. When the extracts were screened against P. posthuma worms, only PPSe and CPSe were able to kill the worms after the exposure time at concentrations of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/mL. P...
Journal of Parasitology Research, 2021
Albizia ferruginea (Guill. & Perr.) Benth bark is used in the traditional medicine as a vermifuge... more Albizia ferruginea (Guill. & Perr.) Benth bark is used in the traditional medicine as a vermifuge. This study sought to determine the anthelmintic activity of the stem bark extract of Albizia ferruginea. The powdered A. ferruginea stem bark was extracted with ethanol. Phytochemical screening was carried out on A. ferruginea ethanol extract (AFE) and then screened for its anthelmintic property against Pheretima posthuma and Haemonchus contortus using the adult motility assay. The effect of AFE and its fractions on the anthelminthic activity of mebendazole and albendazole were also determined using the adult worm (P. posthuma) motility assay. AFE showed a dose-dependent anthelmintic activity against P. posthuma and H. contortus. The least concentration of AFE (0.5 mg/mL) paralyzed and killed P. posthuma within 272.50 ± 12.42 min and 354.50 ± 5.06 min of exposure, respectively. AFE at the least test concentration (0.14 mg/mL) caused paralysis and induced death of H. contortus, after ...
Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2021
Background. Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a major global health challenge. Reports on the ... more Background. Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a major global health challenge. Reports on the prevalence of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa, a common pathogenic bacterium implicated in nosocomial infections and poultry diseases, are limited in Ghana. This study therefore sought to determine the prevalence of P. aeruginosa from hospitals, poultry farms, and environmental samples from the Ashanti region of Ghana. Methodology. Stool, urine, and blood samples from 364 patients from two hospitals in the Ashanti region of Ghana were randomly sampled. P. aeruginosa was isolated and confirmed using routine selective media and PCR-based oprL gene amplification. The Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method employing EUCAST breakpoint values was used to identify multidrug-resistant strains. The occurrence of common antibiotic inactivating enzymes and resistance encoding genes and the assessment of strain efflux capacity were investigated with double disc synergy test (DDST), imipenem-EDTA synerg...
Background: Leishmaniasis is a vector borne disease caused by an intracellular protozoan parasite... more Background: Leishmaniasis is a vector borne disease caused by an intracellular protozoan parasite. The presence of secondary bacterial infections in cutaneous leishmaniasis wounds exacerbate lesion development and could lead to delay in the healing process. Little is also known about the different bacteria species co-infecting leishmaniasis wounds and their sensitivity patterns in Ghana. This study sought to determine the resistance patterns of bacteria co-infecting cutaneous leishmaniasis wounds from selected communities in the Nkwanta district.Methods: Various bacteria were isolated and characterized from exudates obtained from wound swabs collected with sterile cotton tipped applicators. Confirmation of bacterial identity was done using the analytical profile index and the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using agar disc diffusion method according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards I...
Plant-derived compounds have been an integral component in man’s quest to discover ideal anticanc... more Plant-derived compounds have been an integral component in man’s quest to discover ideal anticancer agents. A number of new agents are currently in clinical development with promising selective activity against cancer cell lines and cancer-related molecular targets. This book chapter discusses 14 of such compounds isolated from African plants from 15 plant families. Also contained in this book chapter are compounds from African plants that hold prospect as potential anticancer agents as informed by their in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies. It is, therefore, worthwhile that researchers in the African continent and the world over should keep on working on identifying biomolecules with potential in cancer management.
Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 2019
Alchornea cordifolia has ethnomedicinal use in the treatment of wounds, gonorrhea, conjunctivitis... more Alchornea cordifolia has ethnomedicinal use in the treatment of wounds, gonorrhea, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, urinary disorder and gastrointestinal disorder. The main focus of this study was to verify the biological activities (anthelmintic, antimicrobial and antioxidant) and isolate some of the components in the chloroform, methanol, and petroleum ether leaf extracts. Phytochemical screening, antimicrobial (agar and broth dilution method), anthelminthic and antioxidant [total antioxidant capacity (TAC), DPPH and H2O2 scavenging] assays were carried out on extracts. Thin layer and column chromatography were employed in the isolation and purification of the components of the petroleum ether extract. The phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of secondary metabolites such as terpenoids, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, carotenoids, phenols and tannins. All three extracts showed antimicrobial activity against test organisms with MICs ranging from 1.56 – 25 mg/mL. The IC50 valu...
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Papers by Yaw Duah Boakye, PhD