Kolaviron
Medical plants have been used by human since ages in traditional medicine due to their therapeutic potential. Extract from these plants and their products are utilized in herbal medicine for treatment of diseases. Report has shown that more than 80% of the world population relies on traditional medicinal for their primary healthcare need (Low et al., 2002).
Kolaviron is the major component isolated from the seeds of Garcinia kola and contains biflavanones (GB1, GB2 and kolaflavanone) (Ijomone et al., 2012). Garcinia kola Heckel (family Guittiferae) is a herb grown in Nigeria and has a striking astringent, bitter and resinous taste. It is popularly called bitter Kola in Nigeria (Farombi 2000). Local Nigerian names include; Orogbo in Yoruba, Ugolu in Ibo and Akan in Urhobo (Heckel et al., 200o). It is used in folklore remedies for the treatment of several ailments such as liver disorders, hepatitis, diarrhoea, laryngitis, bronchitis and gonorrhea (Adaramoye et al., 2005). Flavonoids, oleoresins, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, cardiac glycosides are amongst the phytochemical substances that have been isolated from Garcinia kola (Adegbehingbe et al., 2008). The pharmacodynamics behind Garcinia kola action is based on kolaviron. Kolaviron, the biflavonoid complex in Garcinia kola, is responsible for the strong antioxidant properties of Garcinia kola which limits the oxidative conversion of amino acid by reactive oxygen species to other damaging fatty acid products (Freitas et al., 2006). Garcinia kola. Garcinia kola is traditionally used by African folk healers who believe that it has purgative, antiparasitic, and antimicrobial properties. It has been also reported to prevent hepatotoxicity mediated by several toxins. It exhibit strong antioxidant activities (Tripathi et al., 2008). Recent Study carried prooves that kolaviron could act as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (Siegel et al., 2010). Kolaviron may be developed as a herbal-based natural product with therapeutic potential in the management of neurodegenerative disorders associated with disturbed cholinergic neurotransmitter systems (Adaramoye 2010).
Erythrocyte also referred to as red blood cells, (Vinay et al., 2007). red blood corpuscles, haematids, erythroid cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate's principal means of delivering oxygen (O2) to the body tissues via blood flow through the circulatory system (Erich 2000). The cytoplasm of erythrocytes is rich in hemoglobin, an iron-containing biomolecule that can bind oxygen and is responsible for the red color of the cells and the blood (Blom 2013). In humans, mature red blood cells are flexible and oval biconcave disks. They lack a cell nucleus and most organelles, in order to accommodate maximum space for hemoglobin; they can be viewed as sacks of hemoglobin, with a plasma membrane as the sack (Sender et al., 2016). Approximately 2.4 million new erythrocytes are produced per second in human adults (Erich 2000). The cells develop in the bone marrow and circulate for about 100–120 days in the body before their components are recycled by macrophages. Each circulation takes about 60 seconds (one minute) (BLOM 2003). Approximately 84% of the cells in the human body are red blood cells (Sender et al., 2016). Nearly half of the blood's volume (40% to 45%) is red blood cells.
The black-necked spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis) is a species of spitting cobra found mostly in sub-Saharan Africa (Reinhardt et al., 1999). It belongs to the cobra genus Naja under the family Elapidae. It previously included two subspecies that have been moved to the species Naja nigricincta – the zebra spitting cobra (Naja nigricincta nigricincta) and the black spitting cobra (Naja nigricincta woodi). Naja nigricollis is a moderately sized, venomous snake with a moderately distinct head; the shape of the head is due primarily to two large venom glands found on each side of the head (Mastenbroek and Richard 2012). The venom of Naja nigricollis is somewhat unusual among elapids in that it consists primarily of cytotoxins (Marais 2004), but with other components also. It retains the typical elapid neurotoxic properties while combining these with highly potent cytotoxins (necrotic agents) (Chaim et al., 2000), and cardiotoxins (Fryklund et al., 2002). Bite symptoms include severe external hemorrhaging and tissue necrosis around the bite area and difficulty breathing. Although the mortality rate in untreated cases is low, when death occurs, it is usually due to asphyxiation by paralysis of the diaphragm. The LD50 of Naja nigricollis is 2 mg/kg SC and 1.15 mg/kg
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