HERBAL CURES FOR HIV/ AIDS

Are herbal medicines effective and safe in
managing opportunistic infections and
complications associated with Human
Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)?

THERE have been claims and counter claims
on possible herbal cures for Human
Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Until now several local plants such as lemon,
neem tree, garlic, scent leaf, ginger, among
others have shown promise in the
management of opportunistic infections
associated with HIV/AIDS.
However, the persistent quest for more
natural products for the treatment of HIV/
AIDS has uncovered a new candidate,
extracts of a local plant, Baissea axillaries,
which have shown promise in the
treatment of diarrhoea associated with HIV/
AIDS.
A study published in BMC Complementary
and Alternative Medicine concluded:
“Extracts of Baissea axillaries have
demonstrated antimicrobial activity against
clinical strains of selected microorganisms.
While there is toxicity at the dose of 500
mg/kg, the therapy shows potential for
application in the treatment of diarrhoea
associated with AIDS/HIV. Further studies of
Baissea axillaries on diarrhoea and toxicity
are necessary to evaluate its mechanism of
action and to fully establish its safety
profile.
The study is titled “Antimicrobial and
toxicological evaluation of the leaves of
Baissea axillaries Hua used in the
management of HIV/AIDS patients.”
The University of Benin, Edo State,
researchers include Tavs A. Abere of the
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of
Pharmacy and Freddy O. Agoreyo of the
Department of Anatomy, College of Medical
Sciences.
Baissea axillaris belongs to the plant family
Apocynaceae. It is called imu in Yoruba.
According to The useful plants of west
tropical Africa, Vol 1 by H. M. Burkill, Baissea
axillaris is a climbing shrub to three metres
high of the rain forest of Southern Nigeria
and Western Cameroons, and extending to
Angola. The liane is used in Southern Nigeria
to make palm-wine more intoxicating. A
decoction of leafy twigs is taken in Congo
for kidney disorders.
Several studies have shown that persistent
diarrhoea is a common endemic disease
with high incidence among the Africans
including Nigerians. It also represents a
frequent opportunistic disease in people
living with HIV. Diarrhoea represents one of
the most distressful and persistent
symptoms of HIV/AIDS, which may or may
not be accompanied by an infection.
According to the study, the leaves decoction
of Baissea axillaries Hua (Apocynaceae) is
used by traditional herbalists in Edo State,
Nigeria for the management of people
living with HIV/AIDS. Determination of its
antimicrobial activity and toxicological
profile provides supportive scientific
evidence in favour of its continuous usage.
Chemical and chromatographic tests were
employed in phytochemical investigations.
Inhibitory activities of aqueous and
ethanolic extracts against clinical strains of
Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus
faecalis were compared with Togamycin
(Spectinomycin).
“Our report includes minimum inhibitory
concentration (MIC) against the test
organisms. Toxicological evaluation was
determined by administering 250 mg/kg
and 500 mg/kg of extracts on male Wister
rats for 14 days with normal saline as
control. The kidneys, liver, heart and testis
tissues were examined,” the researchers
wrote.
Phytochemical studies revealed the
presence of alkaloids, tannins and
cyanogenetic glycosides. The extracts
inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa and
Staphylococcus aureus to varying extents,
but only the ethanolic extract inhibited
growth in Streptococcus faecalis.
According to the researchers, the LD50
(minimum lethal dose) of the extract in mice
was above 5000-mg/kg body weight when
administered intra-peritoneally.
Toxicological evaluation showed mere
ballooning degeneration of the liver at 250
mg/kg while at 500 mg/kg there was tissue
necrosis. The low and high doses showed
ill-defined leydig cells in the testis and no
remarkable changes in the heart and
kidneys.
Another study published in the International
Research Journal of Biochemistry and
Bioinformatics Vol. 1(5) pp. 124-130, June,
2011 noted: “Baissea axillaries Hua, a
popular herbal remedy in Nigeria used to
treat many diseases was also effective in
bacterial caused opportunistic infections in
HIV patients. However, neem (dogonyaro)
leaves that are widely distributed in Nigeria
increased the CD4 count (a marker for
immune function) and general well being
significantly in HIV patients. ?-Zam is an
effective herbal remedy used by HIV
patients in Nigeria as alternative or
complementary therapy.”
The study is titled “Chronic toxicity profiles
of ?-zam, herbal concoction used for HIV
infection in Nigeria” is a collaborative effort
between researchers from Faculty of Health
and Social Care, St. George’s University of
London and Kingston University, London,
Osun State University, Osogbo and College
of Health Sciences, Igbinedion University
Okada, Edo State.
The study reads: “The effectiveness of
herbal remedies in HIV infection is not
doubtful. There are many herbal remedies
that have been found to inhibit one or more
steps in HIV replication. Alkaloids derivatives
herbal remedies (example Ancistrocladus
korupensis) from tropical liana plant inhibit
reverse transcriptase and HIV induced cell
fusion.
“Pentosan poly-sulphate, a carbohydrate
derivate inhibits HIV tat regulatory protein
(p14) that strongly activates transcription
of proviral DNA. A coumarin herbal remedy
in form of canolides from tropical forest
tree (Calophyllum lanigerum) was rated as
non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase
inhibitor in potency. Despite the fact that
sero- deconversion is very rare with Highly
Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), some
herbal remedies (example Chinese
medicines) have been documented in
turning HIV infected patients to sero-
negativity.
“There are many herbal remedies that are
effective against HIV infection in Nigeria.
Many of these documented herbal remedies
act on the opportunistic infections caused
by micro-organisms.”
Another study published in Ethno-Medicine
has examined the role of traditional
medicine/complimentary and alternative
medicines (TM/CAM) and their practitioners
and products in the prevention and
management of HIV/AIDS as a
complementary measure to curb the spread
of HIV/AIDS.
The study is titled: “Roles of Traditional
Healers in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS.” The
researchers include Jimoh Amzat of the
Department of Sociology, Usmanu
Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and Ali A.
Abdullahi of the Department of Sociology,
University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State.