Browsing by Author "Wanzala, W."

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Characterization and evaluation of repellent effect of essential oil of mangifera indica l. from Kenya
(Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants, 2013-03-12) Alwala, J.O.; Wanzala, W.; Inyambukho, RA.
Ethnopharmacologically, the mango has a lot of applications in life in humanhealth and ethnoveterinary medicines since ancient times. The study aimed at characterizing theessential oil of Mangifera indica L. leaves and evaluating its repellent effect on the host-seekingfemale Anopheles gambiae,the vector of African malaria. The essential oil was obtained byhydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-massspectrometry (GC-MS). The repellent effect of the essential oil was evaluated using the human-baittechnique to simulate field situation. Of the 26 major hydrocarbon compounds identified, α-pineneoccurred in the largest amount (33.3 %), followed by α-phellandrene (22.6 %), Limonene (13.2 %),p-cymene (6.1 %), Heptane (3.8 %), β-pinene (2.6 %), Ledene (1.3 %), (-)-α-gurjunene (1.2 %), β-myrcene (1.1 %), γ-terpinene (1.0 %), (+)-2-carene (0.9 %) and trans (β)-caryophyllene (0.9 %) inthat order. The oil showed a significant dose-dependent repellent effect on host-seeking femaleAnopheles gambiae s.s. The oil showed a complex composition of hydrocarbon compounds andmay be richer in monoterpenes than in any other type of compounds. It showed the potential to repelmosquitoes.
Chemical composition of essential oil oftithonia diversifolia(hemsl.) a. gray from the southern slopes of Mount Elgon in western Kenya
(I J E P P, 2016-06-01) Wanzala, W.; Osundwa, E.M.; Alwala, O.J.; Gakuubi, M.M.
Ethnopharmacologically, Tithonia diversifolia has a lot of applications in the history of human life. The current study aimed at characterizing the essential oil from fresh aerial parts of T. diversifolia. The plant materials were obtained from western Kenya and oil extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Compounds were identified by comparison of their mass spectra with those in Wiley NBS and NIST databases and GC retention times to those of authentic samples. The percentage yield of the essential oil of T. diversifoliawas 0.00015% w/w. The oil showed a complex composition of about 50 compounds, a mixture of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, 54% and 46%, respectively.Within the sub-classes of terpenes, hydrogen-carbon-containing terpenes (72%) occurred more than oxygen-containing terpenes (28%) with hydrogen-carbon-containing sesquiterpenes (38%) occurring in the highest proportion, followed by hydrogen-carbon-containing monoterpenes (34%), oxygenated monoterpenes (20%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (8%). Twenty-four percent of the 50 compounds and most of the monoterpenes were found in literature to have some repellence properties. Of these 50 compounds, α-pinene occurred in the largest amount (63.64%), followed by β-pinene (15.0%), iso-caryophyllene (7.62%), nerolidol (3.70%), 1-tridecanol (1.75%), limonene (1.52%), sabinene (1.00%), α-copaene (0.95%), α-gurjunene (0.56%) and cyclodecene (0.54%). With multipotential applications nature of T. diversifoliaplant and its products, these compounds may in future be useful in pharmaceutical, agricultural, food and perfumery industries
Determination of tannin concentrations in african indigenous vegetables, grains and cassava roots from Emuhaya District, western Kenya
(Sciknow Publications Ltd : American Journal of Nutrition and Food Science, 2014-01-01) Wanzala, W.; Alwala, J.O.; Kiema, Francis N.
The studyevaluated tanninconcentrations in four vegetables, three grains and cassava roots as the most common foodstuffs in the diet of local communities from Emuhaya district in western Kenyaand their nutritional health implication. Plant specimens were collected from local arable farms and market centres and their identities confirmed at Maseno University herbarium. Tannincontent was evaluated using the International Phamacopoeia Method.Percent compositionof tannins in the sampled specimens were: 9.49±0.6 for rattle pod (Crotalaria brevidens(Emiroo); Family, Fabaceae), 8.38±0.3 for narrow-leaf bitter-pea(Daviesialeptophylla(Omurere); Family, Fabaceae), 2.49±0.2 for amaranth (Amaranthushybridus(Tsimboka); Family, Amaranthaceae), 0.42±0.04for black nightshade(Solanumnigrum(Lisutsa); Family, Solanaceae), 9.21±0.4 for peanut/groundnut (Arachishypogaea(Tsinjugu); Family, Fabaceae), 8.24±0.4 for sesame(Sesamumindicum(Tsinuni); Family, Pedaliaceae), 8.11±0.2 for finger millet (Eleusinecoracana(Obulee); Family, Poaceae) and 6.99±0.5 for cassava (Manihotesculenta(Emioko); Family, Euphorbiaceae). Solanumnigrumhad significantly the lowest tannin composition profile followed by A. hybridusand M. esculentain that order (P < 0.05). Interestingly, these three plants are preferred in the diet to the rest of the plants. The results provide scientific rationale for dietary exploitationof these plants bythe local communities and may lay down some groundwork for exploiting partially refined products such as peanut butter and a wide range of grades of flour for human consumption and livestock feeds. However, consumption of tannins in the diet may sometimes benecessary for optimal health but caution needs to be taken for their conflicting adverse medical-based nutritional and physiological effects.
A survey of the applications and use of ethnomedicinal plants and plant products for healthcare from the ukambani region in Eastern Kenya
(IJEPP, 2016-01-01) Wanzala, W.; Syombua, Sr. Marcellina; Alwala, J.O.
The Akamba people of Kenya have a long history of ethnobotany, dating back to the pre-colonial era. Building on the Akamba’shistorical businesses involving the trade of various plants and plant products called ‘Miti,’ literally meaning plants, the Mitiare used in primary healthcare systems. Overall, the Mitilack proper documentation. Thus, the primary purpose of this paper is to record and classify the plants used by the Akamba. Non-alienating, dialogic, participatory action research (PAR) and participatory rural appraisal (PRA) approaches wereused to survery 25 women and men between the ages of 50 and 86 years old. Results indicated 200 useful medicinal plant species from 58 families, while their application methods for a wide range of ill-health conditions affecting humans, cattle and poultry were also documented. The recorded medicial conditions ranged from those that manifest clinically to those that are cultural, spiritual and psychological in nature. Management of many chronic and complicated ill-health conditions showed that the Kambaethnomedical system may practically be comparable to that of conventional medicine, particularly following an in-depth scientific studies.