| Popis: |
CareVid, is a multi-herbal product that is used in southwestern parts of Kenya as an immune booster and health tonic for the treatment and management of infections. Its use has been anecdotally claimed to improve the condition of HIV-positive patients. The product is made up of 14 plants comprising the roots of Adenia gummifera (Harv.) Harms., Asparagus africanus Lam., Clematis hirsuta Guill. & Perr., Clutia robusta Pax (accepted as Clutia kilimandscharica Engl.), Dovyalis abyssinica (A.Rich.) Warb., Periploca linearifolia Quart.-Dill. & A.Rich., and Rhamnus prinoides L'Her, the stem bark of Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd. ex Delile (currently, Vachelia nilotica (L.) P.J.HHurter & Mabb.), Anthocleista grandiflora Gilg., Bersama abyssinica Fresen., Croton macrostachyus Hochst. ex Delile, Ekebergia capensis Sparm., and Prunus africana Hook.f. Kalkman, and whole plant of Plantago palmata Hook.f. To ensure a comprehensive understanding of the constituents of CareVid, a detailed review of the botany, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of the plants used was carried out. Review of current literature revealed that an extract of B. abyssinica inhibited replication of HIV-1 at EC50 of 3.1 with a selectivity index of 3.8, whereas extracts from A. nilotica demonstrated inhibition activity against HIV-1 replication in HIV-infected MT-4 cells, and with considerable antiprotease enzyme activity. The extracts of P. africana also demonstrated HIV-1 reverse transcriptase enzyme inhibition activity at inhibitory concentrations of 50 and 100 µg/ml. In addition, individual plants have been reported to produce compounds that have been tested and showed to demonstrate modest anti-HIV activities. The compounds include epicatechin gallate, ellagic acid, gallic acid, procyanidin B, epicatechin, caffeic acid, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, lupeol, mascalinic acid, mangiferin, betulin, tremulacin, cucurmin, kaempferol and ferulic acid. |
