Nigerian researchers have found that
water-based extract of bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) could be used
as adjuvant in the management of people living with Human
Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS).
A recent study on the immunological
effect of Vernonia amygdalina leaf extract and immunace® (nutritional
supplement) on HIV-infected patients taking highly active antiretroviral
therapy (HAART) found that it could serve as a nutritional supplement
in an HIV-infected or immuno-compromised condition such as cancer or
diabetes patients.
The study published in Asian Pacific
Journal of Tropical Biomedicine concluded: “The aqueous extract of
Vernonia amygdalina (bitter leaf) and immunace or both have the
immunological effect on HIV-infected patients. Therefore, we suggest
that the V. amygdalina extract or immunace or both could be used as
adjuvant in the management of HIV/AIDS clients.”
The study was conducted by researchers
from the Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria Nsukka,
Enugu State; Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria; and
Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology University of
Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The result of the study showed that the
mean absolute CD4 count (a marker of the immune system) was increased in
the client who took the extract or supplement. And the clients who took
both the extract and supplement had a greater increase in the CD4
count. The increased CD4 was significant as compared with the control
group. The skin rashes were also improved in the entire groups.
Also, the World Health Organisation
(WHO) and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) have endorsed
some herbs and spices that have shown promise in treating the
opportunistic infections associated with the viral infections without
side effects.
They have verified the efficacy of
garlic (Allium sativum), ginger (Zingiber officinarum), cloves (Syzigium
aromaticum), thyme, cayenne, basil, Aloe vera, Neem tree
(Dogonyaro/Azadiratcha indica), lemon (Citrus limon), lemon grass
(Cymbopogon citratus) in the treatment of opportunistic infections
associated with the HIV/AIDS.
A Neem-based product has received United
States (U.S.) patent, “US 20070275085 A1”, as compositions and methods
for the cure of HIV/AIDS.
Also, Nigerian researchers led by a
professor of pharmacognosy at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN),
Chief Executive Officer of Bioresources Development Group (BDG), and
former Chairman of the Independent Election Commission (INEC), Prof.
Maurice Iwu, have validated local foods such as bitter kola, coconut
oil, bitter leaf, Moringa oleifera, Sour sop, the mushroom Garnoderma
lucidum, among others as immune boosters and for the treatment of HIV.
Also, another group of researchers have
in clinical trials demonstrated how poly herbal preparations made
predominantly with bitter leaf provide cure for chronic form of
hepatitis B and C co-infection, cancer, type 2 diabetes, tuberculosis
and HIV. The researchers from Halamin Herbal centre, 10 George Innih
Crescent, Apo District, Abuja and Department of Histopathology and
Cytology, Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) Jos found that poly
herbal preparations with bitter leaf as the active ingredient strengthen
the immune system through many cytokines and chemokines regulations.
Other constituents of poly herbal
preparations include: Sesamum indicatum (sesame), bitter leaf, Aloe
barbadensis (popularly known as aloe vera), Saccharum officinarum (sugar
cane), Allium sativum (garlic) and Amaranthus caudatus (green amaranth,
inine in Ibo, tete abalaye in Yoruba).
The poly herbal preparations include:
SAAAB and HAABS dietary supplement for hepatitis B and C, and HIV;
SAABFAT 7 for cancer and HIV; TABSAABS for tuberculosis and HIV; and
DAABS-2 for type two diabetes.
The researchers led by a leading
researcher in plant extracts and natural medicine and pharmacist, Dr.
Ben Amodu, have shown that there is a cure for the chronic form of
hepatitis B and C. Amodu and his team of researchers have in recent
clinical trials shown that the poly herbal preparations could be used to
treat prostrate cancer and ‘bad’ cholesterol.
Result of laboratory tests by Image Scan
Diagnostic Centre Maitama District, Abuja, showed that a patient with
abnormal Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA per milliliter (ng/mL) of
blood of 6.9; was reduced to reduced to PSA of 0.41ng/ml of two months
of regular use of the poly herbal preparation as well as reduced the
total cholesterol level from 250 mg/dl to 156 mg/dl.
A 2016 paper by João S. Teodoro et al,
on “Mitochondria as a Target for Safety and Toxicity Evaluation of
Nutraceuticals”, noted that the multiple pharmacological activities of
kolaviron from Garcinia kola (bitter kola) could be due to its ability
to prevent and/or repair mitochondria damage.
Another study published on journal
Phytomedicine has validated the treatment of oral thrush in HIV/AIDS
patients with lemon juice (Citrus limon) and lemon grass (Cymbopogon
citratus) and gentian violet.
The researchers noted: “Though the
patient population was small, the use of lemon juice and lemon grass for
the treatment of oral candidiasis in an HIV population was validated by
the randomised controlled trial.”
Indeed, researchers have validated
anti-HIV properties of Garnoderma lucidum. The study published in the
journal Phytochemistry is titled “Anti-HIV-1 and Anti-HIV-1-Protease
Substances from Ganoderma lucidum.” The Japanese researchers wrote:
“Ganoderiol F and ganodermanontriol were found to be active as
anti-HIV-1 agents with an inhibitory concentration of 7.8 mg ml1 for
both, and ganoderic acid B, ganoderiol B, ganoderic acid C1,
3b-5a-dihydroxy-6b-methoxy- ergosta-7,22-diene, ganoderic acid a,
ganoderic acid H and ganoderiol A were moderately active inhibitors
against HIV-1 PR with a 50 per cent inhibitory concentration.” Also,
scientists have in another study published in African Journal of
Biotechnology found that extracts of Moringa oleifera showed inhibitory
activity against early steps in the infectivity of HIV-1 lentiviral
particles in a viral vector-based screening.
The researchers noted: “Moringa oleifera
(Moringaceae) is one of the many medicinal plants employed by herbalist
to treat or manage people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in African
Traditional Medicine (ATM) and there are many claims to the fact that it
improves quality of life and reverses the course of the HIV/AIDS
disease progression.
“In this study, M. oleifera leaf
extracts showed potent and selective inhibition of early steps in HIV-1
infectivity and could serve as source of anti retroviral lead molecules.
The outcome of this investigation could
partly explain the benefits and improvement in quality of life claimed
by PLWHA in the use of this medicinal plant as supplement.”
Iwu told journalists in Lagos last week
that his team at BDG has formulated these local food items into
scientifically validated medicines, dietary supplements. BDG is
comprised of Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme (BDCP),
Bioresources Institute of Nigeria (BION), Intercedd Health Products
(IHP), Intercedd Laboratories (IL), BioTrade Global Agency and Nature’s
Emporium.
Iwu said these foods or rather plant
extracts have been formulated foods that can be used as medicines or
rather dietary supplements for persons living with HIV/AIDS include
among others: Moringa Tea, Moringa Leaf Tea, Moringa Whole Seed, which
have been shown by research to cure over 300 diseases; Vernonia Ocimum
Tea from bitter leaf and scent leaf (Ocimum gratissimum) also used for
the control of blood sugar and weight management; Garcinia-IHP from
bitter kola (Garcinia kola) also used as antimicrobial and detoxifier;
IHP Virgin Coconut Oil from coconut as stress buster and immune booster;
Erovit-IHP, which combines the anti-ageing properties of the mushroom,
Cordyceps, the high-potency antioxidant effects of Punica granatum
fruits and the life enhancing Korean ginseng; Immunovit-IHP from Reishi
mushroom, Punica granatum and Korean ginseng to boost immunity against
diseases; and Ganoderma Coffee and Ganoderma Green Tea.
Has Halamin Herbal Centre found a cure
for HIV/AIDS in its bitter leaf-based poly herbal preparations? Amodu
said: “As it is, it will not be proper to project the message that we
have cure for HIV/AIDS. We don’t want to send any info to the outside
world for anybody to think that we want to jump the gun. What we have
can be subjected to further study, and we are uniting with NAFDAC to do
that. So at this point, I don’t want to lay claim that I have cure for
that. But, what the whole world recognized today is functional cure, and
we can beat our chest that we have that cure. Functional cure as
described by New York Times. What is functional cure? It is a state
whereby an HIV/AIDS client has an increase immune system, decrease or no
opportunistic infections and has loss no man-hour (can do his work
without help from another). This is exactly that our herbal supplements
do; our supplements are at par with the conventional Anti Retroviral
Therapy (ART)…”
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