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| 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). |
Can a combination of local herbs including bitter
leaf, bitter kola, lemon, lemon grass, Moringa, Gardonema mushroom and Neem
tree provide the elusive cure for Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) that
causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)? Chukwuma Muanya, Assistant
Editor, The Guardian (Nigeria) examines indigenous plants that have shown antiviral properties and
could be used to boost immunity against not just HIV but cancer and other
immune-compromised conditions.
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 Organization (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)…”
Originally published in The Guardian Nigeria
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