E Fficacy of Selected Medicinal Plants Used by the Ogiek Communities Against Microbial Related Infections
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E FFICACY OF SELECTED MEDICINAL PLANTS USED BY THE OGIEK COMMUNITIES AGAINST MICROBIAL RELATED INFECTIONS OMARI AMUKA (MSc) REG. No. I84/7069/2003 A Thesis Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Pure and Applied Sciences of Kenyatta University August 2013 ii DECLARATION This thesis is my own work and has not been presented for a degree award in any other institution. Omari Amuka Reg No. I84/7069/2003 Signed………………………….… Date………………………………. Department of Plants and Microbial Sciences This thesis has been submitted for examination with our approval as the University Supervisors: Prof. Paul O. Okemo Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences Kenyatta University Signed……………………………… Date………………………………… Prof. Paul K. Mbugua Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences Kenyatta University Signed…………………………….. Date………………………………. Dr. Alex K. Machocho Department of Chemistry Kenyatta University Signed……………………………….. Date…………………………………. iii DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my elder brother, Peter Sumba-Okayo Amuka, through whose self denials earlier in life, made it possible for me to obtain University Education. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to thank my supervisors Prof. Paul Owuor Okemo, Prof. Paul K. Mbugua and Dr. Alex K. Machocho for his tireless scholarly advice, patience and constant support throughout the work. To my employer, Maseno University for granting me leave to concentrate on the field work, my wife Edith for her fortitude while I was away in the field and in the laboratory, the Ogiek Youths for guiding me through the forests and with transportation of the plant samples to Elburgon, their elders for providing the indigenous knowledge, the National Public Health Laboratory for allowing me to use her facilities for the microbial studies, Ms. Jane Gikandi, for her assistance in the Literature review and Library services. To my friends; Paul K. Tarus, Ernest Ruto, Lawrence Alaro and Fred Quay Gravenir, for their encouragements and advice, P.O. Oleche is thanked for his relentless efforts in the IT. And finally (posthumously), Gorrety Jaoko, for meticulously typing the first draft of this thesis, Several personalities have not been mentioned but the roles they played in assisting me achieve this goal are not mentioned in the text. v ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AIDS Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome df degree of freedom Gram positive Gram Positive Bacteria Gram negative Gram Negative Bacteria. HIV Human Immuno-deficiency Virus HS Hospital Strain ITC International Trade Centre. MBC Minimal Bacterial Concentration MDR Multi drug resistant MFC Minimal Fungicidal Concentration MIC Minimal inhibitiory concentration MRSA Methicilin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ORSA Oxycellin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus STD dev Standard deviation Syn. Synonyms TB Tuberculosis TM Traditional Medicine Typhi typhiranium Var. Variety WHO World Health Organization µg micrograms µML Microlitres vi Table of Contents DECLARATION .................................................................................................................................. ii DEDICATION .................................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .................................................................................................................... iv ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS .............................................................................................. v List of Plates .................................................................................................................................... xvii List of Figures ................................................................................................................................... xix CHAPTER ONE .................................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background of the study ............................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of the problem ............................................................................................................ 15 1.3 Justification for the study ........................................................................................................... 16 1.4 Hypotheses ................................................................................................................................... 16 1.5 Objectives of the study ................................................................................................................ 17 1.5.1 General objective ...................................................................................................................... 17 1.5.2 Specific objectives ..................................................................................................................... 17 CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................................... 17 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................................. 17 2.1 An overview of the medicinal plants past and present uses ..................................................... 17 2.2 Current studies of plants as medicine ........................................................................................ 26 CHAPTER THREE .......................................................................................................................... 66 ETHNOBOTANICAL SURVEY ..................................................................................................... 66 3.1 Study area .................................................................................................................................... 66 3.2 Materials and methods ................................................................................................................ 67 3.3 Results and discussion ................................................................................................................. 68 3.4 Hypoestes verticillaris L. Acanthaceae (Narubat) ..................................................................... 75 3.4.1 Plant description ....................................................................................................................... 75 3.4.2 Usage and dosage of the medicine ........................................................................................... 75 3.5 Schefflera abyssinica (A. Rich) Harms. Araliaceae (Chelumbut) (Voucher No. AO/037/NMK/12/12/2008 .................................................................................................................. 76 3.5.1 Plant description ....................................................................................................................... 76 3.5.2 Usage and dosage of the medicine ........................................................................................... 76 3.6 Periploca linearlifolia Dill and Rich. Asclepiadaceae (Senendet) (Voucher No. .................... 77 AO/003/NMK/20//08/2006) ............................................................................................................... 77 vii 3.6.1 Plant description ....................................................................................................................... 77 3.6.2 Usage and dosage of the medicine ........................................................................................... 77 3.7 Gomphorcapus semilunatus A. Rich. Apocynaceae (Toiliotilio) (Voucher No. ...................... 78 AO/035/NMK/01/06/2007) ................................................................................................................ 78 3.7.1 Plant description ....................................................................................................................... 78 3.7.2 Usage and dosage of the medicine ........................................................................................... 78 3.8 Asparagus racemosus Wild. syn. A. buchananni. Asparagaceae (Kaptalelit) ......................... 79 (Voucher No. OA/033/NMK/10/08/2007) ......................................................................................... 79 3.8.1 Plant description ....................................................................................................................... 79 3.8.2 Usage and dosage of the medicine ........................................................................................... 79 3.9. Helichrycum schimperi O Haffm. Asteraceae (Manarariat) (Voucher No. ........................... 80 AO/032/NMK/12/12/2007) ................................................................................................................ 80 3.9.1 Plant description ....................................................................................................................... 80 3.9.2 Usage and dosage of the medicine ........................................................................................... 80 3.10 Solanecio manii (Hoof K.), C. Jeffrey. Asteraceae (Molsuet) (Voucher No. AO/038/NMK/14/12/2008) ...............................................................................................................