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Potentials of nutritional therapy, phytopharmaceuticals and phytomedicine in the prevention and control of Ebola virus in Africa

Received: 17 December 2014     Accepted: 18 December 2014     Published: 14 February 2015
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Abstract

With more than 15000 people infected with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) leading to more than 7000 deaths in Liberia, Serra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal, Ebola Virus Disease remains one of the most dreaded scourges and concerns in contemporary international health (CIH). We note in this essay, that current intervention strategies for the containment of emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola may remain inadequate unless an integrated health intervention (IHI) strategy is adopted. Focus on vaccine development is, undoubtedly, critical but unlikely soon. Synthetic antiviral therapy (AVT) or antifiloviral therapy (AFT) such as using Zmapp, Favipiravir and Brincindofovir amongst others may remain therapeutically inadequate to contain not only Ebola but future scourges. For one fact, as already observed, Zmapp, TKM-Ebola and Favipiravir are hopeful but clouded with toxicity concerns and like any antibiotic of single molecular base likely to be resisted by the bug over time. In this article, our position is that, the medical approach to confront Ebola should be a multidisciplinary approach with equality. This will mean providing a medical care that protects health care workers, searching for an effective vaccine and antiviral therapy that is cost effective, weaving cultural, environmental and community based approaches to preventing the spread as well as fostering and incorporating nutritional therapy, traditional medicine as an integrative package for infectious diseases control. We attempted to highlight that african nutriceticals and phytomedicine could be useful in the control of infectious diseases such as Ebola through the use of medicinal plants such as Garcinia kola extracts and the exploitation of mushroom extracts such as Ganoderma lucidum containing selenium, Iron, zinc, 7-8% crude protein, 26-28% carbohydrates and a range of bioactive protein that can boost the immune system of patients with Ebola virus hemorrhagic fevers. Evidence in grey literature demonstrates profound antiviral activities from extracts of Garcinia kola on a range viruses including Ebola virus. Kolaviron, a class of flavonoids from garcinia kola, have been found with profound antiviral activity while compounds from cordycep mycelium such as beta glucans also reported in Ganoderma lucidum and some mushroom species have profound immune boosting potentials against many viral infections. A computerized data base for these compounds for drug development could be generated for use by pharmaceutical companies. It is concluded that, nutritional therapy, phytopharmaceuticals from medicinal plants, could be used not only as drug leads but could clinically complement current management of Ebola virus diseases in African hospitals.

Published in American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (Volume 3, Issue 1-1)

This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Innovations, Developments in the Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of Ebola Disease (Marburg fever) and Hemorrhagic Fevers

DOI 10.11648/j.ajcem.s.2015030101.11
Page(s) 1-6
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Phytopharmaceuticals, Nutrition, Traditional Medicine, Ebola, Bitter Kola, EVD, Phytoimmunotherapy

References
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[4] Holbein S, Wengi A, Decourty L, Freimoser FM, Jacquier A,DichtlrnaI B (2009) Cordycepin interferes with 3’ end formation in yeast independently of its potential to terminate RNA chain elongation. RNA 15:837–849
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[6] Kuo CF, Chen CC, Lin CF, Jan MS, Huang RY, Luo YH, Chuang WJ, Sheu CC, Lin YS.Abrogation of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B-mediated suppression of phagocytosis in U937 cells by Cordyceps sinensis mycelium via production of cytokines. Food Chem Toxicol. 2007 Feb; 45(2):278-85. Epub 2006 Sep 1. PubMedPMID: 17029726.
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[9] K. A. Yongabi, W. F. Mbacham, K. K. Nubia and R. M. Singh (2009). Yeast strains isolated from HIV-seropositive patients in Cameroon and their sensitivity to extracts of eight medicinal plants. African Journal of Microbiology Research, vol.3 (4), PP.133-136
[10] K.A Yongabi.,D.M.Lewis and P.L.Harris (2011)Integrated Phytodisinfectant-sand filter drum for household water treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa ,Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering,5,PP.947-954
[11] Kenneth Yongabi Anchang (2014) Current Developments in Mushroom Biotechnology in Sub Saharan Africa. World Society for Mushroom Biology Mushroom Production (WSMBMP) Bulletin 11: July 31
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    Kenneth Yongabi Anchang, Mary Garba, Florence Titu Manjong, Tiagueu Yvette T. (2015). Potentials of nutritional therapy, phytopharmaceuticals and phytomedicine in the prevention and control of Ebola virus in Africa. American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 3(1-1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajcem.s.2015030101.11

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    Kenneth Yongabi Anchang; Mary Garba; Florence Titu Manjong; Tiagueu Yvette T. Potentials of nutritional therapy, phytopharmaceuticals and phytomedicine in the prevention and control of Ebola virus in Africa. Am. J. Clin. Exp. Med. 2015, 3(1-1), 1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ajcem.s.2015030101.11

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    AMA Style

    Kenneth Yongabi Anchang, Mary Garba, Florence Titu Manjong, Tiagueu Yvette T. Potentials of nutritional therapy, phytopharmaceuticals and phytomedicine in the prevention and control of Ebola virus in Africa. Am J Clin Exp Med. 2015;3(1-1):1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ajcem.s.2015030101.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajcem.s.2015030101.11,
      author = {Kenneth Yongabi Anchang and Mary Garba and Florence Titu Manjong and Tiagueu Yvette T},
      title = {Potentials of nutritional therapy, phytopharmaceuticals and phytomedicine in the prevention and control of Ebola virus in Africa},
      journal = {American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine},
      volume = {3},
      number = {1-1},
      pages = {1-6},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajcem.s.2015030101.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajcem.s.2015030101.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajcem.s.2015030101.11},
      abstract = {With more than 15000 people infected with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) leading to more than 7000 deaths in Liberia, Serra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal,  Ebola Virus Disease remains one of the most dreaded scourges and concerns in contemporary international health (CIH).  We note in this essay, that current intervention strategies for the containment of emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola may remain inadequate unless an integrated health intervention (IHI) strategy is adopted. Focus on vaccine development is, undoubtedly, critical but unlikely soon. Synthetic antiviral therapy (AVT) or antifiloviral therapy (AFT) such as using Zmapp, Favipiravir and Brincindofovir amongst others may remain therapeutically inadequate to contain not only Ebola but future scourges. For one fact, as already observed, Zmapp, TKM-Ebola and Favipiravir are hopeful but clouded with toxicity concerns and like any antibiotic of single molecular base likely to be resisted by the bug over time. In this article, our position is that, the medical approach to confront Ebola should be a multidisciplinary approach with equality. This will mean providing a medical care that protects health care workers, searching for an effective vaccine and antiviral therapy that is cost effective, weaving cultural, environmental and community based approaches to preventing the spread as well as fostering and incorporating nutritional therapy, traditional medicine as an integrative package for infectious diseases control.  We attempted to highlight that african nutriceticals   and phytomedicine could be useful in the control of infectious diseases such as Ebola through the use of medicinal plants such as Garcinia kola extracts and the exploitation of mushroom extracts such as Ganoderma lucidum containing selenium, Iron, zinc, 7-8% crude protein, 26-28% carbohydrates and a range of bioactive protein that can boost the immune system of patients with Ebola virus hemorrhagic fevers. Evidence in grey literature demonstrates profound antiviral activities from extracts of Garcinia kola on a range viruses including Ebola virus. Kolaviron, a class of flavonoids from garcinia kola, have been found with profound antiviral activity while compounds from cordycep mycelium such as beta glucans also reported in Ganoderma lucidum and some mushroom species have profound immune boosting potentials against many viral infections. A computerized data base for these compounds for drug development could be generated for use by pharmaceutical companies. It is concluded that, nutritional therapy, phytopharmaceuticals from medicinal plants, could be used not only as drug leads but could clinically complement current management of Ebola virus diseases in African hospitals.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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    VL  - 3
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Author Information
  • Tropical Infectious Diseases and public Health Engineering Research Group (TIDPHERG), Phytobiotechnology Research Foundation Institute, Catholic University of Cameroon, Bamenda,P.O.Box 921, Bamenda, Cameroon, +237675266162

  • Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bamenda, Cameroon

  • Department of Health Economics, Policy and Management, Catholic University of Cameroon, Bamenda

  • Computer Science Department, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA

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