An herbal mixture of herbs code named African Herbal Formula (AFH) influenced the state of anemia in trypanosome infected rats. Observations showed that the formula has an effect on the haemopoietic system manifested by a positive increase in the levels of hemoglobin, packed cell volume and red blood cell while the white blood cell and lymphocyte levels were decreased. AHF also delayed the proliferation of the parasites and improved the level of the characteristic weight loss associated with trypanosomiasis.

Jobelyn® an herbal preparation has been reported to have been successfully used in the treatment of anemia in humans. A study was therefore carried out to determine the effect of the preparation on packed cell volume (PCV) and hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations in anemic rabbits. The PCV and Hb concentrations of healthy rabbits infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei were monitored for 49 days. T. b. brucei produced a significant reduction in PCV and Hb concentrations in all infected rabbits when compared with the controls (pɘ.05). These hematological parameters were restored to normal levels in the anemic rabbits by the herbal preparation. The anemic rabbits not treated with the herbal preparation presented with a progressive decline in their PCV and Hb concentrations and majority of them died before the end of the study. Healthy rabbits that received daily doses of the herbal preparation showed gradual elevation in PCV and Hb concentrations which were maintained within normal range. Jobelyn® can restore the PCV and Hb concentrations in anemic conditions and is a potential substitute for blood transfusion. However, further studies are needed to investigate the potentials of the herbal preparation in reversing anemia.

Anthocyanins in common foods in the United States, other than fruits and berries, were identified and characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-electrospray ionizationtandem mass spectrometry coupled with diode array detection. Of all of the 40+ vegetables, nuts, and grains screened, seven vegetables, one nut, and one grain were found to contain anthocyanins; the number of anthocyanins detected varied from two in pistachio nuts to 34 in red radishes. The individual anthocyanins were identified by comparing their mass spectrometric data and retention times with those of standards, published data, and reference food samples. In all of the samples analyzed, except for sorghum, only six common anthocyanidins (delphinidin, cyanidin, pelargonidin, petunidin, peonidin, and malvidin) were found as their glycosides. Anthocyanins in certain vegetables such as red cabbage and red radish were highly conjugated with sugars and acylated groups, and thus, their structures were very complicated. Eight different either aliphatic or aromatic acylated groups (acetoyl, coumaroyl, malonoyl, p-hydroxybenzoyl, feruoyl, caffeoyl, sinapoyl, and oxaloyl) were identified in the anthocyanins. In addition to glucose, six other sugar moieties (galactose, xylose, rhamnose, rutinose, sambubiose, and laminaribiose) were observed. Three varieties of sorghum were found to contain 3-deoxyanthocyanidins and their derivatives as major anthocyanins. A number of new anthocyanins were identified in the foods studied. This paper presents complete HPLC profiles and MS spectrometric data, obtained under the same experimental conditions, for common vegetables, pistachio nuts, and sorghum that contain anthocyanins.

Epidemiological studies support the belief that whole grains are protective against several chronic diseases. The health benefits of whole grains are attributed in part to their unique phytochemical composition. Major phytochemicals in grains include various classes of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and coumarin derivatives, etc. Phenolic compounds present in grains possess antioxidant properties that are associated with the health benefits of grains and grain products. Sorghum is one of the main staple cereal grains in hot dry tropics and ranks fifth among cereal crops in the world. Although sorghum is rich in phenolics and tannins which are proven anticancer and cardioprotective constituents, human consumption of sorghum is limited. To our knowledge, there is limited literature on the profile of antioxidant phytochemicals in the local white variety of sorghum. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate the antioxidant property of white sorghum flour extracts in vitro and also to identify the fractions responsible for the antioxidant activity. In the present study, we analyzed the antioxidative properties of various extracts (water, 60% methanol, 60% ethanol, and 60% t-butanol) of white sorghum flour employing the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) model system. Phenolics, antiradical and antioxidant activities were also examined in chromatographic sub-fractions of the soxhlet methanolic extract. Our results indicated that the various extracts exhibited significant antioxidant activity that did not correlate with the phenolic content. Further, two sub-fractions eluted with methanol and acetone/methanol were found to possess strong antioxidant activity in two assay systems. Our results suggest that a diet rich in sorghum may be useful in combating diseases in which free radical production plays a key role.

A black, high anthocyanin sorghum variety (Tx430) grown in several environments was analyzed for anthocyanins by spectrophotometric and HPLC methods. The samples were also analyzed for antioxidant activity using the 2,20-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiaziline- 6-sulfonic acid) method. Two extracting solvents, 1% HCl in methanol and 70% aqueous acetone, were compared. Sorghum brans had three to four times higher anthocyanin contents than the whole grains. The brans were a good source of anthocyanin (4.0–9.8 mg luteolinidin equivalents/g) compared to pigmented fruits and vegetables (0.2–10 mg/g), fresh weight basis. Acidified methanol extracted the anthocyanins better than aqueous acetone. Luteolinidin and apigeninidin accounted for about 50% of the anthocyanins in the black sorghums. The sorghum grains and their brans had high antioxidant activity (52–400 lmol TE/g) compared to other cereals (<0.1–34 mg TE/g). Black sorghum should be useful in food and other applications, because it is a valuable source of anthocyanins with good antioxidant activity.

This study was conducted to develop LC-MS/MS method for quality control of Jobelyn for Health Forever Products Limited. Five marker compounds, i.e., apigeninidin, Luteolinidin, apigenin, luteolin, and naringenin, have been characterized in Jobelyn by LC/MS and MS/MS. The highly sensitive LC/(-)ESI-MS/MS method for quantifying five marker compounds, i.e., apigeninidin, Luteolinidin, apigenin, luteolin, and naringenin in Jobelyn was developed. The concentrations of all five marker compounds in six lots of Jobelyn were determined using LC-MS/MS method developed in BL.

Cyclooxygenase (COX), the key enzyme required for the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins was first identified over 20 years ago. Drugs, like aspirin, that inhibit cyclooxygenase activity have been available to the public for about 100 years. In the past decade, however, more progress has been made in understanding the role of cyclooxygenase enzymes in biology and disease than at any other time in history. Two cyclooxygenase isoforms have been identified and are referred to as COX-1 and COX-2. Under many circumstances the COX-1 enzyme is produced constitutively (i.e., gastric mucosa) whereas COX-2 is inducible (i.e., sites of inflammation). Here, we summarize the current understanding of the role of cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 in different physiological situations and disease processes ranging from inflammation to cancer.

Antiretroviral management of HIV infection particularly in developing countries presents multiple challenges, including problems of adherence to therapy and access to care. This is compounded by the rising number of infected people in the world’s most populous nations including Nigeria. Therefore, we evaluated the efficiency of a commercial herbal preparation, Jobelyn, in enhancing cellular immunity in HIV infected patients.

Jubi Formula® is a herbal preparation made from three medicinal herbs (Parquetina nigrescens, Sorghum bicolor and Harungana madagascariensis). It has been reported to have been successfully used in the treatment of anemia in humans. A study was therefore carried out to determine the effect of the preparation on packed cell volume (PCV) and hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations in anemic rabbits. The PCV and Hb concentrations of healthy rabbits infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei were monitored for 49 days. T. b. brucei produced a significant reduction in PCV and Hb concentrations in all infected rabbits when compared with the controls (p<0.05). These hematological parameters were restored to normal levels in the anemic rabbits by the herbal preparation. The anemic rabbits not treated with the herbal preparation presented with a progressive decline in their PCV and Hb concentrations and majority of them died before the end of the study. Healthy rabbits that received daily doses of the herbal preparation showed gradual elevation in PCV and Hb concentrations which were maintained within normal range. Jubi Formula® can restore the PCV and Hb concentrations in anemic conditions and is a potential substitute for blood transfusion. However, further studies are needed to investigate the potentials of the herbal preparation in reversing anemia.

Phenolic compounds and related enzymes such as phenol biosynthesizing enzymes (phenylalanine ammonia lyase) and phenol catabolizing enzymes (polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase) are determinants for sorghum utilization as human food because they influence product properties during and after sorghum processing. Phenolic compounds are quality-grade markers for the preparation of several foods because of enzyme inhibitory activities, color, or antioxidant activities. Large intervarietal differences in contents of phenolic compounds and their antioxidant activities among sorghum varieties exist. Moreover, some red sorghum varieties have higher antioxidant activities than the most important sources of natural antioxidants. Oxidation products of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase (benzoquinones and polymeric compounds) affect food quality. This paper reviews the current advances in phenolic compounds and phenolic enzymes in sorghum as human food, with emphasis on nutritional and health aspects. This may provide some guidance for researchers in further Investigations and for industries in developing practical health agents and functional foods.

Sorghum is a good source of phenolic compounds with a variety of genetically dependent types and levels including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and condensed tannins. Most sorghums do not contain condensed tannins, but all contain phenolic acids. Pigmented sorghums contain unique anthocyanins that could be potential food colorants. Some sorghums have a prominent pigmented testa that contains condensed tannins composed of flavan-3-ols with variable length. Flavan-3-ols of up to 8–10 units have been separated and quantitatively analyzed. These tannin sorghums are excellent antioxidants, which slow hydrolysis in foods, produce naturally darkcolored products and increase the dietary fiber levels of food products. Sorghums have high concentration of 3-deoxyanthocyanins (i.e. luteolinidin and apigenidin) that give stable pigments at high pH. Pigmented and tannin sorghum varieties have high antioxidant levels that are comparable to fruits and vegetables. Finger millet has tannins in some varieties that contain a red testa. There are limited data on the phenolic compounds in millets; only phenolic acids and flavones have been identified.

Proanthocyanidins (PAs), the polymers of flavan-3-ols, also referred to as ‘Condensed Tannins’, are known for contributing astringent flavor to foods. Recently it has been hypothesized that the free radical scavenging properties of PAs may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases (Reed, 2002; Steinberg, et al 2003), cancer (Bagchi, et al 2000), blood clotting (Murphy, et al 2003) and certain types of trimeric PAs may protect against urinary tract infections (Foo, et al 2000). A database for PAs is needed for epidemiologists and health researchers to estimate the intakes and to investigate relationships between intakes and reduction in the risks of various diseases. USDA scientists have developed a Special Interest Database for PAs in selected foods in collaboration with scientists at the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR., Mars, Inc., Hackettstown, N.J. and Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., Lakeville, Mass. This database complements the previously released database, ”USDA Database for Flavonoid Contents in Selected Foods”, which contains values for 26 monomeric compounds in five subclasses of dietary flavonoids: Flavonols, flavones, flavanones, flavan-3-ols and anthocyanidins.

Extraction & Preliminary Partitioning - Sorghum bicolor dried and ground leaves as supplied by Health Forever Products was extracted with 50% aqueous ethanol for 24hrs, with thorough agitation. The extract was subsequently filtered through cotton wool and concentrated in vacuo to give the crude extract designated as (J). The crude extract (J) was dissolved in 80% aqueous ethanol and partitioned into ethyl acetate and n-butanol successively. The ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions were concentrated in vacuo to give fractions (JE) and (JB) respectively. A portion of the left over aqueous fraction was obtained was freeze-dried to give (JA) fraction.

Tannins, the substances that are most commonly found in red wine and tea, are also found in some types of grain sorghum. These tannins also contain compounds that are called “antioxidants.” Antioxidants are those compounds that protect against cell damage which are caused by molecules called oxygen-free radicals, which are a major cause of disease and aging. In fact, according to a recent publication in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, some types of sorghum contain antioxidant levels equivalent to or in some cases even higher than blueberries, which are considered the gold standard for antioxidant levels.

Sorghum is an important staple food, particularly in semi-arid tropical regions of Africa and Asia, and an important feed grain and fodder crop in the Americas and Australia. Sorghum has various applications in African traditional medicine: seed extracts are drunk to treat hepatitis, and decoctions of twigs with lemon against jaundice; leaves and panicles are included in plant mixtures for decoctions against anemia. The Salka people in northern Nigeria use sorghum in arrow-poisons. The red pigment is said to have antimicrobial and antifungal properties and is also used as a cure for anemia in traditional medicine.

Proanthocyanidins (PAs), the polymers of flavan-3-ols, also referred to as ‘Condensed Tannins’, are known for contributing astringent flavor to foods. Recently it has been hypothesized that the free radical scavenging properties of PAs may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases (Reed, 2002; Steinberg, et al 2003), cancer (Bagchi, et al 2000), blood clotting (Murphy, et al 2003) and certain types of trimeric PAs may protect against urinary tract infections (Foo, et al 2000). A database for PAs is needed for epidemiologists and health researchers to estimate the intakes and to investigate relationships between intakes and reduction in the risks of various diseases.