Rapid Screening using GIBEX Screens-to-nature System of Ethnomedicinal Plants from Ngong Forest, Kenya for Potency against Infectious Diseases and Antioxidant Activities: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Plants from Kenyan flora are traditionally used to manage a number of ailments including; chronic and infectious disease, to bolster the body immunity and for general health protections. The current investigation was designed to validate the quality with respect to the pharmacological significance of 156 fresh plant materials resulting from 27 ethno-medicinal plants, from Ngong forest, Kenya. Materials and Methods: Pharmacological screening was carried out using the field deployable GIBEX Screens- To-Nature (STN) validated assays. The plant extracts were screened for antifungal; general protozoal lethality; round worm lethality and antioxidant potential. Results: Different plant parts exhibited a range of activities; related to their traditional uses; with eleven out of twenty-seven extracts exhibiting highest activities in only one out of four categories of assays studied. All plant parts of only one plant C. axillaris exhibited high activities in all (4/4) the categories of assays evaluated. The other plants that exhibited high activities in three out of four (3/4) categories of assays studied included; A. oppositifolia, B. huillensis and T. trichocarpa. Conclusion: The current investigation provided additional data in relation to the usefulness of the studied ethno-medicinal plants, mostly of the following plants; C. axillaris, A. oppositifolia, B. huillensis and T. trichocarpa in the management of diseases that are infectious and to bolster the immunity. The reported data will contribute towards authenticating the claimed traditional use of these plants. The extracts that exhibited high activities should be investigated further to determine their effective concentrations.