Ongoing Projects of PHARMBIOTRAC

Natural Medicine Development

Partner Organisation:

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation – Uganda Office

Summary

Problem: Uganda is one of the countries hardest hit by the presence of ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBD), with over 30% of the calf crop lost and the costs of the acaricides themselves account for about 90% of an average farmer’s total disease control budget, making non-functional acaricides a major budgetary loss for farmers. On the other side the TIDE project has started developing a promising formula using medicinal plants in partnership with the Transdisciplinary University in India but the initiative facing challenges in formulation, standardisation efficiency, application among others.

With this two main challenges in mind, the project objective are

  1. To conduct an ethnobotanical survey with emphasis on plants used for tick control,
  2. Support the NARO-MBAZARDI team to natural acaricides for tick control in cows,
  3. Strengthening the capacity of MBAZARDI in natural acaricides product development, trials on natural acaricides and technology adaptation to the field,
  4. Strengthening the capacity of farmers in the establishment of herbal garden and local herbal remedies making for tick control and
  5. To establish and technically support 2 model herbal gardens.

This objectives will be archived trough the following key project outputs:

  • 2 model herbal gardens established,
  • 60 farmers trained in establishment and management of herbal gardens,
  • At least 1 herbal formula for tick control developed,
  • At least 1 technology in natural acaricide application developed ready for uptake by farmers and
  • A medicinal plant collection and ethnographic description conducted.

Start of the project: November 2018

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Evaluation of Artemisia Annua and Moringa

Partner Organisation:

anamed – Action For Natural Medicine in The Tropics – Germany

Summary

Introduction Artemisia annua L is a medicinal plant traditionally used for treatment of malaria and other diseases in China. The extract of leaves of the plant has been demonstrated in-vitro to have potent anti HIV effects and in vivo to improve levels of lymphocytes in laboratory animals. Effect on lymphocyte stimulation has also been observed in non HIV persons taking the leaves of the plant as a tea for malaria prophylaxis in Uganda.

Objective To determine the effect of A.annua L and Moringa oleifera leaf powder on CD4 cell count and other immunological indices in HAART HIV patients.

Materials and Methods In this study Artemisia annua leaf powder and Moringa leaf powder will be investigated. The study will be a three arm randomized Phase II study involving adult patients with HIV-infection on HAART with CD4 below 350. The CD4 cell count, and other immunological indices in patients receiving HAART will be compared with those patients receiving additionally Artemisia annua powder with Moringa oleifera powder or Artemisia annua powder alone. The study will be conducted at the HIV clinic in Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital while laboratory tests will be done at Mbarara University of Science and Technology clinical and pharmaceutical sciences laboratories.

Expected outcome The primary outcome will be change in mean (Median) CD 4 cell count. Secondary outcomes will be mean (or median) changes, viral load, complete blood count and other HIV associated immunological indices , Performance status and incidence of adverse effects like nausea, diarrhoea, weight gain and or loss.

Expected benefits Adequate immunological recovery is one of the desired outcomes in HIV care. HAART combinations do not directly aid immunological recovery and some patients fail to have adequate immunological recovery despite adequate suppression of viral load. There are many patients using herbal supplements but there is limited scientific clinical evidence on the benefit of these supplements in HAART patients.

Link to Clinical Trial Register: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03366922

Start of the project: 12th December 2017, end of project: 10th December 2019