Business, Economics and Management Research

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Author: search.filters.author.Abdillahi, Halima Saado

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    Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant,anti-tyrosinase and phenolic contents off our Podocarpus species used in traditional medicine in South Africa
    (Elsevier Ireland, 2010-07-06) Abdillahi, Halima Saado; Finnie, J.F.; Staden, J.Van
    Ethnopharmacological relevance: Species of Podocarpus are used traditionally in their native areas for the treatment of fevers,asthma,coughs,cholera,chest complaints,arthritis,rheumatism,venereal diseases and distemper in dogs. Aims of the study: To investigate the antioxidant,anti-inflammatory and anti-tyrosinase activities off our Podocarpus species, Podocarpus elongatus, Podocarpus falcatus, Podocarpus henkelii and Podocarpus lati-folius, used in traditional medicine in South Africa. Phytochemical analysis to determine the phenolic contents was also carried out. Materials and methods: DPPH, FRAPand -carotene-linoleic acid assays were used to determine the antioxidant/radical scavenging activities of these species. Anti-inflammatory activity of these species was assayed against two cyclooxygenase enzymes(COX-1 and COX-2).Tyrosinase inhibition activity was analysed using the modified dopachrome method with l-DOPA as the substrate. Phenolics were quantitatively determined using spectrophotometric methods. Results: Stems of Podocarpus latifolius exhibited thelowestEC50 (0.84 g/ml) inhibition against DPPH.The percentage antioxidant activity based on the bleaching rate of -carotene rangedfrom96%to99%.High ferric reducing power was observed in all the extracts.For COX-1,the lowest EC50 value was exhibited by stem extracts of Podocarpus elongatus (5.02 g/ml) and leaf extract of Podocarpus latifolius showed the lowest EC50 against COX-2(5.13 g/ml). All extracts inhibited tyrosinase activity in a dose-dependent manner with stem extract of Podocarpus elongatus being the most potent with an EC50 value of 0.14mg/ml. The total phenolic content ranged from 2.38 to 6.94 mg of GAE/g dry sample. Conclusion: The significant pharmacological activities observed support the use of these species in traditional medicine and may also be candidates in the search for modern pharmaceuticals in medicine, food and cosmetic industries.
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    Use of Geo-Information Tools to Investigate Flood Risk: A Case Study of Kwale County
    (International Center for Humanitarian Affairs, 2020) Makena, Betty; Osunga, Michael; King'ori, Sarah; Abdillahi, Halima Saado
    Five years since the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the concept of building resilience amongst communities to flooding is still a major concern in developing countries. This is evident from the ever-increasing flood events across Kenya and the inability of communities affected by floods to act appropriately prior to a flood event. Kwale County, in Kenya, the example of this study typifies this situation. Kenya Red Cross Society implemented a project whose goal was to strengthen institutional and community capacity in anticipatory flood risk management. The project employed the early warning services (EWS) model in understanding knowledge of flood risks. To investigate flood risk in Kwale County, openly available geo-information tools were used in systematic collection of information to understand areas exposed to floods, the communities affected and impacts they experience. These tools included; the Height Above Nearest Drainage (HAND) that identified flood prone areas and dwellings at risk of flooding from satellite imagery analysis. Open Street Map Automated Navigation Directions (OsmAnd) mobile navigation system that geo-located dwellings at risk of flooding and Kobo that collected geo-tagged data to validate inhabited buildings as to whether they are at risk of flooding. The results showed that, HAND technique identified dwellings at risk of flooding with 89% accuracy. Geo-location using OsmAnd showed that most houses identified to be at risk of flooding were falling within a circle with a radius of 5 meters. The results also show that the majority of the study area is characterized by moderate to very high flood hazard risks; 16% characterized by very high flood hazard risk, while 26% are at medium risk of flooding. This study demonstrates that HAND is a reliable tool for identification of houses at risk of flooding. The county government of Kwale and other acting institutions should endeavor in the use of these geo-information tools in investigating flood risk. Information obtained from these tools will enable such institutions to understand flood prone areas and communities at high risk of floods for better prioritization of early warning system needs and in guiding flood preparedness and early response activities.