ANTIOXIDANT VITAMIN IN GARCINIA KOLA LEAVES

ANTIOXIDANT VITAMIN IN GARCINIA KOLA LEAVES

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• INTRODUCTION
  • Background of the Study

As the acceptance of herbal remedy is gradually increasing worldwide, there is a growing concern about the he part toxicity of several hundreds of dietary herds/vegetables which have remained ether un-investigation and are increasingly used by patients with liver disease or cancer   (Sure 2003) some herbal remedies used in the treatment of many degenerative disease caused by free radicals poses some bioactive compounds which give them their anti-oxidants properties (Robert 1995)  apart from the recent surge in the consumption of  herbal remedies include easy accessibility, more acceptability from cultural and spiritual perspective (Niel and Auster 20003) non involvement in expert consumption and in adequacies of primary health care services.

Free radicals are responsible for causing pathogenesis of healthy cells to lose their structure and function to develop various degenerative disease that occur due to aging such as cancer cardiovascular diseases, cataracts, immune system decline brain function as well as illness due to pollution, cigarette smoke, drugs, illness. So many dieticians believe that the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for specific antioxidants supplementation. A balanced diet include plenty of fruit , vegetable, grain, oils and nuts have excellent complements of antioxidants such as vitamins C beta-carotene  vitamin C and lipoic acid  their protective  effect by decreasing oxidative damage to DNA although antioxidant are generally regarded as safe compounds but even at high concentration. They may generate reactive species  which can have a pro oxidant vitamins  also have an important role in the detoxification of  free radicals such as superoxide hydrogen peroxide , decrease in antioxidant defense system or overproduction of free radicals result in oxidative stress which was found to contribute many aging induced disease. Therapies based on antioxidants can be an effective approach in preventing or treating many disease, many plants in Garcinia have been used to control and prevent these degenerative diseases and one of such plant is  Garcinia kola commonly known as bitter kola.

Garcinia kola is an angiosperm, belonging to the family guttiferae, it is known in common as bitter kola on chewing. G. kola seed has a bitter astringent and resinous taste (Anebah et al, 2006) somewhat resembling a raw  coffee followed by a slight sweetness, bitter cola is highly valued in African ethno medicines because  of  its various and numerous uses which are social and medicinal , thus making the plant an essential ingredient in folk medicinal plants such as g. kola are believed to be important source of new chemical substance with potential therapeutic benefits (Adebisi 2004)

Garcinia kola is traditionally used by African medicine men who believe that it has purgative, anti-parasitic and antimicrobial properties, the seeds are used for bronchitis, throat infection, colic, head or chest colds and cough. It is also used for liver disorder and as a chewing stick (Anegbhe et. Al 2006)