BOKO HARAM BLOCKS ACCESS TO EPILEPSY'S PROMISING DRUG

BOKO HARAM BLOCKS ACCESS TO EPILEPSY'S PROMISING DRUG
BY ABDULMUMINI ADEKU

 THE WONDER PLANT GROWS ONLY IN THE NORTH EASTERN PART OF NIGERIA

Patients suffering from epileptic fits in                Nigeria and even beyond its shores will have to wait a little while before  they will be able to lay their hands on the wonder plant called Ziziphus Spina Christi which is used in managing the disease as it has no known cure as at press time.

But there is a caveat:the war against terror in the North Eastern part of Nigeria should come to an end so that they can have access to it in time for treatment as that is the only place where it grows in the whole of Nigeria.

In a world exclusive chat with The News Office Desk of Paedia Express Multimedia Group in Lagos. Nigeria ,The Group Managing Director of Our Friend Hospitals in Lagos,Nigeria ,Dr Tosin Isa Mohammed while discussing about his land mark research work on epilepsy with this reporter recently in an hour long chat recalled that he had to do it with the aid of Albino Rats.

He explained that he  used about ten different Albino Rats who were divided into various categories  upon which they were tested based on  parameters that  caused changes  in an epileptic individual.

His words:”Those rats were induced in situations that  will make them have artificial epilepsy ,the extracts of the barks of the tree was then administered to the rats in order to abolish or remove the effect of the induced epileptic in the rats “

“in comparisons with orthodox medication ,it was found out that the local herbs concoction has less than 0.05 per cent  on the epileptic  parameters ,after some organ may have being damaged while orthodox medications produces 85 per cent effectiveness in removing the effects of the induced epilepsy”

He added that nobody should be deceived by anyone about a permanent cure for the ailment as it could just be managed as it has no cure till date.

Ziziphus spina-christi

Christ's thorn is a shrub or tree that starts branching low down on the bole and forms a thick, tangled crown; it can grow up to 18 metres tall, but is usually considerably smaller. The short bole can be 60cm in diameter[

The plant is harvested from the wild as a local source of food, medicines and materials. It is cultivated for its fruit in the oases of the Sahara, Tunisia, Algeria, Niger, E Africa, Sinai and also in Iran and N India; occasionally also in other areas such as Cuba[

. It is also grown for ornamental purposes and to provide shade[

.

Africa - across the Sahel from Senegal to Somalia, south to Kenya, through Arabia to Iran, India.

Habitat

A lower canopy tree confined to patches of upland dry forest at elevations between 1,550 - 2,150 metres, between the lower edges of montane conifer forest, grassland and open woodlands at lower elevations[

Cultivation Details

A plant of arid and semi-arid areas in hot tropical or subtropical areas, found at elevations up to 2,400 metres. It grows in areas where the mean annual rainfall is within the range 100 - 500mm with a dry season of up to 8 - 10 months; and the mean annual temperature is 19 - 28°c[

]. The plant is very tolerant of high temperatures, but intolerant of frosts[

Requires a sunny position. It prefers alluvial plains with deep soils, but it can also grow on clay where water is available and in saline soils[

]. It prefers growing along the edges of ponds, river and wadi banks where groundwater is available

]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[

]. Tolerant of up to 2 months seasonal inundation of the soil[

There are two forms of this plant:-
Var. spina-christi is a tree with white branches. It produces fruits up to 2cm in diameter[

Var. microphylla Hochst ex A. Rich. Is a very bushy shrub. The fruits are up to 1cm in diameter[

Edible Uses

Fruit - fresh, dried or cooked[

,

The mealy fruit has a pleasant, sub-acid taste, somewhat resembling dried apples[

The fruit is occasionally sweet, but the flavour and texture are inferior to other Ziziphus spp. which
have been domesticated in Africa and northern India[

The average fruit weighs about 50g, with a single large seed[

Medicinal

A powder made from the charred thorns is used as an antidote to snake bites[

The roots are used to treat headaches

The boiled leaves are applied to various surface wounds, and also have anthelminthic and antidiarrhetic properties[

A cataplasm of young leaves is used to reduce eye inflammations[

The fruits are used as an emollient and astringent[

. They are also reputed to reduce abscesses and boils[

A narcotic beverage made from the fruits is considered to be a tranquilliser and sedative[

The leaves contain various alkaloids, including ziziphine, jubanine and amphibine, alpha terpinol, linalol and diverse saponins[

A thorny plant, it is grown as a stock-proof hedge and living fence[

It also makes a useful windbreak and shelterbelt[

The tree develops a very deep taproot and spreading lateral roots, making it useful for stabilizing sand dunes and other unstable soils[

The tree improves soil quality by increasing available phosphorus[

The tree is sometimes interplanted with millet[

It has been reported that applying the bark in larger doses reduces nematode activity in cereal fields and leads to significant increase in the yield of sunflowers[

The red or dark brown wood is hard, heavy and resistant to termites. It is used for cabinet making, tool handles, posts, furniture, turnery and general carpentry[

The wood makes a good fuel and an excellent charcoal[