ASSESSING THE IMMUNOMODULATORY EFFECT OF PILIOSTIGMA THONINGII LEAF IN CYCLOPHOSPHANIDE IMMUNOSUPPRESANT RATS.

1.1 Background of study The use of plants as a source of medication to treat various ailments is dated back to the ancient times and is considered to be at the frontline source up to date. The developing and especially the underdeveloped parts of the world depend on plants as a source of medicine and alternative care (Duguma, 2020). This is partly attributed to its affordability for the poorer populace especially in rural areas and its reported safety in comparison to synthetic drugs. Undoubtedly, medicinal plants and herbal medicines continuously attract the interest of researchers and scientists as potential sources of novel therapeutic agents. In Africa, traditional medicine treatment administered by traditional medicinal practitioners serves as the first line of treatment for over 85% of the population (Mothibe and Sibanda, 2019). The plant Piliostigma thonningii (Schum) is an interesting medicinal plant with acclaimed usage to treat diseases including cough, malaria, gonorrhea, snake bite, HIV opportunistic diseases, ethno-veterinary diseases, and so on, especially across Africa. Besides, it also has significant non-medicinal applications in livelihood serving as fodder, shade, food, and wood. It also improves the productivity of farm products by improving soil fertility and provides a nutritional feed that improves the survival and productivity of domestic animals (Hailemariam et al., 2021). Over the years, there have been various reports on the bioactivity of the different parts of the plant that revealed interesting pharmacological activity such as antimicrobial, free radical chelating (antioxidant), and anti-inflammatory. Furthermore, phytochemical studies revealed an array of interesting compounds and further studies could potentially reveal new and novel compounds. Therefore, the present study was aimed at critically reviewing the uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activity of P. thonningii to provide valuable insights for future investigations (Cyril et al., 2021).