Mathew Piero Ngugi

• Bsc (Biochemistry Major) Msc (Biochemistry) PhD (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
• Associate Professor at Kenyatta University

Background The medicinal plant Xerophyta spekei is used among Embu and Mbeere communities to manage diabetes mellitus. However, its efficacy has never been evaluated in vivo. The purpose of this study was to investigate its quantitative phytochemical and antidiabetic potential. Extraction was done using Dichloromethane (DCM). Quantitative phytochem...

The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries, necessitates the exploration of alternative therapeutic strategies. Tragia involucrata Linn, commonly known as climbing nettle is a plant widely used in traditional medicine, shows significant promise due to its diverse bioactive compounds. This...

Urtica massaica, commonly known as the stinging nestle belonging to the family Urticaceae is used either as a vegetable or as food additive and as medicine in traditional African societies. It is a perennial herb that grows in wet parts of Kenya highlands and whose use in treating inflammation and pain among the natives in Kenya highlands has been...

Objective This study evaluated antipyretic potency of methanol extracts of Cissampelos pareira , Lantana camara and Ocimum gratissimum in Wistar rats. Methods The leaves samples were obtained from Embu County, Kenya. Quantitative phytochemical analysis of the extracts was conducted using LC-MS and GC-MS methods. The study was performed in eight se...

Background Xerophyta spekei is a plant species of the genus Xerophyta, belonging to the Velloziaceae family, and comprises over 200 species. While there is evidence of therapeutic benefits associated with this plant species, including antidiabetic, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, there is limited data on Heavy metal constitution. Thus, this...

Background Prostate cancer is a significant global health concern, particularly among ageing male populations, with a disproportionately higher burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Conventional treatments, though effective, are costly and cause devastating side effects which limit their clinical benefits. Hence, this study evaluated the in vitro antiprost...

Background: Prostate cancer is a significant global health concern, particularly among ageing male populations, with a disproportionately higher burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Conventional treatments, though effective, are costly and cause devastating side effects which limit their clinical benefits. Hence, this study evaluated the in vitro antipros...

Solanum villosum is an indigenous vegetable and ethno-medicine source in Africa. Scientific validation of their medicinal potential is required. The current study aimed to assess the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of S. villosum leaf methanol extracts (SVE) against acetaminophen-induced mouse model. The SVE antioxidant activities were eva...

Background Cervical cancer, one of the lethal cancers among women, is a challenging disease to treat. The current therapies often come with severe side effects and the risk of resistance development. Traditional herbal medicine, with its potential to offer effective and less toxic options, is a promising avenue. This study was undertaken to investi...

Background The medicinal plant X. spekei is used among Embu and Mbeere communities to manage diabetes mellitus. However, there is limited information regarding its effectiveness. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the quantitative phytochemical and antidiabetic potential of the plant. Samples of the plant were collected and ext...

Diarrheal infections remain a public health problem. The mainstays of pharmacological therapy for infectious diarrhea include probiotics, antibacterial, and intestinal adsorbents. Nevertheless, these clinical treatments are not devoid of shortcomings including prohibitive costs and adverse effects. Medicinal plants including Plectranthus barbatus(P...

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder which has greatly led to an increase in morbidity and mortality globally. Although Xerophyta spekei is widely used for the management of diabetes among the Embu and Mbeere communities in Kenya, it has never been empirically evaluated for its hypoglycemic activity. This study was carried out to verif...

Amaranthus dubius is a vegetable consumed for its nutritional content in Kenya. In herbal medicine, A. dubius is utilized to relief fever, anemia and hemorrhage. Additionally, it is utilized to manage cognitive dysfunction and is considered to augment brain function, but there is no empirical evidence to support this claim. The contemporary study i...

Objective In this study, we investigated the in vivo ameliorative effects of vitamin E in a hydralazine-induced lupus model, which closely resembles SLE in humans. We aim to shed light on its potential as a therapeutic agent for managing SLE. Methods Forty BALB/c mice were used in this study. Hydralazine hydrochloride was orally administered in a...

Drought stress poses a significant threat to crop productivity, making the development of drought-tolerant crops a priority. The impact of drought on grain yield loss varies significantly, ranging from 10% to 76%, depending on the specific stage of occurrence and the severity of the drought. In this study, we investigated the effects of introducing...

Bacterial infectious diseases account for thousands of deaths worldwide. Despite their side effects, synthetic antibiotics are currently utilized to treat bacterial infections. There has been an effort to identify alternative medicines of plant origin, the current study determined in vitro antibacterial activities of Syzygium guineense barks and se...

Cancer mortality is a global concern. The current therapeutic approaches despite showing efficacy are characterized by several limitations. Search for alternatives has led to the use of herbal plants including C. edulis and P. capensis. However, there is limited research on antiproliferative effects of these medicinal plants. The study sought to ev...

Background Myocardial infarction is a significant health issue in both wealthy and underdeveloped nations. Globally, it is the leading cause of deaths among cardiovascular diseases. In 2012, myocardial infarction-related deaths were about 14.1 million out of 17.5 million cardiovascular disease-related deaths. Clinical management of myocardial infar...

Conventional remedies for management of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related cognitive deficits are not curative but relieves the symptoms and they cause adverse side effects. Alternatively, use of herbal therapies to manage cognitive illnesses has increased substantially. Vigna unguiculata is commonly utilized for nutritional benefits and manageme...

Different plants are traditionally applied in the treatment of different diseases, including chest pains, hypertension, and inflammation, among others. This study scientifically evaluated the curative treatment effects of X. americana and P. capensis leaf aqueous extracts in rats induced with myocardial infarction. The rats were randomly distribute...

Medicinal plants are a rich source of antioxidants such as flavonoids, phenols, tannins, and alkaloids among others and are currently used as alternative and complementary drugs in the management of stress-related disorders. Strychnos henningsii and Ficus sycomorus have been traditionally used by the people of Mbeere, Embu county, Kenya, as medicin...

Overproduction of free radicals in excess of antioxidants leads to oxidative stress which can cause harm to the body. Conventional antioxidants have drawbacks and are believed to be carcinogenic. The present study seeked to confirm folklore use and validate the antioxidant potentials of Grewia tembensis and Xerophyta spekei which have been widely u...

Introduction: Conventional medicines for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have little efficacy and are linked to several severe effects, necessitating alternative therapy. The current study investigated the memory-enhancing effects and antioxidant activities of stem bark and leaf MeOH extracts of Prunus africana in scopolamine-induced amnesic mice. Several...

IntroductionChronic alcohol consumption is associated with a myriad of negative physiological and biochemical changes in humans. Vitamin B12 and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) are novel antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.PurposeThe objective of this study was to determine the impact of oral supplementation with vitamin B12 and CoQ10, in attenuating de...

Conventional antibiotics are associated with various side-effects. Therefore, there is need of using plant-derived antibiotics with fewer side-effects. Grewia tembensis and Xerophyta spekei, which have been extensively utilized in the Mbeere community, were studied to support their folkloric use and demonstrate their antibacterial capabilities. Sal...

Herbal medications are gaining popularity due to their long history of use in traditional medicine. They serve as a reservoir for a diverse array of phytocompounds linked to amelioration of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a disturbance in the balance between generation and elimination of reactive species in human body. Moreover, reactive spec...

A high yield of isolated protoplast and reliable regeneration system are prerequisite for successful somatic hybridization and genome editing research. However, reproducible plant regeneration from protoplasts remains a bottleneck for many crops, including cassava. We evaluated several factors that influence isolation of viable protoplasts form lea...

Alzheimer's disease is ranked among the top five causes of death for old people. Globally, it is approximated that there are 7.7 million new cases of Alzheimer's disease per annum and it is expected that by the year 2050, as many as 1.5% of people will be victims of Alzheimers or other types of dementia. Currently there is no cure for Alzheimer's d...

Cassava is the world’s most essential food root crop, generating calories to millions of Sub-Saharan African subsistence farmers. Cassava leaves and roots contain toxic quantities of the cyanogenic glycoside linamarin. Consumption of residual cyanogens results in cyanide poisoning due to conversion of the cyanogens to cyanide in the body. There is...

Bacterial diseases are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally. During bacterial diseases, an elevation of host immune response occurs, which involves the production of free radicals in response to the bacterial infection. The overproduction of free radicals in excess of the antioxidants leads to oxidative stress. Conventional antibioti...

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important crop in terms of income and nutrition. Despite its importance, groundnut yield is limited by environmental factors such as drought. This work reports the genetic transformability of Kenyan groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) genotypes with isopentenyl transferase (IPT) gene towards drought tolerance. The...

The root and leaf extracts of Launaea cornuta have been locally used in traditional medicine for decades to manage inflammatory conditions and other oxidative-stress-related syndromes; however, their pharmacologic efficacy has not been scientifically investigated and validated. Accordingly, we investigated the in vitro antioxidant activity, anti-in...

Background Mung bean is a pulse crop principally grown in the tropic and subtropic parts of the world for its nutrient-rich seeds. Seven mung beans accessions from Eastern Kenya were evaluated using thirteen phenotypic traits. In addition, 10 SSR markers were used to determine their genetic diversity and population structure. This aimed at enhancin...

The function of innate hemostasis aids the body in bleeding control, preventing the loss of excessive amounts of blood following low-degree injuries. However, injuries of a higher degree may require extrinsic intervention to stop life-threatening blood loss. Astringent agents’ actions result in mechanical constriction of small blood vessels and shr...

Societal Impact Statement Eastern Africa is currently infested with dodders—highly invasive vines that threaten agriculture and biodiversity. We describe historical and ecological factors that have potentially shaped dodder invasion in this region. Our results reveal high levels of genetic diversity within dodder populations, which could enhance th...

Maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais) infestation results in a substantial reduction in the quantity and deterioration of the quality of stored maize. Most farmers control weevils using conventional pesticides which are usually associated with several human health risks as well as intoxication of the fauna and flora. However, bioinsecticides form an al...

Hemostasis is the natural mechanism by which blood is kept in a fluid state in circulation with the ability to cause clotting at an injury site. The effects of Croton megalocarpus Hutch and Lantana camara Linn plants leaves on blood coagulation has not been scientifically tested despite their common use in bleeding control. The current study invest...

The effects of Cissampelos pareira (Linn), Lantana camara (Linn) and Ocimum gratissimum (African basil) leaf extracts on pain have not been biologically determined despite their frequent traditional use in pain management. The present study evaluated the effects of methanol leaf extracts of these three plants on formalin-induced pain in Swiss albin...

Persistent hyperglycaemia is the hallmark of diabetes and is accountable for the devastating complications, which cause high morbidity and mortality. Conventional anti-diabetic agents are only palliative and characterised with limited efficacy, adverse effects, high costs, inaccessibility, prompting the need for better alternatives. Therefore, we i...

Persistent hyperglycaemia is the hallmark of diabetes and is accountable for the devastating complications, which cause high morbidity and mortality. Conventional anti-diabetic agents are only palliative and characterised with limited efficacy, adverse effects, high costs, inaccessibility, prompting the need for better alternatives. Therefore, we i...

Improved agricultural production of essential crops through advanced breeding is important for increasing access to nutritious food for the world's rapidly growing population, which is expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050. Recent advancements in the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein9 (CRISPR/Cas9)...

Oxidative stress causes and drives many agonising inflammatory conditions, which cause disability, financial burden, and emotional stress. The current anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant agents are associated with adverse effects, inaccessibility, high costs, and low efficacies, thereby warranting the need for alternatives, especially fro...

Background: Inflammation is an immune response characterized by swelling, redness, pain and heat. Inflammation is mainly managed using conventional medicines that are associated with many side effects. Plant-based remedies are considerably better alternative therapies for they have fewer side effects. Objective: This study aimed at determining t...

Background Arsenic poisoning affects millions of people. The inorganic forms of arsenic are more toxic. Treatment for arsenic poisoning relies on chelation of extracellularly circulating arsenic molecules by 2,3-dimecaptosuccinic acid (DMSA). As a pharmacological intervention, DMSA is unable to chelate arsenic molecules from intracellular spaces. T...

Background Finger millet blast disease, caused by Pyricularia oryzae, is a serious constrain of finger millet production which is threatening global food security especially to the resource poor smallholder farmers in arid and semi-arid regions. The disease adversely affects finger millet production and consumption due to its wide distribution and...

Introduction. Sitophilus zeamais infestation is among the major setbacks to sustainable maize farming and availability. It causes an estimated annual loss of 5–10% and 20–30% of the total maize grains loss in the temperate and tropical zones, respectively. Although synthetic pesticides are quick and effective in managing crop pests, their overuse a...

Invasive holoparasitic plants of the genus Cuscuta (dodder) threaten African ecosystems due to their rapid spread and attack on various host plant species. Most Cuscuta species cannot photosynthesize and hence rely on host plants for nourishment. After attachment through a peg-like organ called a haustorium, the parasites deprive hosts of water and...

Friable embryogenic callus (FEC) currently forms the tissue of choice for gene transfer to cassava tissues. However, this technology has not been sufficiently adopted in most laboratories, partly because of the challenging protocols involved in FEC production. Therefore, the development of transformation systems targeting readily accessible explant...

Invasive holoparasitic plants of the genus Cuscuta (dodder) threaten Africa’s ecosystems, due to their rapid spread and attack on various host plant species. Most Cuscuta species cannot photosynthesize, hence rely on host plants for nourishment. After attachment through a peg-like organ called a haustorium, the parasites deprive hosts of water and...

Pistacia aethiopica and Warbugia ugandensis are medicinal plants used in folk medicine among the Embu, Kenya. Despite being in use since antiquity, no empirical data is available to validate their claimed use in pain management. This study evaluated the antinociceptive effects of methanolic extracts of these plants in mice. Qualitative phytochemica...

Over 50 million persons are living with cognitive deficits worldwide, with over 80% of these individuals living in the developing world. The number of affected persons is projected to go over 152 million by the year 2050. Current drugs used for cognitive impairment are debatably ineffective, costly, inaccessible, and associated with undesirable eve...

Oxidative stress is the result of the disparity between pro-oxidants and antioxidants in an organism, and it is important in the pathogenesis of several degenerative disorders, such as arthritis, Alzheimer's, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Free radicals can damage biomolecules, such as nucleic acids, lipids, proteins, polyunsaturated fatty ac...

Introduction Antibiotic resistance is a serious threat to humankind. There is need for the development of new therapeutic options. Ocimum basilicum has been used traditionally as a medicinal herb against infectious diseases and as a food additive. Objective This study aimed at evaluating the phytochemical composition and in vitro antibacterial acti...

Groundnuts are among the principle economic oilseed largely cultivated in warm regions of Kenya and contribute to domestic food security and cash revenue. The study aimed at evaluating genetic diversity and phenotypic characterization of groundnut varieties grown in some parts of Kenya. Six varieties (ICG83708, ICGV99568, CG7, ICGV12991, RV and Cha...

Oxidative stress has been recognized as a key driver of many ailments affecting humankind. Free radicals attack biologically important biomolecules, impairing their functioning, thereby initiating and exacerbating diseases. As a comeback, antioxidant therapies have been proposed as novel approaches to ameliorating oxidative stress–associated diseas...

Bacterial infections are responsible for a large number of deaths every year worldwide. On average, 80% of the African population cannot afford conventional drugs. Moreover, many synthetic antibiotics are associated with side effects and progressive increase in antimicrobial resistance. Currently, there is growing interest in discovering new antiba...

Introduction : Pain is managed using conventional drugs like paracetamol, aspirin and diclofenac among others. Synthetic drugs have many side effects. This study aimed at evaluating the analgesic potential of the dichloromethane leaf extracts of Eucalyptus globulus and Senna didymobotrya in mice. Methods : The dichloromethane leaf extracts of E. gl...

Oxidative stress is a metabolic disorder characterised by overproduction of the highly reactive free radicals that damage body tissues. Such radicals include the unstable and destructive reactive oxygen and nitrogen species among other free radicals. A reduction in the immunological antioxidant defences of the body coupled to a declining tissue ant...

Finger millet is a food crop that provides nutritional security and is climatically resilient for farming and agricultural diversification. However, its quality and yield remain low due to biotic and abiotic factors, the greatest of which is blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae. We surveyed the occurrence, distribution and severity of finger...

A video talk about medicinal properties of Carissa edulis as claimed by a Tanzanian herbalist/pastor. Dr. Mathew Piero Ngugi disputes the alleged claims after empirical research.

Cognitive impairment (CI) is among the leading causes of disability in humans. It is estimated that over 35.6 million people are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease- (AD-) associated cognitive deficits globally with these statistics projected to rise over 115.4 million by the year 2050. There is no specific etiology for this cognitive impairment; ho...

Obesity is the main component of metabolic syndromes involving distinct etiologies that target different underlying behavioral and physiological functions within the brain structures and neuronal circuits. An alteration in the neuronal circuitry stemming from abdominal or central obesity stimulates a cascade of changes in neurochemical signaling th...

Introduction: Fever is managed using synthetic drugs such as aspirin, paracetamol among others. Synthetic drugs are associated with many side effects. Herbal medicines form alternative therapy since they possess fewer side effects and are readily available. This study aimed to determine antipyretic potential of DCM extracts of E. globulus and S. d...

The acquisition of ethnobotanical information from traditional practitioners remains an empirical aspect of understanding the ethnopharmacology research. However, integration of information on chemical composition of plant extracts and their pharmacological activities forms a key resource for synthesis of new and effective therapeutics. In traditio...

Background: Obesity is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by increased adipose tissue mass due to positive energy balance. Prescription of anti-obesity drugs can be useful adjuncts to diet and exercise for obese patients who have failed to achieve weight loss. However, these drugs are ineffective and are associated with adverse effects. In...

Obesity is the main component of metabolic syndromes involving distinct etiologies which target different underlying behavioral and physiological functions within the brain structures and neuronal circuits. An alteration in the neuronal circuitry stemming from abdominal or central obesity stimulates a cascade of changes in neurochemical signaling t...

Chronic exposures to high-fat diets are linked to neuropathological changes that culminate in obesity-related cognitive dysfunction and brain alteration. Learning, memory performance, and executive function are the main domains affected by an obesogenic diet. There are limited effective therapies for addressing cognitive deficits. Thus, it is impor...

Khat (Catha edulis Vahl) is an evergreen shrub habitually ingested for its euphoric and stimulatory effects. The crop is grown in the Middle East, Somalia, East Africa and Ethiopia. It is referred to as Miraa in Kenya, while in Yemen it has several names like Qat, Kat, Kath, Gat, Chat and Tschat. It belongs to the sub-order Rosidae, family Celastra...

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a tropical root crop that serves as a food staple and a vital income source to resource deprived farmers in the tropics. Despite its importance, cassava production and consumption is faced by a myriad of biotic/abiotic constraints. Genetic transformation which can be applied to mitigate these challenges however...

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a tropical root crop that serves as a food staple and a vital income source to resource deprived farmers in the tropics. Despite its importance, cassava production and consumption is faced by a myriad of biotic/abiotic constraints. Genetic transformation which can be applied to mitigate these challenges however...

A simple and efficient plant regeneration system via direct organogenesis was established in finger millet using in vitro derived shoot apical meristems. Six varieties; GBK-043128, GBK-043094, GBK-043050, GBK-043137, GBK-043122 and GBK-043124 were evaluated. MS medium was used for cotyledonary germination. Maximum number of shoots (84.33%) was obse...