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A popular Ghanaian spice used in local drinks, soup and porridge, known in Twi as “Hwentia”, but identified as Grains of Selim, has been tipped to have anti-fever and anti-malarial properties.
This was discovered when researchers from the University of Cape Coast, in their bid to search for plant-based alternative drugs to anti-malaria drugs, found the seed to be a good source of xylopic acid, potent against fever and malaria.
Delivering his inaugural lecture on “Malaria treatment failures: What can we do?” last Friday, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Professor Johnson Nyarko-Boampong indicated that his team’s research on the spice tested on plasmodium berghei in the malaria infection group of mice, showed that “Hwentia” had anti-malaria properties with acceptable safety profile.
He asked that the spice derived from a shrubby tree called xylopia aethiopica be further researched into for further clinical trials considering that alternative drugs were needed to back up the ones in use currently.
“We cultured the parasites so we infected the mice and after sometime we determined the parasitaemia, and that is the source we used. So we grouped the mice into different groups and after we calculated the extracts where we got the xylopic acid.
“Xylopic acid possesses creative and prophylactic properties in plasmodium berghei induced malaria in mice, as well as antipyretic properties. Therefore, this xylopic acid is an ideal candidate that we can further study” said Prof Boampong.
The VC observed with concern the fact that the nation’s investment into scientific research was limited, saying, that has hindered efficiency and effusiveness.
He further asked the government and the nation as whole to attach more seriousness to the fight against malaria just as it was done during the COVID-19 pandemic.
