A CRYPTOLEPIS SANGUINOLENTA-BASED PREPARATION REDUCED HOSPITAL STAY AND MORTALITY OF COVID-19 PATIENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC

Authors

  • Mohamed MUTOCHELUH Department of Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi
  • Charles ANSAH Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Kwame BUABENG Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho
  • Sampson TWUMASI-ANKRAH Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Faculty of Physical and Computational Sciences, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Seth DOMFEH Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biosciences, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Michael OWUSU Department of Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Michael OWUSU-ANSAH Family Medicine Directorate Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Lawrence BORQUAYE Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Physical and Computational Sciences, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Evans ADEI Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Physical and Computational Sciences, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Christiana DUAH Centre for Infectious Diseases, Kumasi South Regional Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
  • Daniel BOAMAH Department of Microbiology, Centre for Plant Medicine Research. P. O. Box 73, Mampong Akuapem, Ghana
  • Mavis BOAKYE-YIADOM Department of Microbiology, Centre for Plant Medicine Research. P. O. Box 73, Mampong Akuapem, Ghana
  • Bobi BARIMAH Department of Clinical Research, Centre for Plant Medicine Research. P. O. Box 73, Mampong Akuapem, Ghana
  • Ellis OWUSU-DABO Department of Global and International Health, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21010/AJTCAMv21i1.1%20

Keywords:

Cryptolepis sanguinolenta; COVID-19, interferon induction; phase II clinical trial

Abstract

Background: In 2020, the World Health Organization urged nations to take domestic steps to curb the spread and contain the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, also referred to as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In the meantime, there was growing clinical evidence that reported favourable effects of using herbal medicine in managing COVID-19. We, therefore, repurposed Nibima (a Cryptolepis sanguinolenta-based herbal preparation) as an adjunct to conventional therapy for COVID-19. This was premised on our previous in vitro investigations that showed that Nibima has both antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities.

Materials and Methods: This trial (FDA/CT/11) was an open-label, randomised controlled phase II pilot study, which was conducted from March 2021 to October 2022 among hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Participants were either randomised to aqua (water) or Nibima, the investigational product as adjunct to COVID therapy.

Results: Nibima was well tolerated by the study participants, and the patients who were administered that together with the standard COVID-19 therapy had rapid clinical recovery compared to those taking aqua and the standard or conventional COVID-19 therapy. The evidence obtained provides a strong basis for future studies with large numbers of hospitalised patients with COVID-19 and other viral respiratory infections.

Conclusion: Though COVID-19 is no longer a pandemic, it is still a public health challenge. We recommend that Nibima be further investigated for its broad-spectrum antiviral and immunomodulatory activities against SARS-COV-2 and other viral infections in preparedness for the re-emergence of future pandemics.

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Published

2025-08-29

How to Cite

MUTOCHELUH , M., ANSAH, C., BUABENG, K., TWUMASI-ANKRAH, S., DOMFEH, S., OWUSU, M., OWUSU-ANSAH, M., BORQUAYE, L., ADEI, E., DUAH, C., BOAMAH, D., BOAKYE-YIADOM , M., BARIMAH, B., & OWUSU-DABO , E. (2025). A CRYPTOLEPIS SANGUINOLENTA-BASED PREPARATION REDUCED HOSPITAL STAY AND MORTALITY OF COVID-19 PATIENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, 21(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.21010/AJTCAMv21i1.1

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 1 (2024)

Section

Research Papers

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Mohamed MUTOCHELUH , Charles ANSAH, Kwame BUABENG, Sampson TWUMASI-ANKRAH, Seth DOMFEH, Michael OWUSU, Michael OWUSU-ANSAH, Lawrence BORQUAYE, Evans ADEI, Christiana DUAH, Daniel BOAMAH, Mavis BOAKYE-YIADOM , Bobi BARIMAH, Ellis OWUSU-DABO

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