Address: P. O. Box LG 43, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra
Tel: +233 278926101
Email: jasarkodie@ug.edu.gh
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7306-3964
Scopus ID: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=56241363600
PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?cmd=search&term=Joseph+Adusei+Sarkodie
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joseph-Sarkodie
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=u2o02P8AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Artemisinin-Combination therapies are used as first line treatment for managing malaria. This research sought to carry out preliminary morphological and phytochemical evaluation, as well as investigate the artemisinin content of Artemisia annua that was cultivated for the first time at University of Ghana botanical garden. Seeds of A. annua were cultivated and dimensions of the shoots of the germinated seedlings were taken from week one till maturity. Qualitative phytochemical analysis was performed on the powdered plant parts following standard techniques. The artemisinin contents of the leaves and stem were determined using Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with a triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-QqQ-MS) using Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mode. Morphological observation showed that A. annua grew up to an average height of 36.94 cm at maturity. The leaves are lobed and have strong aromatic odour. The ethanol and petroleum ether extracts of leaves, stem and root tested positive for secondary metabolites such as phenols and alkaloids. The artemisinin content was highest in the powdered leaf (0.2% - 0.24%) while the ethanol extracts of the leaves, stem and roots contained no artemisinin. These findings serve as preliminary data for further studies on Ghana-cultivated Artemisia annua.
Governments of Ghana have over the years put in place policies and laws to expand access and promote rational use of traditional medicines and their usage in the healthcare delivery system. This was affirmed by the passage of a bill enacted by an ACT of Parliament in the year, 2000 (ACT 575, Traditional Medicine Practice Act, 2000). Patients have the choice to choose from either the orthodox or alternative medicine way of treatment. There is therefore the need for scientific investigation to validate the use of these alternative traditional remedies. Those remedies of medicinal plants which show promising activity can then be standardised and formulated for the promotion of rational use of quality, safe and efficacious traditional remedies in Ghana. This type of research therefore seeks to screen medicinal plants extracts with hypoglycaemic and antioxidant activities in order to provide a scientific knowledge that might lead to the formulation of herbal hypoglycaemic products for clinical use after their safety has been ascertained. This places the department of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine in the University core values.
Increasingly guinea fowl meat has become a delicacy relished by Ghanaians and other nationals due to the lean nature of the meat (contains 4% fat as against 7% for chicken) and its characteristic flavour and taste. Most farmers have as a result relied on the use of various plant species (without any scientific background) as coping strategies in addressing animal diseases, health and production related issues. It is imperative that these medicinal plants are investigated to provide wealth of indigenous knowledge on preventive and curative medicine existing among mostly the rural farmers to increase guinea fowl production. This project aims to enhance guinea fowl production through improved ethno-veterinary practices.
The project is focused on using spectroscopic methods to isolate, identify and characterise compounds from ethnomedicinal plants with anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-inflammatory and or anti-infective properties. This type of research is ongoing with collaboration from other Institutions since the department has currently no postgraduate courses. Through such collaboration, one of such project has produced remarkable result. A medicinal plant, Guibourtia ehie stem bark extract has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. It also showed considerable anticancer properties in vitro but had poor selectivity index and thus could be toxic. Furthermore, 7,4′-dihydroxyflavone, with considerable anti-inflammatory activity, was reported from the plant for the first time. However, it was non-cytotoxic and this was confirmed by in silico studies.
Education
2007-2012 Ph. D Pharmacognosy, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
2003-2005 M. Sc Pharmaceutical Medicine, University of Duisburg & Essen, Germany
1994-1999 B. Sc Chemistry, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
2011 - 2013 Research Scientist, Centre for Plant Medicine Research, Mampong Akuapem, Ghana
2008 - 2010 Demonstrator, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
DATE POSITION INSTITUTION
Feb 2016 Senior Lecturer University of Ghana, Legon
Jan 2013 Lecturer University of Ghana, Legon
Sep 2012 Adjunct Lecturer University of Cape Coast
August 2021-July 2024 Deputy Senior Tutor, Commonwealth Hall University of Ghana, Legon
August 2018 to July 2020 Head of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine Department University of Ghana, Legon
September 12-19, 2018 Ag. Dean, School of Pharmacy University of Ghana, Legon
April 2015 to July 2018 Ag. Head of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine Department University of Ghana, Legon
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40816-022-00350-3
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112892
DOI link: http://dx.doi.org/10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.13(7).1000-06.
DOI: https://doi.org.10.18311/jnr/2021/26515
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.2021.8.2.1027
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-020-03195-w
https://doi.org/10.51847/SbSsumz
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2019.112309
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25258/phyto.11.4.3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2015-0069
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2095-4964(16)60273-
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-016-1334-
24th to 26th August, 2021; Medicinal Plants: A Sustainable Tool for Health and Wealth Ghana (online) Chair of a Session
26th to 27th May 2021; An International 2-Day Training on Medicinal Plants used in treating Non-Communicable Disease For Researchers, Lecturers and Scholars China (on-line), Organiser and Moderator.
2016 to 2020 ;Yearly training programme for manufacturers of food supplements/herbal products to generate Funds for School of Pharmacy, Ghana; Coordinator and Organiser
26th to 28th September, 2018 3rd Biennial Scientific Conference, College of Health Sciences, Ghana Participant
4th to 13th June, 2018, Bringing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to Ghana- TCM Healthcare Generalisation, China, Participant.
3rd to 7th September, 2017, 65th Annual Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research, Switzerland. Participant and Poster Presentation
12th June, 2017 UG-Carnegie & Banga-Africa Projects Write-shops, Ghana, Participant