Objective: Manihot esculenta (Crantz) leaves have been used for the management of diabetes based on cited ethnopharmacological studies. However, scientific evidence to support its efficacy is lacking. The aim of the study was to assess the cytotoxicity of the aqueous leaf extract and fractions of Manihot esculenta and its potential hypoglycemic effect on male Swiss albino mice. Methods: The cytotoxicity assay was necessary to screen which extract and fractions will be used for the in vivo hypoglycemic study. : Phytochemical screening identified the composition of the aqueous crude extract and its fractions. The phytochemical results showed the presence of alkaloids, anthraquinone glycosides, carbohydrates, phenolic glycosides, saponins, and flavonoids. : Cytotoxicity was screened using CytoTox 96® (Promega), a NonRadioactive Cytotoxicity Assay on liver cancer (HepG2) and normal kidney (HK-2) cell lines. Five samples were tagged as highly cytotoxic and were flagged for further assays. These samples were DCM fraction (100 ppm), n-Hexane fraction (1 and 10 ppm), Ethyl acetate fraction (1 ppm), and Aqueous fraction (100 ppm). Results: The hypoglycemic activity was examined in alloxan-induced diabetic mice using in vivo hypoglycemic study. The aqueous crude extract at dose levels of 200 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg body weight showed significant reduction in blood glucose levels compared to the diabetic control but not exceeding the results in the metformin treatment group. A p-value of 0.05 set a priori was used to consider whether the intervention had a statistically significant difference compared to the diabetic control. Conclusion The effectiveness of aqueous crude extract in reduction of blood glucose in mice may be attributed to the synergistic effects of phytochemicals present, especially the alkaloids which were retained in the extract but were undetectable in the fractionated samples. The results of this study also support the findings of existing ethnopharmacological studies on M. esculenta leaf extract as a hypoglycemic agent.
alkaloids ; hypoglycemic agents ; ethnopharmacology

INTRODUCTION: The Philippines continues to see an increasing trend in diagnosed cases of HIV. The
predominant population of males having sex with men (MSM) is the 25-34 years age group, but trends
show an increasing incidence in younger populations. This study aimed to determine the participants'
HIV/AIDS related knowledge, attitudes and practices and its relationships with the sociodemographic
factors of youth MSM in Metro Manila.

METHODS: The researchers used an analytic, cross-sectional design using a self-administered questionnaire.
The survey tool consisted on 24 items on knowledge and 12 on attitudes. Respondents were classified
into "inadequate" and "adequate" knowledge, and "poor" and "good" attitudes for the analysis. Purposive
sampling was used to recruit 251 respondents.

RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 22 ± 1.7 years. Most of the respondents had high HIV
knowledge and good attitudes towards PLHIV but still engaged in risky sexual practices. Those who had
undergone HIV testing were significantly more likely to have good knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS. With
regards to attitudes, those not in a relationship were significantly more likely to have positive attitudes
towards PLHIV and HIV/AIDS.

CONCLUSION: HIV testing status positively influences HIV/AIDS-related knowledge while being single
positively influences attitudes towards PLHIV and HIV/AIDS. No significant findings were found between
age, educational attainment and religious affiliation with knowledge and attitudes.

Human ; Hiv ; Sex ; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome