Traditional knowledge of wild edible fruits in southern Africa: A comparative use patterns in Namibia and Zimbabwe

385-392A large proportion of resource poor rural households in southern African communal areas are dependent on wild edible fruits to meet part of their daily nutritional needs. For many people and ethnic groups, the use of wild edible fruits is a source of cultural identity, reflecting a deep and important body of knowledge about the environment, survival, harvesting, preservation and other forms of management. This study was aimed at documenting the role of wild edible fruits in the livelihoods of people in Namibia and Zimbabwe. Sixty five and 83 randomly selected participants were interviewed in Namibia and Zimbabwe respectively, between October 2011 and January 2013. Sixty fruit plants were recorded in both countries. Higher species numbers (50) were recorded in Zimbabwe compared to 19 species in Namibia. Apart from fruit production, five other major use categories were identified in this study, which included herbal medicines, timber, firewood, fruit juice and plant products sold to generate income. It is vital that more research is conducted on potentially important wild edible fruit plants as millions of people throughout the world make extensive use of this category of plant resources to fulfill their livelihood needs

Value Addition And Processed Products Of Three Indigenous Fruits In Namibia

The objectives of this study were to add value to three popular indigenous fruits found in Namibia namely, Marula ( Sclerocarya birrea ), Monkey orange ( Strychnos cocculoides ) and Eembe ( Berchemia discolour ) into processed food products and to train rural communities on value addition for job creation, income generation and food security. Indigenous fruits are receiving increasing interests from researchers and scholars because of their nutrition and abundance in most African countries. The fruits are important sources of food for rural communities especially at times of food shortage, hunger and other disasters. In addition, they provide enormous health benefits such as antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They are also known to create jobs and generate income for rural communities. Because of their role in combating food insecurity, nutrition and the problems of seasonality, studies on their value addition were carried out in Namibia. Different types of food products were made from the fruits namely; juice, jam, jelly and muffins (cakes). A pilot study was carried out to determine the levels and preference range of ingredients in the mix to formulate recipes of the products prior to processing and training the community members. The results were subjected to paired preference tests and the best ratio was then used. According to consumer preference test, marula juice was on the lower value (2.3) due to its low pH (3.26). As for jam and jelly; quality, taste and colour were acceptable and preferred. The three products made from monkey orange were all preferred but those from eembe were downgraded (2.31-3.20) due to dark colour and lack of flavour. The microbiological quality of the produced products confirmed their safety characteristics. The products made in this study were shown to be viable, of good quality and good sources of income for rural communities. The fruit flavour from marula and monkey orange can be utilized in the dairy and other soft drink industries for making yoghurts, sour milk, ice cream, juices and jams

UPLC-qTOF-MS phytochemical profile of Commiphora gileadensis leaf extract via integrated ultrasonic-microwave-assisted technique and synthesis of silver nanoparticles for enhanced antibacterial properties

The utilization of metallic nanoparticles in bio-nanofabrication holds significant potential in the field of applied research. The current study applied and compared integrated ultrasonic-microwave-assisted extraction (US/MICE), ultrasonic extraction (USE), microwave-assisted extraction (MICE), and maceration (MAE) to extract total phenolic content (TPC). In addition, the study examined the antioxidant activity of Commiphora gileadensis (Cg) leaf. The results demonstrated that the TPC of US/MICE exhibited the maximum value at 59.34 ± 0.007 mg GAE/g DM. Furthermore, at a concentration of 10 μg/mL, TPC displayed a significant scavenging effect on DPPH (56.69 %), with an EC50 (6.48 μg/mL). Comprehensive metabolite profiling of the extract using UPLC-qTOF-MS/MS was performed to identify active agents. A total of 64 chromatographic peaks were found, out of which 60 were annotated. The most prevalent classes of metabolites found were polyphenols (including flavonoids and lignans), organic compounds and their derivatives, amides and amines, terpenes, and fatty acid derivatives. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the aggregate size of the synthesized nanoparticles and the spherical shape of C. gileadensis-mediated silver nanoparticles (Cg-AgNPs). The nanoparticles had a particle size ranging from 7.7 to 42.9 nm. The Cg-AgNPs exhibited more inhibition zones against S. aureus and E. coli. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of Cg-extract, AgNPs, and Cg-AgNPs were also tested. This study demonstrated the feasibility of using combined ultrasonic-microwave-assisted extraction to separate and extract chemicals from C. gileadensis on a large scale. These compounds have potential use in the pharmaceutical industry. Combining antibacterial and biocompatible properties in materials is vital for designing new materials for biomedical applications. Additionally, the results showed that the biocompatibility of the Ag-NPs using C. gileadensis extracts demonstrated outstanding antibacterial properties

Transcription Analysis of a Lantibiotic Gene Cluster from Bifidobacterium longum DJO10A▿

Bifidobacterium longum DJO10A was previously demonstrated to produce a lantibiotic, but only during growth on agar media. To evaluate the feasibility of production of this lantibiotic in broth media, a transcription analysis of the lanA gene was undertaken. Comparative microarray analysis of broth and agar cultures of B. longum DJO10A revealed that the lantibiotic production, modification, transport/peptidase, and immunity genes were significantly upregulated in agar cultures, while the two-component regulatory genes were expressed equally under both conditions. This suggested that the signal transduction regulatory system should function in broth cultures. Real-time PCR and Northern hybridization confirmed that lanA gene expression was significantly repressed in broth cultures. A crude lantibiotic preparation from an agar-grown culture was obtained, and its antimicrobial spectrum analysis revealed a broad inhibition range. Addition of this extract to broth cultures of B. longum DJO10A induced lanA gene expression in a dose-dependent fashion. Subinoculation using >10% of an induced broth culture maintained lanA expression. The expression of lanA was log-phase specific, being significantly downregulated in stationary phase. Transcription start analysis of lanA revealed a 284-bp 5′ untranslated region, which was proposed to be involved in repression of transcription, while an inverted repeat structure located at bp −75 relative to the transcription start was strategically located to likely function as a binding site for the two-component response regulator. Understanding the transcription regulation of this lanA gene is the first step toward enabling production of this novel and potentially interesting lantibiotic in broth cultures

Comparative in vitro cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbiological activities of two indigenous Venda medicinal plants

Department of MicrobiologyBackground: The Vhembe region of the Limpopo province has a rich tradition of medicinal plants use. Traditionally, boiled roots of Ziziphus mucronata are used in the treatment of boils, general swelling and other skin infections. A combination of leaf paste and root infusion treats measles, dysentery, chest complains, and gland swelling. Pterocarpus angolensis is famous for the treatment of menorrhagia, infertility in women, wounds and pain management. The purpose of the present study was to compare the cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory potential and anti-microbial activities of Ziziphus mucronata and Pterocarpus angolensis from the Vhembe region. Method: U937, MeWo, Vero and RAW 264.7 cells were treated to various concentrations (50, 100, or 125 or 250 μg/ml depending on assays) of Ziziphus mucronata and Pterocarpus angolensis. Cytotoxicity assay was done using MTT; Antiinflammatory activity was assessed using NO production; Anti-bacterial activity was done using the Micro-Broth dilution method and Anti-mycobacteria activity was determined using the Alamar Blue Method while RT activity was measured by ELISA. Results: Cytotoxicity results showed that Pterocarpus was more toxic than Ziziphus as observed in the Vero and MeWo cells; however both displayed toxicity towards a Human cancer cell line. Both extracts did not inhibit nitrate production but induced significant increase in macrophage activation. The plant extracts have shown anti-tuberculosis activity at concentrations >500 μg/ml and there was moderation inhibition of HIV replication. Conclusions: The results obtained indicated that the extracts have pro-inflammatory properties, and the observed toxicity on malignant cell lines must be investigated further for promising anti-cancer drug therapy.University of Venda, Research and Innovation Directorate(S/15/MBY10