A comparative study of antibacterial activities of wild and cultivated plants used in ethnoveterinary medicine

Farmers generally collect fresh plant materials from the wild for ethnoveterinary uses. They are encouraged to harvest with caution and dry or cultivate important materials in order to protect the biodiversity. These recommendations are not validated scientifically. The microplate method for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination was used to compare wild with cultivated, and fresh with dry plant materials. The MIC values obtained ranged from 1.25 to 0.01 mg/ml. MIC values ≤0.3 mg/ml were considered as cut off point between effective and none effective inhibition. The multilevel linear models (hierarchical linear models), both unadjusted and adjusted models were employed. The plant (name) was considered as level-2 or higher level, while the actual observation was level-1 or lower level. The crude estimates of the odds ratio indicated that wild is significantly 0.57 times less likely than garden to yield MIC values of more than 0.3 mg/ml (p-value = 0.005). Also, fresh are about 4.195 times more likely than dry to yield MIC scores of more than 0.3 mg/ml (p-value < 0.001). Adjusting for conditions “dry and fresh”, microbe and solvent; wild is significantly 0.52 times less likely than garden to yield MIC values of more than 0.3 mg/ml (p-value = 0.003). On the other hand, when adjusting for “wild or garden”, type of solvents and type of microbes; fresh is significantly 4.202 times more likely than dry to yield MIC values of more than 0.3 mg/ml (p-value < 0.001). These results partially support farmers claiming that wild plant materials are more potent than the grown ones. On the contrary, the results are in favour of drying plant materials.Key words: Antibacterial, medicinal plants, wild, cultivated, fresh, dry, odd ratio

Antifungal activity of epithelial secretions from selected frog species of South Africa

Resistance to antibiotics has been acknowledged as a major global public health problem. The use of antimicrobial peptides to provide alternatives to combat multi-drug antibiotic resistance is beginning to attract increasing attention. The high diversity of amphibian skin peptides renders anurans an important potential source for the discovery of novel pharmacophores. This study aimed to investigate the antifungal activity of skin secretions from selected frogs (Amietia fuscigula, Strongylopus grayi and Xenopus laevis) and one toad (Amietophrynus pantherinus) of the south Western Cape Province of South Africa. Initially, different extraction techniques for the collection of skin secretions were tested and optimized, thereafter the extracts were tested against three fungal species of medical and agricultural importance that is, Candida albicans, Fusarium verticillioides and Aspergillus flavus. Chemical stimulation gave the best yield by mass, and secretions from A. fuscigula showed the best activity with an MIC of 40 μg / ml against C. albicans and 200 μg / ml against A. flavus. In general, C. albicans and A. flavus were the most sensitive while F. verticillioides was the most resistant. From this study it appears that bioprospecting of South African frog species has the potential to yield potential therapeutic lead agents.Key words: Antifungal, African anurans, antimicrobial peptides (AMP), Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, bioprospecting, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC)

Evaluation of six plant species used traditionally in the treatment and control of diabetes mellitus in South Africa using in vitro methods

CONTEXT : Numerous plants are used by the local communities of South Africa for the treatment and management of type II diabetes. OBJECTIVES : For this study, we undertook a survey of the plants sold for the management of diabetes in the town of Newcastle, South Africa. Identified plants were subsequently evaluated for their in vitro antidiabetic activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS : Plants were identified through an interview with a herbalist at the market. Antidiabetic activity of extracts of purchased plants was evaluated using in vitro a-amylase and a-glucosidase activity, as well as islets of Langerhans excretory activity. RESULTS : Senna alexandrina Mill. (Fabaceae), Cymbopogon citrates Stapf. (Poaceae), Cucurbita pepo L. (Cucuribitaceae), Nuxia floribunda Benth. (Stilbaceae), Hypoxis hemerocallidea Fisch. and Mey (Hypoxidaceae), and Cinnamomum cassia Blume (Lauraceae) were identified. The hexane extract of S. alexandrina (EC50 ¼ 0.083 mg/ml), ethyl acetate extract of H. hemerocallidea (EC50 ¼ 0.29 mg/ml), and methanol extracts of Cymbopogon citratus (EC50 ¼ 0.31 mg/ml) and Cinnamomum cassia (EC50 ¼ 0.12 mg/ml) had the highest a-amylase inhibitory activity, albeit lower than acarbose (EC50 ¼ 0.50 mg/ml). All the plants had good a-glucosidase inhibitory activity (450%) with the exception of some methanol (Cinnamomum cassia, N. floribunda, and Cymbopogon citratus) and acetone extracts (Cucurbita pepo and N. floribunda). Only the H. hemerocallidea acetone extract had an insulin stimulatory effect (2.5 U/ml at 8 mg/ml). CONCLUSION : All the evaluated plants demonstrated inhibitory activity against the specific GIT enzyme systems evaluated. Only H. hemerocallidea had insulin secretory activity, adding evidence to the traditional use of these purchased plants in the management of the type II diabetic post-prandial hyperglycemia.The National Research Foundation (NRF) and University of Pretoria, Faculty of Veterinary Science funded this project.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/iphb20hb2017Paraclinical Science

The global pharmacy workforce: a systematic review of the literature

The importance of health workforce provision has gained significance and is now considered one of the most pressing issues worldwide, across all health professions. Against this background, the objectives of the work presented here were to systematically explore and identify contemporary issues surrounding expansion of the global pharmacy workforce in order to assist the International Pharmaceutical Federation working group on the workforce

Pharmacological actions of Heteromorpha trifoliata (\"Dombwe\") on rat isolated muscle preparations

No Abstract. Central African Journal of Medicine Vol. 46 (1) 2000: pp. 9-1

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF STILBENOIDS AND FLAVONOIDS FROM THREE SPECIES OF COMBRETACEAE

Four phenanthrenes, one of them new, were isolated from the fruit of Combretum hereroense and one from the leaves of C. collinum. Three of them were moderately active against Candida albicans, Mycobacterium fortuitum and Staphylococcus aureus in the microplate assay. Four bibenzyls, one of which is novel, two chalcones, three flavanones and a flavone, all previously unreported from Combretaceae, were isolated from the leaves of C. apiculatum Engl. & Diels and two were isolated from the leaves of C. collinum. Pinocembrin, one of the ten compounds from C. apiculatum, had good activity against S. aureus and excellent activity against C. albicans in agreement with literature reports

Scopoletin in cassava products as an inhibitor of aflatoxin production

The scopoletin level in a cassava variety from Benin, BEN 86052, and the compounds effect on the growth of an Aspergillus flavus isolate from cassava chips were investigated. The influence on the biosynthesis of aflatoxins was also investigated. Scopoletin was quantified using high performance liquid chromatography. An in vitro test was used to evaluate the inhibitory effects of cassava flour extracts and pure scopoletin on growth and biosynthesis. The A. flavus isolate was genetically characterized to be an aflatoxin producer using polymerase chain reaction. Scopoletin was found in roots and chips with a level ranging from 4.9 to 242.5 mg/kg dry weight. Scopoletin induction was noticed after a peeling and drying process (6 days). Aflatoxin production by a strain of A. flavus holding the cluster Nor1, Omt1 and OmtB responsible for aflatoxin biosynthesis was inhibited by scopoletin and cassava flour at lower concentrations (0.024 mM). Scopoletin could be used on other commodities susceptible to mycotoxin contamination