Sexually transmitted infections and their diagnoses: Bapedi experience

Background: The global burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is a major concern to the World Health Organization (WHO).Objective: To document STIs treated by Bapedi traditional healers and their methods of diagnoses in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Methods: A semi-structured questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions was used to collect data from 34 traditional healers, during a face-to-face interview.Results: Five seemingly dissimilar STIs; gonorrhoea, chlamydia, HIV/AIDS, nta (Bapedi-terminology) and syphilis were identified as being treated by Bapedi traditional healers. With the exclusion of HIV/AIDS, all STIs are known by healers via their vernacular names. Not all of the recorded STIs are treated by all the questioned traditional healers. Generally, diagnosis of these infections was based primarily on the presentation of symptoms and certain behavioural traits; mostly unprotected sexual intercourse with multiple partners.Conclusion: The current study concludes that Bapedi traditional healers play an important role in the treatment STIs in the Limpopo Province. Of concern is their diagnosis which is based primarily on the presentation of symptoms and behavioural traits, which are not always accurate indicators. Thus, to make their contribution to the treatment and management of STIs beneficial, they have to receive elementary training in diagnostic methods particularly for HIV/AIDS.Keywords: Bapedi, diagnoses, Limpopo Province, sexually transmitted infections, traditional healers.African Health Sciences 2013; 13(4): 1047 - 105

Use, conservation and present availability status of ethnomedicinal plants of Matebele-Village in the Limpopo Province, South Africa

Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out between January 2011 and April 2012 to compile an inventory of plants used medicinally by people of the Matebele village. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the species used by the villagers. The results show that 65 species (86.1% indigenous and 13.8% exotics) from 36 families, mostly the Asteraceae (13.8%) and Fabaceae (10.7%), are being used to treat 28 ailments or conditions. To the best of our knowledge, 24.4% of the species were recorded for the first time as medicinal. The most widely used species were Terminalia sericea (43.3%), followed by Acacia senegal, Eucomis pallidiflora (36.6% each), Drimia elata (26.6%), Warburgia salutaris (19.9%) and Artemisia afra (16.6%). Roots (39.1%), leaves (21.6%) and stem bark (10.8%) were the most frequently used parts. The heavy dependence on wild medicinal plants and utilization of threatened (E. pallidiflora, D. elata and W. salutaris) and protected (Sclerocarya birrea) species by inhabitants of Matebele village calls for urgent conservation intrusion.Keywords: Ethnomedicinal plants, Limpopo Province, Matebele Village, conservation, present availability status, South Africa, useAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(18), pp. 2392-240

Exotic and indigenous problem plants species used, by the Bapedi, to treat sexually transmitted infections in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Background: The ethnic usage of exotics and indigenous problem plants is a highly debated topic, as legislative requirements over-shadow their potential medicinal value, particularly to treat sexually transmitted  infections (STIs). Limited information exists regarding their medicinal value among the Bapedi.Objective: To ascertain the importance of exotics and indigenous problem plants in the treatment of STIs, a major global primary health care challenge.Methods: A field observation and semi-structured questionnaire focussing on species diversity, types of STIs treated and medicinal preparation as well as application was used to collect data from 34 traditional healers.Results: Seven exotics and three indigenous problem species were  identified. These species were used to treat four STIs; with Catharanthus roseus illustrating its dominance in the treatment of gonorrhoea. Some medicinal species used by Bapedi traditional healers have been validated through scientific research or through their extensive use by various  cultures in South Africa and other parts of Africa. To the best of our  knowledge Alternanthera pungens, Caesalpinia decapetala, Cinnamomumverum, and Citrullus lanatus are reported for the first time in the treatment of the investigated STIs.Conclusion: Exotic and indigenous problem species constitute an important component of the STIs treatment protocol. Their utilization by Bapedi cautions against the narrow-minded approach of indiscriminate eradication, as these species can play a significant role in the primary health care needs of socio-economic vulnerable people.Keywords: Bapedi, exotics, indigenous problem plants, sexually transmitted infections

Phytomedicine versus Gonorrhoea: The Bapedi Experience

Records regarding the phytomedicine employed by the Bapedi are almost non-existent. This is the first study of herbal remedies used by Bapedi traditional healers to treat gonorrhoea, of concern as it is a danger to reproductive health. A semi-structured questionnaire, centred on sexual health, was administered to 30 traditional healers in 15 local municipalities across the three districts of Limpopo Province during 2009/10. The questionnaire focussed on the use of plants for medicine as well their application in reproductive health management. This investigation found that the Bapedi employed no less than 18 different plant species, sometimes as multiple-plant extracts, but more often as single-plant extracts. The single most used species was Catharanthus roseus, which accounted for 60% of all reported cases, followed by Aloe marlothii subsp. marlothii (13.3%). Both these species occur abundantly throughout the province and are currently not threatened. This is the first record for the use of Callilepis salicifolia, Jatropha zeyheri and Cotyledon orbiculata to treat gonorrhoea by people of any culture

Adventure tourists in Pretoria, South Africa: A demographic profile

Adventure activities and experiences constantly evolve because individuals, motives, behaviours, and experiences differ and change over time. In order to assist adventure tourism companies to promote and sell specific activities and experiences that will meet the specific needs and wants of their identified target markets, this paper focuses on the demographic profile of adventure tourists who used the products/services of adventure tourism companies within Pretoria, South Africa. The realised sample was 234, providing a 93.6% response rate. The research instrument used was a self-completing questionnaire. Based on the results, these adventure tourists were Afrikaans speaking individuals between the ages of twenty-eight and forty-nine years. Their households consisted of two to four people and there were generally two income earners per household. This study established that there is a need for further researching of comprehensive adventure tourist profiles

Novel dichloro(bis{2-[1-(4-methylphenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl-κN3]pyridine-κN})metal(II) coordination compounds of seven transition metals (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd)

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. The synthesis, characterization, DFT and, in two cases, the structure of seven novel dichloro(bis{2-[1-(4-methylphenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl-κN3]pyridine-κN})metal(II) coordination compounds ([M(L2)2Cl2]), containing transition metals of groups 7–12, are described. Both experimentally measured magnetic moment and DFT calculations showed that d5Mn(II) (with µeff= 5.62 B.M., S = 5/2), d6Fe(II) (with µeff= 5.26 B.M., S = 2), d7Co(II) (with µeff= 3.98 B.M., S = 3/2), d8Ni(II) (with µeff= 3.00 B.M., S = 1) and d9Cu(II) (with µeff= 1.70 B.M., S = ½) are all paramagnetic, while d10Zn(II) and Cd(II) are diamagnetic with S = 0. DFT calculations on the possible isomers of these coordination compounds, showed that the cis–cis–trans and the trans–trans–trans isomers, with the pyridyl groups trans to each other, are the lowest in energy. The trans–trans–trans isomers were experimentally characterized by X-ray crystallography for [Ni(L2)2Cl2] and [Zn(L2)2Cl2]·L2in this study. In the solid state the coordination compounds are connected by intermolecular hydrogen bonds, mainly involving the chloride atoms, to form 3D supramolecular structures. Computational chemistry calculations, using Natural Bonding Orbital calculations, identified these inter-molecular hydrogen bonds, C–H⋯Cl, by a donor–acceptor interaction from a filled lone pair NBO on Cl to an empty antibonding NBO on (C–H). The inter-molecular hydrogen bonds were also identified by QTAIM determined bonding paths between Cl and the respective hydrogen. The theoretically calculated computational chemistry results thus give an understanding on a molecular level why in the solid state where inter-molecular forces and packing play a role, the trans–trans–trans isomers are mostly obtained

Synthesis, characterization, experimental and theoretical structure of novel Dichloro(bis{2-[1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl-κN3]pyridine-κN})metal(II) compounds, metal = Mn, Co and Ni

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. The syntheses, characterizations and structures of three novel dichloro(bis{2-[1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl-κN 3 ]pyridine-κN})metal(II), [M(L) 2 Cl 2 ], complexes (metal = Mn, Co and Ni) are presented. In the solid state the molecules are arranged in infinite hydrogen-bonded 3D supramolecular structures, further stabilized by weak intermolecular π…π interactions. The DFT results for all the different spin states and isomers of dichloro(bis{2-[1-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl-κN 3 ]pyridine-κN})metal(II) complexes, [M(L 1 ) 2 Cl 2 ], support experimental measurements, namely that (i) d 5 [Mn(L 1 ) 2 Cl 2 ] is high spin with S = 5/2; (ii) d 7 [Co(L 1 ) 2 Cl 2 ] has a spin state of S = 3/2, (iii) d 8 [Ni(L 1 ) 2 Cl 2 ] has a spin state of S = 1; and (iv) for all [M(L 1 ) 2 Cl 2 ] and [M(L) 2 Cl 2 ] comple xes, with M = Mn, Co and Ni, the cis-cis-trans and the trans-trans-trans isomers, with the pyridyl groups trans to each other, have the lowest energy

Chemical and structural data of (1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)pyridine-containing coordination compounds

The data presented in this paper are related to the research article entitled “Novel dichloro(bis{2-[1-(4-methylphenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl-κN3]pyridine-κN})metal(II) coordination compounds of seven transition metals (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd)” (Conradie et al., 2018) [1]. This paper presents characterization and structural data of the 2-(1-(4-methyl-phenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)pyridine ligand (L2) (Tawfiq et al., 2014) [2] as well as seven dichloro(bis{2-[1-(4-methylphenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl-κN3]pyridine-κN})metal(II) coordination compounds, [M(L2)2Cl2], all containing the same ligand but coordinated to different metal ions. The data illustrate the shift in IR, UV/VIS, and NMR (for diamagnetic complexes) peaks when L is coordinated to the metals, as well as the influence of the different metals on the peak positions. Solid state structural data is presented for M = Ni and Zn, while density functional theory calculated energies, structures and optimized coordinates are provided for the lowest energy cis and trans conformations for L2 as well as [M(L2)2Cl2] with M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd

Synthesis, characterisation and electrochemistry of eight Fe coordination compounds containing substituted 2-(1-(4-R-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)pyridine ligands, R = CH3, OCH3, COOH, F, Cl, CN, H and CF3

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. Eight different Dichloro(bis{2-[1-(4-R-phenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl-κN3]pyridine-κN})iron(II) compounds, 2–9, have been synthesised and characterised, where group R = CH3 (L2), OCH3 (L3), COOH (L4), F (L5), Cl (L6), CN (L7), H (L8) and CF3 (L9). The single crystal X-ray structure was determined for the L3 which was complemented with Density Functional Theory calculations for all complexes. The structure exhibits a distorted octahedral geometry, with the two triazole ligands coordinated to the iron centre positioned in the equatorial plane and the two chloro atoms in the axial positions. The values of the FeII/III redox couple, observed at ca. −0.3 V versus Fc/Fc+ for complexes 2–9, varied over a very small potential range of 0.05 V. The observation that the different R substituents have virtually no effect on the values of the FeII/III redox couple for all eight complexes 2–9, is explained by the character of the highest molecular orbitals of complexes 2–9, which do not show any communication of electron density between the various ligands and the metal Fe. However, the HOMOs of the free ligands L2 – L9, display extended π-character over the entire ligand, explaining the sensitivity of the 1H NMR C–H-triazole peak, which is dependent on the electron donating/withdrawing power of the R substituent attached to the 2-[1-(4-R-phenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl]pyridine ligands

Intraocular lenses in age-related macular degeneration

Purpose: The aim of this work is to review the lenses, assessing their advantages and disadvantages. We describe a total of seven types of intraocular lenses (IOLs) recommended for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: We used the PubMed web platform to search for implantable devices in various stages of AMD. We searched for both prospective and retrospective studies and also case reports. Results: Clinical results in AMD patients have been described for a total of seven types of IOLs recommended for AMD: an implantable miniature telescope (IMT), IOL-VIP System, Lipshitz macular implant (LMI), sulcus-implanted Lipshitz macular implant, LMI-SI, Fresnel Prism Intraocular Lens, iolAMD and Scharioth Macula Lens. Conclusions: We conclude that to objectively ascertain the effectiveness and safety of these lenses, further independent clinical studies with longer follow-up data are necessary prior to the general use of these optical devices