Ethnobotanical knowledge of the lay people of Blouberg area (Pedi tribe), Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract Background Limpopo province, South Africa, has a rich plant diversity and is referred to as one of the hotspots areas within the country. The aim of the current work was to identify and document medicinal plant species used by the indigenous Pedi people of Blouberg area, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Methods A total of 40 informants which includes both traditional healers and medicinal plant sellers were randomly selected and asked about the plant species used in treatment of variety of infections using a structured questionnaire. Follow-up visits and various field walks were also used to identify and document various plant species used in Traditional medicine (TM). The interviews were carried out from April 2008 to June 2016 using indigenous language (Sehananwa). Results A total of 82 medicinal plants species belonging to 42 families have been collected, identified and documented. About 46.34% of the plant species were herbs, followed by trees (25.61%), shrubs (20.73%) and climbers (7.32%). The most used plant parts are roots and rhizomes (58.58%). Peltophorum africanum Sond revealed frequency index of greater than 70 and is used in combination with other plants species to treat various pathogenic infections. Most of the plant species reported are used in the treatment of sexually transmitted infections (24), management of HIV-AIDS (15) and stomach ache (14). Our informants indicated that the use of plant medicines in combinations is also applied to cure pathogenic infections. Conclusion The current study demonstrate that the indigenous people of Blouberg area, Limpopo Province harbours an important information about the vegetation around them. The plant species are used in the treatment of various pathogenic infections, offers fruits as additional source of food and form integral part of other medicinal products that may in turn produce income

In vitro antibacterial and cytotoxic activity of leaf extracts of Centella asiatica (L.) Urb, Warburgia salutaris (Bertol. F.) Chiov and Curtisia dentata (Burm. F.) C.A.Sm - medicinal plants used in South Africa

Abstract Background Compounds having both anticancer and antimicrobial activity have promising therapeutic potential due to their selective cytotoxicity and their potential to reduce the occurrence of bacterial and fungal infections in immune-compromised cancer patients. In our quest to find new antimicrobial agents with potent anticancer activity, the biological potential of leaves from the three medicinal plants Centella asiatica, Warburgia salutaris and Curtisia dentata as used by Zulu traditional healers for the treatment of cancer is investigated. Methods Extracts were assayed for antibacterial activity using the agar well diffusion and micro plate dilution assay. In addition, minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay and rhodamine 6G intake assay were used to ascertain the antibacterial activity. The cytotoxic effects of the plant extracts were determined using tetrazolium-based colorimetric (MTT) cell proliferation assay against MCF-7, human colorectal carcinoma cells (Caco-2), A549 and HeLa cancerous cell lines. Results The acetone extracts from Waburgia salutaris revealed noteworthy anti-proliferative effect yielding IC50 value of 34.15 μg/ml against MCF-7 cell line, while acetone extract from Curtisia dentata significantly (P ≤ 0.05) revealed promising IC50 values of 41.55, 45.13, 57.35 and 43.24 μg/ml against A549, HeLa, CaCo-2 and MCF-7 cell lines. The extracts further revealed a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against bacterial strains used in the study. An acetone extract from W. salutaris revealed the highest zone of inhibition and the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 21.0 mm and 0.16 mg/ml respectively against Staphylococcus aureus. Methanol extract from W. salutaris and ethyl acetate extract from C. dentata revealed 53% inhibition of R6G inside the cell against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli respectively in a cytosolic lactate dehydrogenase assay, suggesting that the mode of action of such extracts may be through efflux pump. Conclusions Overall, the extracts had good antibacterial activity and anti-proliferative effects against selected cancerous cell lines. Given the good antibacterial activity of the extracts the plants may act as an immune booster and prevent infection in immunosuppressed cancer patients. This is further supported by the plants’ anti-proliferative potential, bacteriostatic, bactericidal properties and also their ability to block bacterial efflux pump systems

Five Ochna species have high antibacterial activity and more than ten antibacterial compounds

New measures to control infections in humans and other animals are continuously being sought because of the increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. In a wide tree screening survey of the antimicrobial activity of extracts of tree leaves (www.up.ac.za/phyto), Ochna pulchra, a small tree found widely in southern Africa, had good antibacterial activity. We therefore investigated the antibacterial activity of acetone leaf extracts of some other available Ochna spp. Antibacterial activity and the number of antibacterial compounds in acetone leaf extracts of Ochna natalitia, Ochna pretoriensis, O. pulchra, Ochna gamostigmata and Ochna serullata were determined with a tetrazolium violet serial microplate dilution assay and bioautography against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, bacteria commonly associated with nosocomial infections. The percentage yields of the extracts varied from 2.5% to 8%. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the five species ranged from 40 µg/mL to 1250 µg/mL. E. coli was sensitive to all the extracts. The O. pretoriensis extract was the most active with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.065 mg/mL and 0.039 mg/mL against E. coli and E. faecalis, respectively. The O. pretoriensis extract also had the highest total activities of 923 mL/g and 1538 mL/g, indicating that the acetone extract from 1 g of dried plant material could be diluted to 923 mL or 1538 mL and would still kill these bacteria. Based on the bioautography results, the two most active species, O. pretoriensis and O. pulchra, contained at least 10 antibacterial compounds with similar Rf values. Some of these antibacterial compounds were polar and others were non-polar. Variation in the chemical composition of the species may have some taxonomic value. The order of activity of the species to the bacteria were O. pretoriensis > O. pulchra > O. gamostigmata > O. serullata > O. natalitia. Even before toxicity and bioavailability issues are considered, some Ochna spp. leaf extracts have the potential to be used in treating skin infections

HIV-associated cancer biomarkers : a requirement for early diagnosis

Globally, HIV/AIDS and cancer are increasingly public health problems and continue to exist as comorbidities. The sub-Saharan African region has the largest number of HIV infections. Malignancies previously associated with HIV/AIDS, also known as the AIDS-defining cancers (ADCs) have been documented to decrease, while the non-AIDS defining cancer (NADCs) are on the rise. On the other hand, cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease and precision oncology as the most effective cancer therapy is gaining attraction. Among HIV-infected individuals, the increased risk for developing cancer is due to the immune system of the patient being suppressed, frequent coinfection with oncogenic viruses and an increase in risky behavior such as poor lifestyle. The core of personalised medicine for cancer depends on the discovery and the development of biomarkers. Biomarkers are specific and highly sensitive markers that reveal information that aid in leading to the diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of the disease. This review focuses mainly on the risk assessment, diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic role of various cancer biomarkers in HIV-positive patients. A careful selection of sensitive and specific HIV-associated cancer biomarkers is required to identify patients at most risk of tumour development, thus improving the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease.The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)http://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijmsam2021Obstetrics and Gynaecolog

Genotoxic effects of Dukhan : a smoke bath from the wood of Acacia seyal used traditionally by Sudanese women

ETHNOBOTANICAL RELEVANCE : Smoke from the wood of Acacia seyal Delile has been used by Sudanese women for making a smoke bath locally called Dukhan. The ritual is performed to relieve rheumatic pain, smooth skin, heal wounds and achieve general body relaxation. AIM OF THE STUDY : The present study was designed to investigate the in vitro anti-inflammatory effect of the smoke condensate using cyclooxygenase -1 (COX-1) and -2 (COX-2) as well as its potential genotoxic effects using the bacterial-based Ames test and the mammalian cells-based micronucleus/cytome and comet assays. MATERIALS AND METHODS : The smoke was prepared in a similar way to that commonly used traditionally by Sudanese women then condensed using a funnel. Cyclooxygenase assay was used to evaluate its in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. The neutral red uptake assay was conducted to determine the range of concentrations in the mammalian cells-based assays. The Ames, cytome and comet assays were used to assess its potential adverse (long-term) effects. RESULTS : The smoke condensate did not inhibit the cyclooxygenases at the highest concentration tested. All smoke condensate concentrations tested in the Salmonella/microsome assay induced mutation in both TA98 and TA100 in a dose dependent manner. A significant increase in the frequency of micronucleated cells, nucleoplasmic bridges and nuclear buds was observed in the cytome assay as well as in the % DNA damage in the comet assay. CONCLUSIONS : The findings indicated a dose dependent genotoxic potential of the smoke condensate in the bacterial and human C3A cells and may pose a health risk to women since the smoke bath is frequently practised. The study highlighted the need for further rigorous assessment of the risks associated with the smoke bath practice.The National Research Foundation of South Africahttp://www.elsevier.com/locate/jethpharm2022-11-25hj2022Paraclinical Science

Natural Compounds Isolated from African Mistletoes (Loranthaceae) Exert Anti-Inflammatory and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory Potentials: <i>In Vitro</i> and <i>In Silico</i> Studies

Despite the medicinal uses of Phragmanthera capitata, Globimetula dinklagei and Tapinanthus bangwensis against memory loss, convulsions and pain, their efficacy against brain-dysfunction diseases and inflammation models has not yet been studied. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the anti-inflammatory and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory potentials of their crude extracts and isolated natural compounds by combining in vitro and in silico experiments. Crude extracts and isolated compounds were tested in vitro for their AChE inhibitory activity by using Ellman’s method. Additionally, their anti-inflammatory activity was determined by evaluating the nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitory activity in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and the 15-lipoxygenase (15-LOX) inhibitory activity by using the ferrous oxidation xylenol orange assay. Furthermore, the in silico efficacy of natural compounds was investigated against ten putative target enzymes relevant in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis and inflammation. It was found that the crude extracts had weak to moderate inhibitory potential against AChE, with the extract of T. bangwensis being the most active (50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) = 48.97 µg/mL). Six natural compounds, namely, 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-28-hydroxy-α-amyrin (2), apigenin- 8-C-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), globimetulin B (5), globimetulin C (6), bangwaursene B (8) and 3β-acetoxy-11,12-epoxytaraxerol (9), were identified for the first time as having anti-AChE potential, among which (9) had the highest efficacy with an IC50 of 13.89 µM. Among the anti-AChE compounds, (5) was also efficient against NO production and 15-LOX, and the data are in agreement with the docking score. In summary, compounds (5) and (9) are the most prominent lead compounds that should be further tested experimentally against molecular targets of AD and inflammation