Antifugal evaluation and phytochemical analysis of selected medicinal plants used in the treatment of fungal diseases associated with HIV infection in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Mbeng, Wilfred Otang
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Medicinal plants -- ethnobotanical survey , Opportunistic fungal infections , HIV/AIDS -- Cytotoxicity , Eastern Cape -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Botany)
- Identifier: vital:11307 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1006834 , Medicinal plants -- ethnobotanical survey , Opportunistic fungal infections , HIV/AIDS -- Cytotoxicity , Eastern Cape -- South Africa
- Description: Background. As a result of the AIDS pandemic, many people areimmuno compromised andopportunistic fungal infections (OFIs) such as candidiasis are common. Despite the widespread use of medicinal plants in South Africa, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding the use of such plants in the management of these infections. This study evaluates three South African medicinal plants (Arctotis arctotoides, Pittosporum viridiflorum, and Gasteria bicolor) traditionally used in the treatment of OFIs in HIV/AIDS patients, in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Materials and methods. A six-stage process of documentation, evaluation and analysis of results was conducted: (1) Selection of medicinal plants most frequently used in the treatment of OFIs through ethnomedical studies and the survey of specialised literature; (2) Collection and preparation of the extract of each plant; (3) Antifungal evaluation of the crude plant extracts. (4) Phytochemical and antioxidant evaluation of the active crude plant extracts; (5) Cytotoxicity evaluation of the bioactive extracts using the Chang liver cell line, and (6) Statistical analysis of the results. Ethnobotanical information was obtained through interviews with traditional healers and AIDS patients with the aid of semi-structured questionnaires, direct observations and by reviewing studies reported in the literature. Following the approval from the University of Fort Hare‘s Ethics Committee, 101 HIV/AIDS patients were recruited through convenience sampling into an anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire study. The agar diffusion and micro-dilution methods were used to determine the antifungal activities of the hexane, acetone and aqueous extracts of A. arctotoides, G. bicolor and P. viridiflorum against 10 opportunistic fungi.
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- Date Issued: 2013
Development of conservation methods for gunnera perpensa l.: an overexploited medicinal plant in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Chigor, Chinyere Blessing
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Gunnera -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Medicinal plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Traditional medicine -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Medical anthropology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Medical policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Botany)
- Identifier: vital:11311 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1019832 , Gunnera -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Medicinal plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Traditional medicine -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Medical anthropology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Medical policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: South Africa, many plants which are used in traditional medicines are collected from wild populations. The high demand for trade and use of these medicinal plants place an enormous pressure on their natural populations, especially because they are indiscriminately harvested. The most affected of these plant species are those harvested from their underground parts, among which is Gunnera perpensa L. Gunnera perpensa is of considerable ethnobotanical interest in traditional medicine because of its wide usage. The rhizomes are widely used and indiscriminately collected in large quantities from the wild to meet the ever increasing demand in traditional medicine markets. As a result, this valuable medicinal plant species is being endangered. According to the Red List of South African Plants, the conservation status of G. perpensa has been listed as ‘declining’. The ethnobotanical survey conducted as part of this research confirms the plant species as threatened. It is, therefore, important to develop propagation and conservation strategies for this medicinal plant. Clonal propagation of G. perpensa was conducted using varying lengths of the rhizome (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 cm) segments as propagules. While regeneration was possible with all the rhizome lengths, most of the growth parameters were significantly higher in the 5 cm rhizomes than the other rhizome segments. The appropriate planting depth for the rhizomes was also determined and 4 or 5 cm planting depths were found appropriate. No significant difference was observed in the growth parameters amongst the planting depths; nevertheless, 4 cm depth gave higher growth and yield. The results of this study show that regenerating G. perpensa.
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- Date Issued: 2014
Effect of processing on the efficacy and safety of Solanum Aculeastrum Dunal berries
- Authors: Aboyade, Oluwaseyi Mayode
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Medicinal plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Plant extracts , Drugs -- Effectiveness , Berries , Solanum , Solanum Aculeastrum -- Effectiveness
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Botany)
- Identifier: vital:11302 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1001051 , Medicinal plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Plant extracts , Drugs -- Effectiveness , Berries , Solanum , Solanum Aculeastrum -- Effectiveness
- Description: General Abstract There has been a steady increase in the use of medicinal plants in the last two decades in both developed and developing countries for prevention, management and treatment of diseases. This increase has been due to reasons such as ease of access, better cultural acceptability and compatibility, cost effectiveness and also the bid to “go natural”. Unfortunately, the notion that herbal medicines are relatively safe because they are natural has led to serious and potentially fatal consequences in phytotherapy. The lack of rigorous research to prove the effectiveness and safety of many medicinal plants is of great concern to the health care system. This thesis therefore addresses not just the efficacy, but also the safety of the extracts of the berry of Solanum aculeastrum - a medicinal plant used, among other things, for the treatment of breast cancer in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Particular attention was paid to the possible effect of different processing methods of the berry extracts on inflammation, cytotoxicity, and toxicity. In studying the comparative effects of various processing methods, four different preparations of the extracts were investigated. These include fresh, dried, boiled fresh, and boiled dried berries. While the effect of processing on the anti-inflammatory properties of the extracts was not dose dependent, the percentage reduction in inflammation was highly significant and more prominent in both concentrations of the boiled fresh berries than the reference drug, indomethacin. Furthermore, the four extracts varied in their ability to act either centrally or peripherally in their effect on pain. Assessment of the analgesic response using the formalin test showed that, at both concentrations tested, none of the extracts inhibited the first phase of the formalin test. Furthermore, it was observed that boiling had differing results on the activity of the iii fresh and dried extracts. While boiling of the dried berries reduced pain in the rats, the opposite trend was observed with the boiled fresh berries. Results of the influence of processing of the berries on cytotoxicity indicated that the extracts are potent inhibitors of human breast, cervical and colonic carcinoma cells and the non-cancerous cells (both the actively dividing and confluent Chang liver cells). Although, in terms of relative potency, the fresh berries appeared to be the most active of the extracts, processing of the berries caused an increase in apoptotic cells and a subsequent decrease in the necrotic cells. The effect of processing on the safety of the berry of S. aculeastrum on the rats fed for 28 days was also investigated. The various doses (1, 10 and 25 mg/kg body weight) of all the four extracts did not alter the activity and the weight of the animals throughout the period of treatment. A reduction in organ to body weight ratio of the heart, kidney, liver and spleen was observed in all the extracts. Regarding the haematological parameters, different patterns of effect were observed between the extracts and within the treated doses. The observed alterations in the biochemical parameters by the various extract of Solanum aculeastrum berries at all the doses may have consequential effects on the normal functioning of these organs. In conclusion, this study has shown that there is some justification for the traditional use of the berries of Solanum aculeastrum in the treatment of inflammation related ailments and cancer. However, the medicinal use of the plant also poses considerable health risks. Investigation conducted into the plant’s safety revealed that the berry extracts were nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, haematotoxic and at higher doses, fatal. Another concern with regard to the plant’s safety is the non-selectivity of its extracts in the inhibition of carcinoma, actively dividing and un-dividing cells. Assessment of the effect of the processing on the berry’s efficacy and safety as herbal iv remedy produced mixed results. On the one hand, processing seemed to improve the extract’s anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity, while reducing its cytotoxic potential. On the other hand, a reduction in the toxicity was observed on the processed extracts compared to the fresh ones. This may be an indication that processing has an overall beneficial effect on the medicinal properties of the plant and should thus be considered as a method of making the berries of Solanum aculeastrum safer for use as a herbal remedy.
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- Date Issued: 2009
Studies on the use of essential oils for the control of Sitophilus Zeamais (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera; Curculionidae): a pest of stored maize grains
- Authors: Odeyemi, Oluwakemi Oluwaseyi
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Curculionidae , Essences and essential oils , Corn -- Diseases and pests -- South Africa , Biological pest control agents -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Botany)
- Identifier: vital:11301 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/168 , Curculionidae , Essences and essential oils , Corn -- Diseases and pests -- South Africa , Biological pest control agents -- South Africa
- Description: The common maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a well known pest of stored-maize grain in most parts of the world, was identified as one of the major constraints of harvested maize grains in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The use of plants or their products is one of the recent methods being investigated for insect pest control worldwide. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to identify available plants in the Eastern Cape that could be used to combat the problem of Sitophilus zeamais in stored-maize grains. For the realization of the aims of this research, the following studies were carried out; a preliminary survey was conducted to obtain baseline information on the farmers’ knowledge and experience of indigenous insect pest control methods in the Eastern Cape. Also, studies on the insecticidal potential of the essential oils of some plants were investigated against the maize weevil. The quality parameters of maize grains treated with the essential oils was also studied and, using a rat model, the toxicity of the essential oils was investigated. The outcome from this study revealed that there is awareness amongst the farmers in the Eastern Cape on the use of plants or their products to control insect pests. Unfortunately, such methods are currently being neglected and the knowledge of their application was found to be eroding. Among the various essential oils screened were those from Mentha longifolia L. and Tagetes minuta L. which evoked an appreciable level of contact, fumigant and repellent toxicity on the maize weevil. Further work done to determine the effects of the oils on maize stored over a period of three months revealed that the two oils had no adverse effect on the proximate compositions and some quality parameters of the stored maize. However, the toxicological study conducted on rats showed that the oils at tested concentrations exhibited some level of toxicity. It is, therefore, suggested that the essential oils of M. longifolia and T. minuta should not be used to treat maize grains intended for human consumption.
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- Date Issued: 2008
The allelopathic potential of Arctotis Arctotoides (L.f.) O. Hoffm on some vegetables
- Authors: Badmus, Abimbola Adesile
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Allelopathy , Allelopathic agents , Vegetables -- Microbiology , Enzyme inhibitors
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Botany)
- Identifier: vital:11306 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/454 , Allelopathy , Allelopathic agents , Vegetables -- Microbiology , Enzyme inhibitors
- Description: Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the allelopathic effects of the extracts and residue Arctotis arctotoides (L.f.) O. Hoffm on selected vegetable crops. The study aimed to address the following specific objectives to (i) examine the ultra structures of the leaf of A. arctotoides using the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), (ii) carry out comprehensive qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis of the root and shoot materials of the plant, (iii) investigate the allelopathic activities of the root and shoot aqueous extracts of A. arctotoides at concentrations of 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2 mg/ml on germination, radicle and plumule growth of cabbage, carrot, tomato and spinach, (iv) evaluate the inhibitory effects of the dried shoot residue of the plant at 10, 20 and 40 g kg-3 of soil (treatments B, C and D) and the control (treatment A) on the morphology, growth and chlorophyll pigment content of tomato and cabbage transplants at 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after transplanting and (v) assess the effects of the dried shoot residue of A. arctotoides on the yield, nutrient uptake by the leaves of tomato and cabbage at 4 and 12 weeks after transplanting. Finally, to analyze the residual mineral content of the soils with tomato and cabbage transplants at 12 weeks after transplanting. The the SEM revealed that anisocytic stomata and glandular trichomes (GTs) were numerous on the abaxial than the adaxial surfaces of A. arctotoides. The non glandular trichomes (NGTs) were also present on both surfaces but lesser on the abaxial. Morphologically, the GTs were peltate, uniseriate and globular head while the NGTs were cylindrical and filamentous with variable number of cells at the basal portion. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy of some crystals showed that Na+ Mg2+ and Ca2+ were the major constituents of the crystal deposit found around the GTs and stomata. The results of the phytochemical composition of the root and shoot extracts of A. arctotoides confirmed the occurrence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, saponnins, tannins and triterpenes as the common constituents. In addition, cardiac glycosides and steroids were also detected in the shoot of the A. arctotoides. Quantitative estimation of the chemical constituents of the crude extracts further revealed that the alkaloid content in the root higher (0.97 percent) than the shoot (0.64 percent). The quantity of flavonoids detected in the shoot (1.02 percent) was more than that observed in the root (0.35 percent). Others (phenolics and tannins) were marginal in the two plant parts. The results of the inhibitory effects of the root and shoot aqueous extract at the varying concentrations showed that root extract at 10 mg/ml considerably reduced the germination of cabbage, carrot, tomato and spinach seeds by 84.0, 83.2, 72.8 and 37.4 percent respectively. Incubation of the shoot extract at the same concentration resulted in 100 percent inhibition of cabbage and carrot seed germination whereas those of tomato and spinach were suppressed by 91.5 and 61.2 percent respectively. The two extracts at the varying concentrations also had a significant reduction on the radicle and plumule growth of the four vegetables. Addition of the shoot residue to the soil showed massive chlorosis, necrotic lesions and wilting of tomato and cabbage leaves under treatments C and D at 2 weeks after transplanting. The number of leaves, leaf area, dry shoot and root weight of the two vegetables grown in the amended soils were also drastically reduced. The inhibition percentages due to the addition of the three concentrations of A. arctotoides dried shoot residue on the dry shoot weight at 4 weeks after transplanting were 38.6, 45.5 and 70.3. for tomato and 57.5, 73.3 and 87.5 percent for cabbage. Similarly, the declines in the dry root weight of 61.3, 82.9.4 and 83.4 percent for tomato as well as 53.1, 54.7 and 67.2 percent for cabbages were recorded for the two vegetables under treatment B, C and D during the period. The results further showed that the dry fruit yield and shoot weight of tomato under the treatments B, C and D decreased with increase in shoot residue concentrations of A. arctotoides. Relative to treatment A, no significant differences were recorded in the dry head weight of cabbage under the residue treated groups. The reductions in the fruit yield and fresh head weight caused by treatments C and D were 37.2 and 84.8 percent for tomato and 30.9 and 72.4 percent for cabbage. The findings on the mineral contents in the leaves of the two vegetables revealed significant differences in the uptake of N, Mg, Na, Cu and Fe by tomato leaves. The concentrations of N, K, Na and Zn in cabbage leaves also differed. However, the P content was relatively constant in the leaves of the two vegetables at 4 and 12 weeks after transplanting. At 12 weeks after transplanting, the Fe content in soils with tomato and cabbage treatments C and D was greatly enhanced in comparison with the other nutrients. The residual N, P and Zn detected in soils planted to cabbage were similarly equal among all the groups including the control. Thus, under the greenhouse experiment, Arctotis arctotoides (L.f) O. Hoffm has been shown to contain some phytotoxic chemical compounds in its root and shoot materials. The compounds either singly or collectively have demonstrated some inhibitory potentials on the germination, growth and yields of cabbage, carrot, tomato and spinach evaluated in this study.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Validating the use of Hippobromus pauciflorus (L.f) Radlk for the treatment of eye infections in the Eastern Cape South Africa
- Authors: Pendota, Srinivasa Chary
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Medicinal plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Herbs -- Therapeutic use , Eye -- Infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sapindaceae
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Botany)
- Identifier: vital:11303 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1001052 , Medicinal plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Herbs -- Therapeutic use , Eye -- Infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sapindaceae
- Description: An ethnobotanical survey of plants used for the treatment of eye infections was carried out in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study revealed that 12 plant species are commonly used with Hippobromus pauciflorus (L.f) Radlk being the most frequent. The crude extracts of the leaves, stem bark and roots of the plant were investigated for antimicrobial activity against 10 bacterial and four fungal strains. The methanol extracts of the plant parts were the most active and showed appreciable activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The methanol extracts of the leaves and stem bark inhibited the growth of fungi with activities ranging from 78.70 percent to 100 percent on Aspergillus niger and Penicillium notatum. The acetone extracts of the leaves and stem bark were active against A. niger (51.76 percent) and P. notatum (77.22 percent). The aqueous extract of Hippobromus pauciflorus leaves at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight doses were evaluated for anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities in male Wistar rats. Anti-inflammatory activity was studied by using carrageenan-and histamine induced oedema right hind paw volume while the analgesic effect was evaluated using formalin-induced pain and tail flick nociception response. The brewer’s yeast-induced pyrexia model was used for the antipyretic investigation. The extract at all the doses used significantly inhibited both the carrageenan- and histamine-induced inflammation in a manner that was not dose dependent. The extract reduced the formalin-induced pain licking as well as prolonged the reaction time in the tail flick-induced pain. The effects of the aqueous extract of the plant leaves at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight doses were investigated for 14 days on some biochemical parameters of male Wistar rats. The extract at all the doses tested did not significantly alter the levels of white blood cells, red blood cells, mean corpuscular volume, platelets, neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes and large unstained cells. While the levels of haemoglobin, packed cell volume and basophils increased at specific doses, those of mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and eosinophils decreased. In vitro antiviral activities of the plant against herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1) and coxsakie virus B6 were investigated. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay in Vero cells. At concentrations ranging from 165-270/μg/ml there was significant antiviral activity against HSV-1, but toxicity was also noted. There was no antiviral activity against coxsakie virus B6. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the leaves of H. pauciflorus yielded three known compounds. From the ethyl acetate fraction, two compounds were isolated (epicatechin and -sitosterol ) and from the n- hexane fractions, one compound (lupeol) was isolated. They were isolated and identified using various techniques. The antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-pyretic activity of these compounds have been reported in literature. The structure and distribution of foliar appendages on the leaves of H. pauciflorus were examined by scanning electron microscope. The leaves have long unicellular nonglandular trichomes which were distributed over the mid rib and densely populated at the edges of the adaxial and abaxial surfaces. In general, the experiments and tests conducted in this study appear to have justified the use of Hippobromus pauciflorus for the treatment of eye infections and make a substantial contribution to the knowledge base of the use of herbal medicine for the treatment of the eye infections.
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- Date Issued: 2010