Thesis (M. Sc. (Microbiology)) --University of Limpopo, 2019 / Informal street traders and traditional health practitioners at Ga Maja (Limpopo Province) primarily offer consumers semi-processed herbal concoctions that are indicated to have blood-cleansing, immune-boosting, detoxifying, antidiarrheal, antiHIV/AIDS and pain-relieving therapeutic properties. The focus of this study was to validate the pharmacological effects and safety of these herbal concoctions as indicated by the traders. Five herbal concoctions and their medicinal plant recipies used for their preparation were purchased from five independent traders. A laboratory concoction was prepared according to the traders’ instructions. Possible microbial contaminants were identified using Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-offlight mass spectrometry and VITEK 2. Nutritional content of the concoctions was determined by a plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer. Qualitative phytochemical analysis was determined using standard chemical tests and thin layer chromatography. Total polyphenol content was quantified calorimetrically. Antioxidant activity was quantified using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing power assays. Antimicrobial activities were determined using a broth micro-dilution assay and bioautography. Anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity was used to determine the antiviral potential of the concoctions. Anti-inflammatory activity was determined using the cyclooxygenase inhibition assays and possible cytotoxic effects of the concoctions were evaluated using MTT cell viability assay. Growth on potato dextrose and nutrient agar plates indicated heavy microbial contamination. Sodium, potassium and zinc were most abundant in the concoctions. The concoctions had similar phytochemical profiles, and together with plant decoctions consisted primarily of polyphenolic constituents. Generally, some plant decoctions had higher antioxidant (EC50: 15.71 – 40.87 µg/mL) and antibacterial (MIC: 0.04 – 0.63 mg/mL) activities. The antimicrobial activities of the concoctions were as a result of synergistic effects of the compounds because no single compound was observed to have antimicrobial activities on the bioautograms. Combination studies showed that the combination of crude decoctions from different plant species resulted in reduced antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activities. The laboratory concoction had higher anti-HIV reverse transcriptase activity (EC50: 2.90 µg/mL) than the positive controls used (EC50: 36.65 – 40.90 µg/mL). The concoctions also demonstrated considerable antiinflammatory activity. The lack of standardisation of phytomedicines reduces their xxi pharmacological potential and consistency. However, this study validated the ethnopharmacological use of the different plant species and herbal concoctions towards the treatment of human immune-deficiency virus, pain caused by inflammation, infectious diarrhoea and for immune-boosting. This study also highlighted the complexities associated with combinations of aqueous extracts and the importance of appropriate knowledge on which plant species are to be mixed to enhance their therapeutic properties. Although the concoctions did not exhibit cyctotoxic effects, toxicities may arise from endotoxins produced by the microbial contaminants. Hygienic processing and packaging are essential to ensure that consumers receive quality products that are safe to consume.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-24T19:37:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JULIANE MARIA BER.pdf: 4116262 bytes, checksum: 58a85b36bbcbe8e5b731b5c3d9014a71 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-12-14 / The aim of the present work was to carry out an ethnopharmacological survey of the vegetal species used by the inhabitants of the municipality of Céu Azul (located in the extreme west of the State of Paraná, Brazil). A specific questionnaire was used to get the referring data to the uses and ways of preparation of the species used as medicinal. During the interviews, the plant material (exsiccate) was collected in duplicate with the aid of the informers for posterior identification and deposit in the Museu Botânico Municipal de Curitiba. The uses of 47 species pertaining to 12 botanical families were surveyed in this field research. One of the main objectives of the present work was to evaluate the possible use of forest medicinal species in Céu Azul, especially because an extensive area of the municipality belongs to the National Park of the Iguaçu. However, th 47 plants cited by the population can be divided in a group with 42 exotic species and another one with only 6 Brazilian plants, and none of which is being removed from the reserve. The data base of The International Plant Names Index was used to prevent inappropriate botanical names and to verify the current use of synonyms. A survey of the scientific information on the chemical composition and bioactivity was carried out for each cited species. The main source of scientific information for this work was the data base of the Institute of Scientific Information and the Chemical Abstracts on-line. In general, the Céu Azul population makes use of medicinal plants sufficiently known in the scientific sense, but there is also the use of little studied species. For four of the cited species (Alternanthera bettzickiana, Alternanthera dentata, Plectranthus neochilus, Tradescantia pallida), we could not find any scientific reference on its bioactivity. The results of this survey have been concomitantly interpreted as indicative for the election of one of these species, sufficiently known for the Céu Azul population, for deepening of study in the chemistry area. The chemical composition of the essential oil of Plectranthus neochilus was determined using gas chromatography techniques coupled to mass spectrometry. The main components were the monoterpenes α-pinene (9.7), thujene (9.0), terpin-4-ol (4.8) and sabinene (4.7); the sesquiterpenes caryophyllene (19.9) and caryophyllene oxide (15.5); and the diterpene methyl communate (4.4). The presence of pinene and caryophyllene as principal components of the essential oil could be related to the traditional use of Plectranthus against stomach ache. Keywords: medicinal plants, Céu Azul, ethnopharmacology, Plectranthus neochilus, essential oil, GC-MS. / O presente trabalho teve por objetivo realizar um levantamento etnofarmacológico de espécies vegetais utilizadas pelos moradores do município de Céu Azul (localizado no extremo oeste do Paraná). Utilizou-se um questionário específico para obter os dados referentes aos usos e modos de preparo das espécies utilizadas como medicinais. Durante as entrevistas, o material vegetal (exsicata) foi coletado em duplicata com o auxílio dos informantes para posterior identificação e depósito no Museu Botânico Municipal de Curitiba. Na pesquisa de campo foi constatada a utilização de 47 espécies pertencentes a 12 famílias botânicas. Um dos principais propósitos do presente levantamento foi avaliar o possível uso de espécies medicinais florestais no município de Céu Azul, especialmente porque uma extensa área do município pertence ao Parque Nacional do Iguaçu. No entanto, as 47 plantas citadas pela população ceuazulense podem ser divididas em um grupo com 42 espécies exóticas e outro com apenas 6 plantas brasileiras, nenhuma das quais é retirada da reserva. Utilizou-se o banco de dados do The International Plant Names Index para evitar incorreções nos binômios botânicos e verificar o uso atual de sinônimos. Para cada espécie citada, foi realizado um levantamento das informações científicas sobre a composição química e a bioatividade. As principais fontes de informações científicas foram o banco de dados do Institute for Scientific Information e o Chemical Abstracts on-line. Em geral, a população de Céu Azul faz uso de plantas medicinais bastante conhecidas no meio científico, mas há também a utilização de espécies pouco estudadas. Para quatro das espécies utilizadas (Alternanthera bettzickiana, Alternanthera dentata, Plectranthus neochilus, Tradescantia pallida), não foram encontradas referências científicas sobre suas bioatividades. Desta forma, os resultados deste levantamento foram concomitantemente interpretados como indicativos para a seleção de uma destas espécies, bastante conhecida e utilizada pela população de Céu Azul, para aprofundamento de estudo, Plectranthus neochilus. Determinou-se a composição química do óleo essencial das folhas desta espécie vegetal por técnicas de cromatografia gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massas. Os principais componentes encontrados foram os monoterpenos pineno (9,7), tujeno (9,0), terpinen-4-ol (4,8) e sabineno (4,7); os sesquiterpenos cariofileno (19,9) e óxido de cariofileno (15,5); e o diterpeno comunato de metila (4,4). A ocorrência de pineno e cariofileno como principais componentes do óleo essencial pode estar relacionada ao uso tradicional desta espécie vegetal contra dores estomacais.

Traditional medicine in South Africa is part of the culture of the people and has been in existence for a long-time. Although animal components form part of the ingredients used, plant material constitutes the major component. South Africa is endowed with vast resources of medicinal and aromatic plants which have been employed for treatment against various diseases for decades. A large number of South Africans still depend on traditional medicine for their healthcare needs due to its affordability, accessibility and cultural importance. Helminth infections are among the variety of diseases treated by traditional healers. These infections are regarded as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) due to their high prevalence among the economically disadvantaged living in rural areas in different regions of the world. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

Diarrhoea and related diseases are the most common causes of death in children, especially from developing countries, killing about 1.5 million children under the age of five yearly. In South Africa, diarrhoea is the third leading cause of death. This condition results from food and water sources infected with Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Giardia intestinalis and Cryptospondium parvum amongst others. Diarrhoea spreads through faeces-contaminated water. Hence, infection is more common when there is a short supply of clean drinking and cooking water. Waterborne diseases are common in rural communities of Bizana because the majority of rural dwellers depend largely on water from unprotected sources. Most of the pathogens that cause diarrhoea have developed resistance to several antibiotics. Therefore there is a need for new and safe antidiarrhoeal drugs. Most people in developing countries use traditional medicine to treat all kinds of diseases including diarrhoea and South Africa is no exception. Each cultural group in South Africa has different medical solutions for the prevention and curing of the same disease. The people from Pondoland (AmaMpondo), around Bizana have a strong tradition of using medicinal plants for the cure and prevention of several conditions including diarrhoea. Although several researchers have conducted different types of studies in many parts of South Africa to evaluate the efficacy of traditional medicine used in the treatment of diarrhoea, there is, however, still a lot of undisclosed data that should be collected. The aims of this research were to record and collect medicinal plants that are used for treating diarrhoea in Bizana, Pondoland in the Eastern Cape and evaluate them for their pharmacological properties. An ethnobotanical approach is one of several methods that have been useful in selecting plants for pharmacological research, yielding better results than other plant selection methods. Using questionnaires, this approach was used to record plants that are used for treating diarrhoea in Bizana for testing in pharmacological assays. From the completed questionnaires, nine plants were selected for bioassays based on their higher frequency index, and the fact that the plants have never been evaluated against diarrhoea causing-microorganisms. The study revealed 34 plant species belonging to 21 families as being used in treatment of diarrhoea in the study area. Psidium guajava was the most mentioned plant species. The dried, ground plant materials were each extracted non-sequentially using petroleum ether (PE), dichloromethane (DCM), 70% ethanol (EtOH) and water. Among all the extracts, 70% ethanol yielded the highest quantity of crude extract. The extracts were each evaluated for their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and genotoxicity properties. For the antibacterial activity, the following diarrhoea causing microorganisms were used: Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Campylobacter jejuni, E. coli and Shigella flexneri. A microdilution assay (for S. aureus, E. coli and S. flexneri) and the disk diffusion technique (for C. jejuni) were used for antibacterial testing. The extracts were also evaluated for their ability to inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and -2) enzymes. Genotoxicity was evaluated using the Salmonella microsome assay without S9 metabolic activation. Three strains of Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA1535 and TA1537 were used. The evaluated plant extracts showed a broad spectrum of inhibitory activity with MIC values ranging from 0.098-12.5 mg/ml and mean zone inhibition percentage ranging from 0-73%. The best activity was exhibited by DCM extracts of Rapanea melanophloeos, EtOH extracts of Ficus craterostoma and Maesa lanceolata with MIC values of 0.098 mg/ml and EtOH extracts of Searsia chirindensis with 73% mean zone inhibition percentage. The inhibitory activity against COX-1 enzyme was higher than COX-2, with 19 plant extracts for the former and 7 for the latter. The highest inhibition of COX-1 was shown by EtOH extracts of F. craterostoma and the DCM extract of S. chirindensis at 100%. Highest percentage COX-2 inhibition was shown by water extracts of F. craterostoma and DCM extracts of Tecoma capensis with 99.5% and 99.0% respectively. None of the tested plant extracts were mutagenic, at all concentrations tested against all tester strains of the bacteria. The results of this study demonstrate that people still have a rich and diverse pool of knowledge concerning the uses of plants against diarrhoea. The data also show that plants form part of the cultural heritage of the communities in Pondoland. Therefore it is important to urgently save the people’s cultural heritage by recording the existing knowledge and confirming therapeutic uses of plants through scientific methods. This will prevent the information from vanishing together with the ageing knowledge holders. In light of the fact that the evaluated plants were selected based on their ethnobotanical use for treating diarrhoea, the activities reported here goes a long way in adding value to the plants used as part of traditional medicine. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:39:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 1938.pdf: 3986372 bytes, checksum: 48c2d4899bb71a816ebddf58562a54bf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-03-13 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / The Research and Development (R&D) in ethnopharmacology and etnobiology fields, guided by the therapeutic information obtained with local communities and indigenous people, holders of traditional knowledge, produces social conflicts and social disputes. Firstly, it is a paradoxical scientific activity since the modern scientific discovery in ethnopharmacology is produced by a non-scientific knowledge. This controversial research strategy intends to produce a socially legitimized knowledge through a process of epistemic standardization. Secondly, although the use of traditional knowledge is a typical activity, to access it and to use it requires the signature of a contract for the equitable sharing of benefits as well as the signature of a term of prior consent access. These two juridical requirements are at the same time a new ethical parameter in scientific research and a barrier to the autonomy of the scientific field. Therefore, through the politic action scientists and researches seeks new social strategies to recovery the autonomy of the scientific field in ethnopharmacology and ethnobiology areas. Thus, this sociological research analyzes the internal conflicts between scientists in the scientific field through the examination of the social controversies in the use of two distinct research models, the vertical and the horizontal research models, as well as the examination of the external social disputes of the scientific activity, specially the politic action of scientists concerning to the autonomy question. In this research, the question of access, use and equitable sharing of benefits in R&D processes emerges as an interesting strategy used by scientists to legitimate the appropriation of the traditional knowledge. As non-knowledge, the traditional knowledge is transformed by the modern commercial science in generic information without significance. At the same time, this traditional generic information would be liable to be manipulated and appropriated by pharmaceutical multinationals trough the application of intellectual property rights. Finally, the appropriation of the traditional communities claim intends to legitimate socially the controversial scientific activity of ethnopharmacologists, ethnobiologists and pharmaceutical industries. / A pesquisa e desenvolvimento (P&D) nas áreas de etnofarmacologia e etnobiologia, guiada por informações terapêuticas levantadas junto as comunidades locais e indígenas, detentoras do conhecimento tradicional, acarreta uma série de disputas e conflitos sociais. Em primeiro lugar, trata-se de uma atividade científica paradoxal, pois a descoberta científica moderna é produzida a partir de um conhecimento nãocientífico. Esta controversa atividade de pesquisa busca um conhecimento socialmente legitimado através de um processo de padronização epistêmica. Em segundo lugar, embora o emprego de conhecimento tradicional seja uma atividade usual, acessá-lo e utilizá-lo requerem a assinatura de um contrato para a divisão justa e eqüitativa de benefícios e do termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido. Estes dois pré-requisitos jurídicos são, ao mesmo tempo, um novo parâmetro ético na pesquisa científica e uma barreira para a autonomia do campo científico. Neste universo, através da ação política, cientistas e pesquisadores buscam novas estratégias para recuperar a autonomia perdida do campo científico nas áreas de etnofarmacologia e etnobiologia. Assim, esta pesquisa sociológica analisa os conflitos internos entre cientistas no interior do campo científico através do exame das controvérsias sociais no uso de dois modelos distintos de pesquisa, o modelo vertical e o modelo horizontal de pesquisa, bem como examina as disputas sociais externas à atividade científica, especialmente a ação política de cientistas sobre a questão da autonomia. Nesta pesquisa, a questão do acesso, do uso e da repartição justa e eqüitativa de benefícios nos processos de P&D emerge como uma interessante estratégia utilizada por cientistas para legitimar a apropriação do conhecimento tradicional. Como um não-conhecimento, o conhecimento tradicional é transformado pela moderna ciência comercial em uma informação genérica sem significado. Ao mesmo tempo, esta informação tradicional genérica seria passível de ser manipulada e apropriada por multinacionais farmacêuticas através da aplicação de direitos de propriedade intelectual. Finalmente, a apropriação das reivindicações de comunidades tradicionais objetiva legitimar socialmente a controversa atividade científica de etnofarmacólogos, etnobiólogos e indústrias farmacêuticas.

Herbal medicines (HMs) have been used to supplement, maintain, and treat health conditions, and have inspired the development of many Western pharmaceuticals. Migrant South Asian (SA) communities in the UK have brought with them their own traditional forms of medicine, yet little is known about their current use of HMs in the UK. Consuming HMs alongside conventional Western medicines could affect pharmacological treatment and lead to herb-drug interactions; hence, healthcare professionals (HCPs) should be aware of their patients’ use of HMs. The import of HMs to the UK raises concerns over the quality, safety and regulation of HMs. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) barcoding can be used to discriminate between different species, and identify contaminants and adulterants, thus can be used for the authentication of HMs. The South Asian Traditional Medicines (SATMED) questionnaire explored the knowledge and use of HMs by diasporic SA communities in the UK. It uncovered a vast range of HMs which were used by participants, where ingredients were sourced from, the concurrent use of herbal and Western medicines, and how minor ailments were treated. An online survey designed to investigate UK based practitioners’ views of HMs revealed that HCPs claimed to lack sufficient knowledge of HMs. HCPs said they needed more training on HMs to help them make better informed decisions. Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) was identified as a culturally and commercially valuable plant, which was used for molecular analysis. A variety of tulsi samples were collected for authentication: community samples from SA families in the UK, commercial samples, and referenced specimens. Both ITS and trnH-psbA regions were successfully used to distinguish between several Ocimum species, and identify a potential species substitution. This research represents the first time that DNA based methods have been used to authenticate medicinal plants species used by migrant SA communities living in the UK. The results of this multi-disciplinary study provide a unique contribution to the evolving discipline of ethnopharmacology.

Le cancer du foie est le 6ème cancer le plus fréquent et le 2ème plus meurtrier dans le monde. Au Cambodge, en raison du contexte historique et économique, les données précises concernant cette pathologie manquent. A l'aide d'outils épidémiologiques, nous avons décrit les caractéristiques de 553 patients atteints de cancer du foie à l'hôpital Calmette à Phnom Penh, et ainsi mis en évidence l'importance de l'infection par les virus des hépatites B et C chez les sujets étudiés. Puis, nous avons documenté les connaissances de 42 de ces patients vis-à-vis de leur maladie. Nous avons détaillé leurs itinéraires thérapeutiques, mis en évidences des pratiques à risques (forte utilisation d'injections thérapeutiques et de techniques de dermabrasion), et le recours fréquent à des médecines dites traditionnelles. Nous avons ensuite tenté de comprendre les stratégies de prise en charge des patients souffrant de maladies hépatiques par les médecins traditionnels, et mis en évidence la variété des remèdes utilisés et l'importance de la perception khmère des propriétés des plantes. Enfin, à l'aide d'un modèle in vitro de culture de cellules cancéreuses hépatiques couplé à des outils d'analyse métabolomique, nous avons évalué 10 espèces médicinales, sélectionnées sur des critères bibliographiques et de terrain, et tenté d'identifier les composés potentiellement responsables de l'activité antiproliférative observée. / Liver cancer is the 6th most common and 2nd most lethal cancer in the world. In Cambodia, due to the historical and economic context, there is a lack of accurate data on this pathology. Using epidemiological tools, we described the characteristics of 553 patients with liver cancer at the Calmette Hospital in Phnom Penh, and thus highlighted the importance of infection with hepatitis B and C viruses in the subjects studied. Then we documented the knowledge of 42 of these patients about their disease. We have detailed their therapeutic itineraries, highlighted risky practices (high use of therapeutic injections and dermabrasion techniques) and the use of traditional medicines. We then attempted to understand strategies for the management of patients with liver diseases by traditional healers, and highlighted the variety of remedies used and the importance of Khmer perception of plant properties. Finally, using an in vitro model of liver cancer cell culture coupled with metabolic analysis tools, we evaluated 10 medicinal species, selected on the basis of bibliographic and field criteria, and attempted to identify the compounds potentially responsible for the antiproliferative activity observed.