Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Technikon Natal, 2000. / This study investigated the effect of Olea europea subsp africana aqueous leaf extract (tincture), 6CH and placebo on mild to moderate hypertension, in order to determine whether any of these forms of Olea europea subsp africana are capable of producing a significant reduction in the systolic or diastolic blood pressures. Patients were screened for mild to moderate hypertension and diagnosed after three successive measurements on three different visits. Once the patients were selected and agreed to take part in the study, they were randomly divided into one of three groups. Group 1 received 6CH Olea europea subsp africana, Group 2 received placebo and Group 3 received the Olea europea subsp africana tincture. The patients were instructed to take twenty drops three times a day for the duration of the research. The patient's blood pressures were recorded every three to four weeks and at each visit three readings were taken and the mean of these three readings was used for analysis. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed no statistically significant difference between the three groups. The Friedman test however showed that all three groups had shown statistically significant improvement in the period of the research. The data was then analysed visually by means of bar charts using the mean levels of the systolic and diastolic readings of each visit. This showed that all the groups showed a decrease in mean blood pressure with Group 1 (6CH) having the greatest systolic drop of 11mmHg systolic and SmmHg diastolic. Group 3 (tincture) had the second largest drop of 9mmHg systolic and SmmHg diastolic where Group 2 (Placebo) showed the smallest drop with a 6mmHg drop in systolic and a 3mmHg drop in diastolic mean blood pressure. / M

MSc (Med), Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2009

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine / Master / Master of Philosophy

Traditional medicine is very popular in the United Arab Emirates. The present study is part of an active programme directed towards phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological studies on herbs used in folkloric medicine. Leucas inflata Benth, Salvia aegyptiaca L. and Teucrium stocksianum Boiss belonging to the family Labiatae were selected for this study. The coarsly powdered plant materials were extracted and the dried extracts were fractionated using different chromatographic procedures. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. The acetone extract of L. inflata afforded stigmasterol, the 3ß-glucoside of sitosterola nd a chromone( leucasone[ 2,8-dimethyl-(2,2-dimethylethenyl)-5,6-benzo-4 pyrone]). Also a number of coumarins were obtained: coumarsabin [4,7 dimethoxy-3,5 dimethylcoumarin], 8-methoxycoumarsabin[4 ,7,8 trimethoxy-3,5-dimethylcoumarin], siderin [4,7-dimethoxy-5-methyl coumarin] and coumarleucasin [5-formyl-4,7,8- trimethoxy-3-methylc oumarin].L eucasonea ndc oumarleucasina re novel compounds. The acetone extract of S. aegyptiaca afforded oleanolic acid (3ß-hydroxy-olean- 12-en-28-oic acid), 3ß-hydroxy-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid, the 3ß-glucoside of sitosterol, ß-sitosterol and stigmasterol. Three novel diterpenoids were isolated (6- methyl-cryptoacetalide; epi-6-methyl-cryptoacetalide and 6-methylcryptotanshinone (14,16-epoxy-6-methyl-5(10), 6,8,13-abietatetraene-11,12-dione). In addition, the flavonoids 5-hydroxy-7,3', 4'-trimethoxyflavone and 5,6-dihydroxy-7,3', 4'-trimethoxyflavone were isolated. A number of compounds were isolated from the n -hexane extract of T. stocksianum: 5-hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavone, salvigenin (5- hydroxy-6,7,4'- trimethoxyflavone), oleanolic acid (3, ß-hydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid) and two diastereoisomeric sesquiterpenoids shiromool 1,10-epoxide (1ß, 10a; 4 ß, 5a-diepoxy-7a- H-germacran-6ß -ol) and shiromool 1,10-epoxide (1 a, 10 ß; 4 ß, 5 a -diepoxy-7a -Hgermacran- 6ß-ol). This is the first report of the two diastereoisomers as natural products, although the latter was previously produced as a synthetic product. The essential oils obtained by steam distillation of the aerial parts of T. stocksianum and S. aegyptiaca were analysed by GC and GC/MS. Forty-one components were identified in the oil samples of T. stocksianum. The major compounds were alpha-cadinol and delta-cadinene. S. aegyptiaca oil afforded twenty-six components and the most predominant constituents were beta-caryophyllene and gammamuurolene. The pharmacological studies of the methanol and acetone extracts of L. inflata on mice showed that they significantly and dose - dependently, reduced formalininduced pain, acetic acid -induced abdominal constrictions and increased the reaction time in the hot-plate test. Both extracts caused significant and dose-related impairment in the sensorimotor control of treated mice. Both extracts exhibited anti-inflammatory action by reducing paw edema of treated mice. The extracts did not significantly affect the rectal temperature of normothermic mice. However, they were effective in preventing Brewers yeast -induced pyrexia. It is concluded that the crude methanol and acetone extract of L. inflata has CNS depressant properties, manifested as antinociception and sedation. Both extracts have anti-inflammatory and antipyretic actions. The crude acetone and methanol extracts of S. aegyptiaca caused dose-related inhibition of acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction, and significantly reduced formalin-induced pain. Treatment with the extracts significantly increased the reaction time in the hot-plate test. In treated mice both extracts caused significant and doserelated impairment of the sensorimotor control. Treatment with both extracts did not significantly affect the rectal temperature of normothermic mice. The methanol extract (0.5 and 1.0 g/ Kg) did not affect the rectal temperature of hyperthermic mice, but the acetone extract was effective in significantly reducing the rectal temperature of hyperthermic mice. It is concluded that the crude methanol and acetone extract of S. aegyptiaca has CNS depressant properties, manifested as antinociception and sedation. Both extracts have some anti-inflammatory and antipyretic actions. Generally the acetone extract appeared to be slightly more effective than the methanol extract in this regard.

published_or_final_version / Physiology / Master / Master of Philosophy

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (M.Sc.)(Plant Science))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Florida, 2009. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 335 pages. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references.