Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sutherlandia frutescens (L.) R. Br., also known as Lessertia frutescens, is a leguminous shrub indigenous to southern Africa. Traditionally this plant has been used for the treatment of various ailments; current interest in this plant has escalated after it was announced that extracts could aid in the relief and treatment of HIV/AIDS. These extracts contain an array of metabolites, including sutherlandins, sutherlandiosides L-arginine, L-canavanine, asparagine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and various other amino acids, which have been linked to medicinal uses. This study focused on the use of hormones to promote the growth and metabolite production of S. frutescens in vitro cultures. The growth promoting substances used in this study were synthetic analogues of strigolactones, GR24 and Nijmegen-1, and auxins, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). The first part of this study focused on the effects strigolactones and auxins, alone and combined, had on the growth of S. frutescens in vitro nodal explants. The S. frutescens nodal explants had the most significant improvement in growth with treatments that contained 1 mg/L NAA. These treatments increased growth via fresh and dry mass and plant length. The metabolite content of these nodal explant cultures was evaluated using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) metabolite analysis. The treatments that contained 1 mg/L NAA differed in metabolite composition and showed an increase in metabolite quantity. The SU1 content of the treated plants was also quantified using LC/MS techniques and a combination of 1 mg/L NAA and Nijmegen-1 doubled the amount of SU1. The effect of strigolactones was also studied using hairy root cultures of S. frutescens. Strigolactones alone slightly inhibited the formation of lateral transgenic roots, but when these chemicals were used in combination with auxins, significant reduction in dry mass and lateral root outgrowth resulted. Of the treatments tested in this study, 0.1 mg/L IBA caused noticeable alterations to the metabolite pool, with amino acids such as GABA and arginine accumulating at higher levels than the control explants. The exploitation of hormones to up-regulate the growth and metabolism of the medicinally important plant, Sutherlandia frutescens, proved successful in this study. The use of in vitro nodal explants along with hairy root cultures has assisted in the establishment of a stable system for the up-regulation of metabolites. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sutherlandia frutescens (L.) R. Br., ook bekend as Lessertia frutescens, is 'n peulagtige struik inheems tot suider Afrika. Tradisioneel is die plant vir 'n groot verskeidenheid van kwale gebruik; huidige belangstelling in die plant het toegeneem nadat dit bekend gemaak was dat ekstraksies vanaf hierdie plant verligting kan bied vir MIV/VIGS. Hierdie ekstrakte bevat 'n verskeidenheid van metaboliete, insluitend sutherlandins, sutherlandiosiede L-arginien, L-kanavanien, asparagien, gamma-aminobottersuur (GABS), asook verskeie ander aminosure wat medisinale gebruike het. Die studie het gefokus op die gebruik van hormone om die groei en metaboliete van S. frutescens in vitro kulture te vermeerder. Die groei reguleerders wat in hierdie studie gebruik was, was die sintetiese analoë van strigolaktoon, GR24 en Nijmegen-1, asook die ouksiene, indool-3-bottersuur (IBS) en naftaleen asynsuur (NAS). Die eerste deel van die studie het gefokus op die effek van strigolaktoon en ouksien, alleen en in kombinasie, op die groei van S. frutescens in vitro nodale mikrostingels. Die S. frutescens nodale mikrostingels wat behandel was met 1 mg/L NAS het die aansienlikste toename in groei getoon. Hierdie behandeling het groei bevorder deur middel van vars en droë massa en plant lengte. Die metaboliet inhoud van die behandelde mikrostingels was met behulp van vloeistofchromatografie/massa spektrometrie (VC/MS) ondersoek. Al die behandelinge wat 1 mg/L NAS bevat het, het in metaboliet samestelling verskil en het ook 'n toename in metaboliet hoeveelheid getoon. Die SU1 inhoud van die behandelde plante was ook met behulp van VC/MS tegnieke gekwantifiseer en dit was gevind dat 'n kombinasie van 1 mg/L NAS en Nijmegen-1 die hoeveelheid SU1 verdubbel het. Die effek van strigolaktoon op harige wortel kulture van S. frutescens was ook ondersoek. Strigolaktoon alleen het die formasie van laterale transgeniese wortels effens inhibeer, maar wanneer hierdie chemikalieë saam met ouksiene gebruik was, was die aansienlike afname van die massa en inhibisie van die laterale wortel uitgroeisels meer prominent. Van al die behandelinge wat in hierdie studie getoets is, het 0.1 mg/L IBS die mees merkbare veranderinge in metaboliete meegebring en aminosure soos GABS en arginien het teen hoër vlakke versamel. Die uitbuiting van hormone om groei en metaboliet produksie te bevorder in die belangrike medisinale plant, Sutherlandia frutescens, was suksesvol in hierdie studie. Die gebruik van nodale mikrostingels asook harige wortel kulture het bygedra om 'n stabiele sisteem te vestig vir die vermeerdering van metaboliete.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-17T16:51:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-08-24. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2016-05-17T16:55:01Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000864134.pdf: 1269108 bytes, checksum: 208c939d6e8c26fb1156634de2035029 (MD5) / O conhecimento e utilização de plantas medicinais pelo ser humano é antigo e o acompanha desde os primórdios da civilização, sendo o estudo dessa área denominado etnobotânica. Este trabalho consistiu em uma pesquisa com duas populações rurais, a respeito do cultivo, utilização e indicações das plantas medicinais para sintomas e/ou doenças que acometem as famílias. Foram pesquisados 35 agricultores familiares de Santa Albertina (SP) e outros 35 produtores do Assentamento Estrela da Ilha, em Ilha Solteira (SP), por meio de questionário aplicado diretamente nos estabelecimentos rurais. Como resultado, entre os agricultores de Santa Albertina, obteve-se que 85,72% dos respondentes foram mulheres e a escolaridade predominante (74,28%) o ensino fundamental incompleto. Foram citados 153 usos de plantas medicinais, referentes à 49 espécies diferentes; quanto ao cultivo constatou-se 58 plantas medicinais de diferentes espécies nas áreas pesquisadas. Entre os agricultores do Assentamento Estrela da Ilha, 48,57% dos respondentes foram mulheres, 31,43% homens e 20% o casal (respostas em conjunto); a maioria (60%) estudou no máximo até o ensino fundamental incompleto (11,42% sem escolaridade). Nesse caso foram citados 170 usos referentes à 46 espécies diferentes de plantas medicinais; quanto ao cultivo a diversidade foi maior em Ilha Solteira (SP), com 75 espécies diferentes presentes nos lotes pesquisados. Dentre estas as plantas medicinais mais cultivadas (Chenopodium ambrosioides L., Cymbopogon citratus (Dc.) Stapf., Mentha sp. Plectranthus barbatus Andr.) foram também aquelas com maior porcentual de utilização, em ambos os municípios. Também nas duas localidades a folha foi a parte das plantas medicinais mais utilizada e enquanto a forma de uso mais empregada foi chá. Em torno de 60% dos agricultores pesquisados utilizam as plantas medicinais para tratamento de problemas ou doenças de animais domésticos ou de produção... / The knowledge and use of medicinal plants by human beings is ancient and follows them since the beginning of civilization, and the study of this field is named ethnobotany. This work analyzed two rural populations about cultivation, use and indication of medicinal plants for symptoms and/or diseases which affect families. 35 family farmers from Santa Albertina (SP) and other 35 from Estrela da Ilha Settlement in Ilha Solteira (SP) were studied through a survey directly applied in the rural settlements. As a result, among the farmers from Santa Albertina, on which 85,72% of people who answered the questions were women and the predominant education was (74,28%) incomplete elementary school. 153 medicinal plant uses were mentioned, referring to 49 different species; while about cultivation 58 different medicinal plant species were found in the studied areas. Among the farmers from Estrela da Ilha Settlement, 48,57% of people who answered were women, 31,43% were men and 20% the couple (both answered together); most of them (60%) didn't complete elementary school (11,42%) had never gone to school. With this group, 170 uses referring to 46 different medicinal plant species; about cultivation, the diversity was bigger in Ilha Solteira (SP), with 75 different species in the studied areas. Among them, the most cultivated plants (Chenopodium ambrosioides L., Cymbopogon citratus (Dc.) Stapf., Mentha sp., Plectranthus barbatus Andr.) were also the ones with the highest use percentage in both towns. In both places, leaves were the most used medicinal plant type and tea was the most used way. About 60% of the studied farmers use the medicinal plants for treating problems and diseases in pets or cattle. About the use of plants named as medicinal for other purposes, the use of plants as spice was observed in Santa Albertina (SP), while at the Settlement, feeding was the most reported purpose. The knowledge sharing about using and cultivating medicinal ...

Submitted by DAYANE GRAZIELLA PEREIRA DE O. DOS SANTOS null (daygrazi@hotmail.com) on 2016-05-23T04:00:20Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dayane pdf.pdf: 1015868 bytes, checksum: 6aca3f66299016c2bab0b0b8f46c4cb4 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Paula Grisoto (grisotoana@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-05-25T17:15:55Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 santos_dgpo_me_bot.pdf: 1015868 bytes, checksum: 6aca3f66299016c2bab0b0b8f46c4cb4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-25T17:15:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 santos_dgpo_me_bot.pdf: 1015868 bytes, checksum: 6aca3f66299016c2bab0b0b8f46c4cb4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-29 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / A espécie Mikania laevigata Sch. Bip. ex Baker, popularmente conhecida como guaco, pertence à família Asteraceae, é originária da região sul do Brasil e está entre as plantas medicinais adotadas pelo Sistema Único de Saúde do Brasil. M. laevigata é uma opção agrícola promissora no cultivo das medicinais, estando acessível ao pequeno produtor, tendo em vista a crescente demanda do mercado consumidor brasileiro por fitoterápicos. Uma vez que as plantas medicinais são classificadas como produtos naturais, a lei permite que sejam cultivadas e comercializadas desde que se atinja o padrão de qualidade necessário. O presente trabalho foi instalado e conduzido na Fazenda Experimental Lageado, da Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas - UNESP, Campus de Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar a produtividade de biomassa e teor de cumarina do guaco colhido em diferentes idades da planta. Foi observada maior produtividade para as variáveis avaliadas aos onze meses de idade do guaco, obtendo 0,96 t ha-1 de matéria seca de folha sendo que não houve diferença estatística quanto ao teor de cumarina aos 7, 9, e 11 meses de idade de Mikania laevigata. Nas condições em que foi realizada a pesquisa, o maior rendimento de biomassa x teor de cumarina foi obtido aos 11 meses de idade do guaco, o qual possibilitou o melhor resultado para o rendimento extrativo de cumarina em folhas secas. / The species Mikania laevigata Sch. Bip. ex Baker, popularly known as guaco, belongs to the Asteraceae family and it is native to southern Brazil it is among the medicinal plants adopted by the Unified Health System in Brazil (SUS). M. laevigata is a promising option in agricultural cultivation of medicinal plants and is accessible to small farmers, in view of the growing demand of the Brazilian market for herbal medicines. Since medicinal plants are classified as natural products, the law allows them to be grown and marketed it they achieve the required quality standards. This work was conducted at the Lageado Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences - UNESP, Botucatu, State of São Paulo. The objective of this research was to evaluate the productivity of biomass and coumarin content of guaco harvested at different ages of the plant. It was observed higher productivity for the variables evaluated at eleven months of guaco, obtaining 0.96 t ha-1 of dry leaf and there was no statistical difference in the coumarin content at 7, 9, and 11 months of age Mikania laevigata. The conditions under which the survey was conducted, the higher biomass yield x coumarin content of guaco was obtained at 11 months of age, which enabled the best result for the extraction yield of coumarin in dry leaves. / CNPq: 133395/2014-6

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-11-21Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:04:42Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 santos_fv_dr_arafcf.pdf: 2772038 bytes, checksum: 87de3b04ac94695610adac9ab078ad62 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / No presente trabalho, foram avaliadas dez espécies vegetais, nativas do cerrado brasileiro e utilizadas popularmente no tratamento de úlceras gástricas, quanto ao seu potencial mutagênico. Foram empregados os testes de Ames (in vitro) e do micronúcleo em células do sangue periférico de camundongos (in vivo). De cada espécie vegetal foram avaliados dois tipos de extratos brutos: um polar e um apolar. Nos ensaios in vitro foi verificada mutagenicidade especialmente para os extratos polares (metanólicos) das seguintes espécies vegetais: A. castaneifolia, A. glandulosa, A. triplinervia, M. pusa, Q. grandiflora, Q. multiflora e S. pseudoquina. Nesses mesmos ensaios, os únicos extratos apolares que apresentaram mutagenicidade foram os obtidos de Q. grandiflora e Q. multiflora. Foram avaliados in vivo apenas os extratos polares, sendo que apresentaram mutagenicidade os extratos metanólicos de A. castaneifolia, A. glandulosa, A. triplinervia, Q. multiflora e S. pseudoquina. De acordo com as caracterizações químicas realizadas com as espécies vegetais estudadas, ficou evidente a participação bastante efetiva dos compostos fenólicos (flavonóides e taninos) na mutagenicidade observada. Também foi possível verificar o papel que possíveis interações entre os diferentes compostos químicos presentes nos extratos podem ter em suas atividades biológicas. Tendo em vista as informações obtidas, ficou clara a necessidade que os estudos biológicos e fitoquímicos apresentam para se promover uma maior compreensão dos riscos que podem estar associados aos tratamentos medicinais baseados em plantas. / In this work we evaluate the mutagenic potential of ten vegetable species native of the Brazilian savannah and used popularly in the treatment of gastric ulcers. The Ames test (in vitro) and the Micronucleus test (in vivo) were employed. We evaluate a polar extract and a non-polar extract to each vegetal species. The in vitro assays show the mutagenicity of the methanol extracts (polar) obtained from A. castaneifolia, A. glandulosa, A. triplinervia, M. pusa, Q. grandiflora, Q. multiflora e S. pseudoquina. The non-polar extracts from Q.grandiflora e Q. multiflora were mutagenic too. In vivo, only the polar extracts were studied and the methanol extracts from A. castaneifolia, A. glandulosa, A. triplinervia, Q. multiflora e S. pseudoquina were mutagenic. The phytochemical studies with the evaluated plants permit to infer the participation of the flavonoids and tannins in the mutagenic activities observed in vitro and in vivo. We also verified in this biological activity possible interactions between the different substances present in the raw extracts. In this way, we could to observe the importance of phytochemical and biological studies to promote a better comprehension of the risks that can be associated to the medicinal treatments based in the plants use.

Submitted by Maria Medeiros (maria.dilva1@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-09-24T12:47:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 CLÉSIA OLIVEIRA PACHÚ - TESE (PPGEP) 2007.pdf: 1640218 bytes, checksum: 2a99722a89c1076319b979ad6a98bfeb (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-24T12:47:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CLÉSIA OLIVEIRA PACHÚ - TESE (PPGEP) 2007.pdf: 1640218 bytes, checksum: 2a99722a89c1076319b979ad6a98bfeb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-06-15 / Neste trabalho, estudou-se o processamento de plantas medicinais, hortelã (Menta x villosa Hudson) e milona (Cissampelos sympodialis EICHL), para obtenção de extratos secos e líquidos, mediante a secagem convectiva. No Nordeste Brasileiro, a hortelã é amplamente usada na medicina popular como estomáquico, ansiolítico, contra cólicas menstruais e diarréicas. São também utilizadas no tratamento de afecções parasitárias como a amebíase, giardíase e tricomoníase. Já, a planta Cissampelos sympodialis EICHL conhecida popularmente como milona, jarrinha e orelha de onça, cresce abundantemente em locais úmidos da região Nordeste, sendo considerada uma espécie endêmica do Brasil. Do ponto de vista terapêutico, as folhas são utilizadas no tratamento da hipertensão, asma, bronquite, entre outras doenças inflamatórias. No presente trabalho foram investigadas as isotermas de desorção utilizando o equipamento Novasina e a cinética de secagem das folhas frescas de hortelã e milona, bem como, a quantificação de flavonóides, antes e depois do processamento, na expectativa do desenvolvimento de produtos fitoterápicos. As formas farmacêuticas sólidas são adequadas para armazenagem e conservação de princípios ativos. Entretanto, poucos dados são encontrados na literatura incluindo efeitos de temperatura e teor de umidade nas propriedades físicas desses materiais. Nesse trabalho estudou-se as isotermas de desorção, nas temperaturas de 30, 40 e 50 oC, ajustadas pelo modelo de GAB, tendo demonstrado bom ajuste.Analisou-se a influência da temperatura e tempo de secagem e tipo de folha sobre o percentual de flavonóides, teor de umidade e rendimento de sólidos extraíveis das folhas frescas de hortelã e milona durante a secagem convectiva em camada fina num secador convectivo com velocidade do ar de 1,5 m/s e temperaturas de 40, 50 e 60 oC. As curvas da cinética de secagem foram ajustadas pelo modelo de Fick, considerando cinco termos da série, com um bom ajuste do modelo aos dados experimentais. Mediante planejamento experimental, utilizando uma matriz 23 com duplicatas e, duas 22 + 3 repetições no ponto central, foi analisado o efeito das variáveis de secagem sobre o rendimento dos sólidos extraíveis no extrato líquido e sobre a percentagem de flavonóides. Os resultados demonstraram que a secagem convectiva das folhas de hortelã e milona é uma técnica viável para futura conservação do produto visando sua utilização no processamento dos fitofármacos, bem como para melhorar a extração dos princípios ativos. / In this study, the processing of the medicinal plants of mint (Menta x villosa Hudson) and milona (Cissampelos sympodialis EICHL) was researched for the obtaining of dry and liquid extracts, by means of convective drying. In the Northeast of Brazil, mint is largely used in folk remedies for stomach problems, anxiety, menstrual and diarrhea cramps. It is also used in the treatment of parasites, such as amoeba, giardia and trichomonas. The Cissampelos sympodialis EICHL plant, known popularly as milona, grows abundantly in humid areas of the Northeast, being considered na endemic species of Brazil. From the therapeutic point of view, the leaves are used in the treatment of hypertension, asthma, bronchitis, among other inflammatory diseases. Desorption isotherms were investigated in the study, using Novasina equipment and the drying kinetics of the fresh mint and milona leaves, as well as the quantification of flavonoids, before and after the processing, in the expectancy of the development of plant therapy products. The solid pharmaceutical forms are adequate for storage and conservation of active ingredients. However, few data are found in literature which include temperature and moisture content effects in the physical properties of these materials. In this research, desorption isotherms were studied at temperatures 30, 40 and 50 oC, adjusted by the GAD model, having demonstrated a good adjustment. The influence of temperature and drying time and type of leaf over the percentage of flavonoids, moisture content, and the content of the solids extracted from the fresh mint and milona leaves during convective drying in thin layers on a convective dryer at 1,5 m/s of air velocity and temperatures of 40, 50 and 60 oC were analyzed. The curves of the drying kinetics were adjusted by the model of Fick, considering five terms of the series, with a good adjustment of the model to the experimental data. By means of experimental planning, using a 23 matrix with duplicates and two 22 + 3 repetitions at the central point, the effect of the drying variables over the yielding of the extractible solids on the liquid extract and over the percentage of flavonoids was analyzed. The results demonstrate that convective drying of mint and milona leaves is a viable technique for future conservation of the product, aiming at its utilization in the processing of plant medicines, as well as in the improvement of the extraction of active ingredients.

Heshouwu, derived from the tuberous root of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb., has been widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries. It has a purgative effect when unprocessed, while used as a tonic after processing, and according to historical records, heshouwu should be steamed and sun-dried nine times to generate processed materials. Up until recently, three aspects of heshouwu have not been sufficiently studied. First, it is necessary to understand the history of heshouwu, including the emergence in the literature, the descriptions of its appearance, its effects and controversies, as well as the evolution of heshouwu's processing. As historical texts open a window to the past and clarify the issues of important clinical concern in the modern world, historical bencao (materia medica) literature research should be conducted. Second, in commercial herbal markets, heshouwu is divided into different grades based on morphological features of size and weight. A heavier weight and larger size command a higher price, and both sellers and buyers accept this grading. However, two questions arise: Does the existing grading system accurately represent the quality of the herb? If not, is there another system, or are there other morphological criteria, that could be used to reliably represent quality? Lastly, while heshouwu has been processed for hundreds of years, including the present, the chemistry of that processing has not been well studied. To address these issues, this study is divided into four parts. First, a systematic review of the text and illustrations in historical bencao literature is conducted. The bencao literature study illustrates the origin, botanical characteristics, actions and processing of heshouwu, as well as the origin and historical evolution of baishouwu ("white heshouwu"). To assess the inherent quality of various grades and to explore whether the existing grading system of heshouwu accurately represent quality, we firstly analyze the chemical profiles in three different commercial grades of heshouwu raw materials, using UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS. The results reveal that production regions and specifications both influence the chemical constituents of heshouwu, but the influence of production regions is even more evident. Differences in the constituents among production regions are relatively large, while there are no significant differences among the existing commercials grades. As the relationship between bioactive components and morphological features can be found by analyzing the distribution patterns of chemical components in different tissues, in order to find other reliable morphological indicators of quality furtherly, a method combining laser microdissection (LMD), UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS is applied in the third part of this study. The results indicate that, heshouwu with broader cork and phloem, as seen in a transverse section, are typically of better quality as these parts are where the bioactive components accumulate. In the fourth part of this study, targeted and untargeted metabolomics analyses using UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS are integrated to investigate the processing chemistry of heshouwu. The results demonstrate that processing by nine cycles of steaming and drying can qualitatively and quantitatively alters the chemical profile of heshouwu, which suggests that the nine cycles might be necessary for the preparation of processed heshouwu. The historical bencao literature research, chemical basis for quality evaluation, as well as processing chemistry investigation of heshouwu have been conducted in depth in this study. The results will be helpful in providing scientific basis of heshouwu's application.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The thesis examines mental illness as it is understood and treated by traditional healers in Kavango, based on ethnographic data collected over twelve (12) months in three (3) different phases from 2014 to 2016. The thesis offers ethnographic material and theoretical insight on the socio-cultural construction of three common mental disorders (CMD) which were identified and treated by traditional healers: Nyambi, Kasenge and Ndjangura. I employed the ‘cultural models’ of Dahlberg et al (2010, p. 282) as a framework to understand mental illness and its treatment by traditional healers - who deal with sick persons on a daily basis. The three common mentally related illnesses appear to be specific to the Kavango people, based on their cultural settings. I argue that these mental illness categories are not fixed or objective, but rather reflect the expertise of the Vanganga (Traditional healers) who identify them, and ultimately treat the afflicted. While traditional healers themselves assume that these local notions of mental illness are static, in reality they are not. Rather, these are active concepts constituted by culturally and socially relative categories whose precise boundaries and meanings vary and are highly contested. It was evident that the conceptualization (expression of belief patterns, thoughts and ideas) by the Vanganga (Traditional healers) of the three local mentally related illnesses differed, in the ways they perceived and treated similar conditions. The manner in which these perceived signs and symptoms informed their diagnoses differed, but also overlapped: in terms of basic assumptions that underlay explanations and treatment, and the ways in which the conditions became manifest. The thesis postulates that Traditional healers form part of the local health care system, historically unregulated. There have been calls for the recognition and regulation of traditional healers and their medicines, but to date such recognition and regulation has, if anything, been sporadic, insufficient and controversial. In response to this I provide a new way of classifying traditional healers in Kavango and propose the use of three categories: Kangangwena (assistant traditional healer), Nganga (general traditional healer) and Nkurunganga (expert traditional healer). The thesis discusses the cultural epistemology of traditional healing concerning the use of medicinal plants as treatment for mental illness. Plant knowledge and its application by traditional healers is explored, with the emphasis on the medicinal plants used to treat various mentally related illnesses. In addition, administration methods and the medicinal plants used in the treatment of mental illness are examined. I argue that medicinal plants are believed to possess powers that need to be "enticed or seduced" by healers, in order to produce a therapeutic effect on the muveri (sick person). I contend that medicinal plants are perceived to have an agentivity which is embedded in the community and people who utilize them. Thus, I intend to show that medicinal plants have power that work at different levels via ritual healing ceremonies and communication to the ancestors, as a way of "seducing" them to bring forth their therapeutic effect on the sick person. The plants in question were "seduced" inter alia by boiling, powdering, crushing and soaking, to increase their rate of reaction and generate more therapeutic power. A total of 37 medicinal plant species belonging to 24 families were reported to be used traditionally in Kavango regions in Namibia, to treat the five different categories of mental disorders. The most reported use of plants was of Albizia tanganyicensis, Ancylanthos rubiginosus, Bobgunnia madagascariensis, Dialium engleranum Diospyros virgata, Elaeodendron transvaalense and Guibourtia coleosperma. Roots and leaves were most frequently used in treatment. Remedies were prepared by boiling, while oral intake and steaming were most commonly used by healers to administer them. / National Research Foundation (NRF) and National Commission on Research Science and Technology (NCRST)

Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-10T14:24:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-06-26. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-12-10T14:30:20Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000853111.pdf: 5598967 bytes, checksum: 3f2c522944b8e77abde2f7bb8f88366f (MD5) / O atual contexto de crise hídrica pelo mundo vem provocando racionamento desde os centros urbanos até mesmo em propriedades rurais. Assim, pesquisas são desenvolvidas para otimizar o uso racional da água, principalmente na questão de irrigação. Então nos últimos anos, vem se pesquisando os efeitos do tratamento magnético na água para a irrigação, que proporciona maior produção, redução do ciclo e economia de água. A fim de comprovar os efeitos de experimentações são utilizadas frequentemente as análises de regressões. Também alguns pesquisadores recooram à técnica mais sofisticadas como os modelos matemáticos fuzzy. Deste modo, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi analisar os efeitos da irrigação com a água tratada magneticamente na cultura da alface utilizando os modelos baseado em regras fuzzy, os quais foram comparandos com os modelos de regressão. Deste modo para avaliar o desenvolvimento da cultura da alface, quando irrigada com água tratada magneticamente e convencional, em diferentes lâminas de reposição baseadas na evapotranspiração da cultura (ETc), foi conduzido experimento no Departamento de Engenharia Rural da UNESP, Faculdade Ciências Agronômicas, Fazenda Experimental Lageado, localizada no município de Botucatu, SP. Para o tratamento magnético da água foi utilizado o equipamento Sylocimol. Foi adotado o delineamento em blocos casualizados, com 2 ciclos de cultivo, sendo realizadas 4 avaliações ao longo de cada ciclo. Na elaboração dos sistemas fuzzy, foram considerados como entradas as lâminas de irrigação, tipo de água e tempo ao longo do ciclo e as saídas foram as avaliações biométricas e nutricional. Pode-se inferir que a irrigação com água tratada magneticamente apresentou um aumento na produção da cultura ... / Current water crises worldwide have caused water rationing, involving urban and rural areas. Several researches have been undertaken to optimize the rational use of water, especially water for irrigation. Researches have recently been conducted on the effects of magnetically treated water for irrigation. Since regression analyses have inherent errors, statistic techniques have been employed to prove the true effects of the experiments and thus more advanced techniques, such as the fuzzy mathematic models, are being used. Current assay analyzes the effects of magnetically treated water in the irrigation of lettuce crops. Fuzzy rules-based models have been developed and results were compared with data collected on the field and with regression models. An experiment was conducted in the Department of Rural Engineering of UNESP, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, on the Lageado Experimental Farm, Botucatu SP Brazil, to evaluate the development of lettuce crops irrigated with magnetically treated water and with conventional water at different replacement levels based on the culture's evapotranspiration (ETc). Rural Sylocimol equipment, produced by Timol, was employed for the magnetic treatment of water. A randomized block design, with 4 evaluations throughout the cycle, with two cycles, was used. For entrance, the fuzzy systems comprised the irrigation water depths, type of water and time throughout the cycle, whereas biometric and nutritional evaluations were used as exits. Results showed that magnetically treated water provided a significant increase in lettuce crops, whilst decrease in irrigation water volume also occurred. Further, fuzzy models registered a decrease in mean square error...

Magister Scientiae (Medical Bioscience) - MSc(MBS) / Even though Tulbaghia violacea has been used to treat and manage epilepsy in South Africa by traditional medicine practitioners, no evidence in any literature has shown any scientific scrutiny of the effectiveness of the plant species in therapy. This project was intended, therefore, to investigate the anticonvulsant effect of the leaf methanol extract of Tulbaghia violacea by studying its effect against tonic convulsion induced by either pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), bicuculline, picrotoxin, strychnine or N-methyl-DL-aspartic acid (NMDLA) in mice. Qualitative phytochemical analysis, acute toxicity and HPLC studies were also carried out on the plant species. The doses of 200 (mg/kg, i.p.) and 400 (mg/kg, i.p.) of the leaf methanol extract of T. Violacae significantly delayed the onset of PTZ (100 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced tonic convulsion in a dose dependent manner. Leaf methanol extract of the plant species (200 mg/kg, i.p.) did not affect the incidence of PTZ (100 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced tonic convulsion while 400 mg/kg (i.p.) protected only one mouse against the tonic convulsion. Leaf methanol extract of Tulbaghia violacea (100mg/kg, i.p.) did not significantly affect the onset or incidence of PTZ (100 mg/kg, i.p.)- induce tonic convulsion. Phenobarbitone (12 mg/kg, i.p.), diazepam (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) and muscimol (2mg/kg, i.p.) significantly delayed the onset of PTZ (100 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced tonic convulsion and also significantly reduced the number of animals convulsing. Muscimol (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.) did not significantly affect the onset or incidence of PTZ (100 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced tonic convulsion. However, combined therapy of sub effective doses of the leaf methanol extract of T. Violacea (100 mg/kg, i.p.) and muscimol (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly delayed the onset of PTZ (100mg/kg, i.p.)-induced tonic convulsion and but did not significantly reduce the number of animals convulsing. The combined therapy of sub effective doses of the leaf methanol extract of T. violacea (100 mg/kg, i.p.) and muscimol (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.) protected two of the mice against the tonic convulsion. Leaf methanol extract of Tulbaghia violacea (100-400 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly and dose dependently delayed the onset of tonic convulsion produced by bicuculline (30 mg/kg, i.p.), picrotoxin (20 mg/kg, i.p.) or NMDLA (400 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced tonic convulsion but did not affect the incidence of any of the convulsions. Phenobarbitone (12 mg/kg, i.p.), diazepam (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) or muscimol (2 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly delayed the onset of bicuculline (30 mg/kg, i.p.) or picrotoxin (20 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced tonic convulsion and also significantly reduced the number of animals convulsing. Phenobarbitone (12 mg/kg, i.p.) or diazepam (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) did affect significantly affect the onset or incidence of NMDLA (400 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced tonic convulsion. LY233053 (5 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly delayed the onset of tonic convulsion produced by NMDLA (400 mg/kg, i.p.) and also significantly reduced the number of animals convulsing. Leaf methanol extract of Tulbaghia violacea (200 and 400 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly delayed the onset of strychnine (2 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced tonic convulsion but did not significantly affect the number of mice convulsing. The dose of 100 mg/kg (i.p.) of leaf methanol extract of T. violacea did not significantly affect the onset or incidence of strychnine (2 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced tonic convulsion. Phenobarbitone (12 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly delayed the onset of strychnine (2 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced tonic convulsion and also significantly reduced the number of animals convulsing. Diazepam (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) did not significantly delay the onset of strychnine (2 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced tonic convulsion and also did not significantly affect the number of mice convulsing. Phenytoin (30 mg/kg, i.p.) or DMSO (0.25 ml, i.p.) did not significantly affect the onset or incidence of bicuculline (30 mg/kg, i.p.), picrotoxin, strychnine or NMDLA-induced tonic convulsion. The qualitative phytochemical analysis of the plant species showed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, triterpene steroids, quinones and tannins. The LD50 value obtained following oral administration of the leaf methanol extract of Tulbaghia violacea may be greater than 4000 mg/kg. The HPLC fingerprint of the leaf methanol extract of Tulbaghia violacea showed distinct peaks at the following retention times, 2.911, 3.269, 4.010, 7.597, and 15.122 min. The results obtained in this study indicate that the leaf methanol extract of Tulbaghia violacea has anticonvulsant activity. The results obtained also indicate that GABA, glutamic acid and glycine mechanisms may probably be involved in the anticonvulsant activity of the plant extract. The relatively high LD50 obtained for the plant species, given orally, indicate that it is safe in mice.

The search for cheap, non toxic and readily available antidiabetic drugs has been a challenge for researchers and the pharmaceutical industries. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by defects in the synthesis of insulin and/or insensitivity to the action of insulin at the target cells. The disease has been on the increase mostly in developing countries where large proportions of the population have little access to good medical care due to either accessibility or non availability of synthetic drugs. This has led to the use of medicinal plants to treat diabetes because it is safe, cheap and with few side effects. There is little scientific evidence on the dosages, active compounds, mechanisms of action and toxicity of these traditionally used plants. Two of the most frequently used plants; Albuca setosa and Albuca bracteata were investigated in this study. The qualitative analysis of different extractions of these plants revealed the presence of phenolics, alkaloids, tannins and saponins. The antioxidant properties of aqueous, acetone and methanollic extracts of Albuca setosa and Albuca bracteata were investigated using models such as Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2, 2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), Ferric ion reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP), Nitric Oxide and Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2). Both plants revealed inhibitions against DPPH in a concentration - dependent manner with Albuca setosa (0.330 mg/ml) showing higher activity than Albuca bracteata (0.647 mg/ml) determined from the IC50. The aqueous extract of Albuca setosa showed a higher inhibition against DPPH radical compared to the Albuca bracteata aqueous extract at all concentrations investigated. The isolated saponins from Albuca bracteata had a higher DPPH scavenging activity than the crude methanolic extract of the plant in a concentration - dependent manner but are significantly different from each other at 0.4, 0.6 and 1.0 mg/ml only. The IC50 of the saponins was also observed to be higher than the crude extracts and standards.The Albuca setosa aqueous extract showed a higher percentage inhibition of ABTS radicals than Albuca bracteata at all the concentrations investigated. Overall, the Albuca setosa aqueous extract (0.0809 mg/ml) showed maximum activity against ABTS radicals. The iron reducing power was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the methanolic extract of both plants compared to the aqueous counterpart. Overall, the Albuca bracteata aqueous extract (0.344 mg/ml) showed maximum activity as indicated by the IC50. The aqueous extracts of both plants also revealed percentage inhibitions in a concentration - dependent manner against NO2. The aqueous extract of Albuca bracteata bulb was more active against nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide inhibition. In this study, the cytotoxicity of the extracts was evaluated at a high dose of 100 μg/ml on Chang liver cells and determined using MTT, crystal violet, glucose consumption, lactate production and lactate dehydrogenase release and FRAP. The aqueous extracts of both Albuca setosa and Albuca bracteata were non-toxic on Chang liver cells at the concentrations investigated. The MTT revealed that the aqueous extract of Albuca setosa bulb had the optimum cell viability of 108.09 percent while the acetonic extract of Albuca bracteata showed the least cell viability (37.72 percent) compared with the control. The crystal violet test also revealed the acetone extract of Albuca bracteata to have the least percentage of cell viability at 31.47 percent, while the aqueous extract of Albuca setosa showed the maximum cell viability at 112.5 percent. The aqueous extracts of both plants showed higher percentage cell density on the second day of incubation from the proliferation assay. All the tested samples were observed to consume more glucose than the blank except for the methanollic and acetone extracts of Albuca bracteata bulb. The aqueous and methanolic extracts of Albuca setosa bulbs produced the highest lactate with 120.2 μg/ml and 113.7 μg/ml respectively. The acetone extracts of both Albuca setosa and Albuca bracteata revealed toxicity with a higher lactate dehydrogenase release compared to the control.