Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree in Masters of Technology in Nursing, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / Background : The current alarming growth of diseases and complications, especially in Africa, makes the integration of traditional and conventional health practices a priority in medical training, research and planning, and the funding of health services. Unplanned and/or unintended treatment non-compliance and unnecessary deaths from diseases like tuberculosis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus are escalating in spite of health information and/or education, support groups and awareness events. The World Health Organisation recommends Directly Observed Treatment Strategy for illnesses like tuberculosis, and suggests the inclusion of traditional health practitioners in the strategy because they are constantly in contact with the community and could therefore be utilized as reminders, support system, doctors and care givers. Therefore it is a high priority that traditional health practitioners be integrated into partnership with conventional medicine practitioners, as they are considered the entry point to primary health care programmes in South Africa. Aim of the study The aim of this study was to explore the nature of the partnership between the African traditional and conventional health care in the eThekwini District. Methodolody : A qualitative, multiple case study design was used to explore the partnership between African traditional and conventional health care within the South African health care system in the eThekwini district of KwaZulu-Natal Province. In attempting to explore and understand the extent to which both these health care systems work together, a qualitative research method was used. All ethical issues were considered after which individual interviews were conducted using an interview guide and a tape recorder. A cross-case synthesis was used to analyse data. Results : Results from the study suggest that a partnership is far from being implemented by both the Traditional Health Practitioners and Conventional Health Care Practitioners. It is apparent that they both do not share a common vision. The government has some responsibility and a major role to play in guiding such a partnership and making sure that the South African community is provided with best practices governed by policies and legislation that are transparent, fair and legally binding to everybody involved.

There are two independent streams of health care in South Africa: traditional healing and Western medicine. Proposals to formally integrate the two streams have been made by the World Health Organization and by the South African Department of Health. In this study, the philosophical background behind each of the two health care models is discussed, as well as literature on the possible integration of the two systems. It has not been clear if Western-trained health-care practitioners would be prepared to work with traditional healers. The purpose of this study was therefore to examine health care practitioners’ opinions, attitudes, knowledge and experiences with traditional healers, and to determine to what extent these variables would predict their intentions to work with these healers. A Within-Stage Mixed Model design was used, and data were collected using a selfdeveloped questionnaire. A total of 319 health care practitioners from State hospitals and clinics in Gauteng and Limpopo provinces participated in the study. The results of the study revealed significant differences between groups of health care practitioners in terms of their opinions, attitudes, experiences and intentions to work with traditional healers. Psychiatric nurses and psychiatrists showed more positive opinions, more positive attitudes, more knowledge and more willingness to work with traditional healers than do general nurses and physicians. Psychiatric and general nurses also had more experiences with traditional healing than did psychiatrists and physicians. The results also revealed that attitudes, knowledge, opinions and experiences predict Western health care practitioners’ intentions to work with traditional healers, with attitudes being the strongest and experiences the weakest predictors. Health care practitioners’ views of traditional healing were contradictory and ambivalent in many instances. This implies that integration of the two health care systems will be complex, that the current potential to integrate the systems is weak and that such integration can only be realised with considerable effort from all stakeholders. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Thesis (MPA (Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Department of Health estimates that 80 percent of South Africans consult traditional healers before consulting modern medicine. The aim of this study is to investigate the extent of the use of traditional medicine in local communities in the Limpopo Province, and add value to a draft policy that was introduced by the Minister of Health. (South Africa, Department of Health 2007a) Traditional healers are regarded as an important national health resource. They share the same cultural beliefs and values as their patients. They are respected in their communities. In South Africa, traditional healers have no formal recognition as health care professionals. Despite the advantages of modern medicine, there is a dramatic evolution in traditional medicine developing and developed countries. In recognition of the value that traditional medicine has added to people’s health needs, government organisations have realised the gap and needed to embark on public participation to bring to light the solution, by implementing a relevant policy (Matomela 2004). According to research done by Pefile (2005), positive outcomes that resulted from the use of traditional medicine include a more holistic treatment, a wider choice of health care that suits people’s needs, and scientific advancement, this paves a way forward for a policy to be put into place for the legal recognition of traditional medicine. New legislations have been brought about in regulating traditional medicine and practitioners. This paper provides a synopsis of government initiatives to close the gap and address the concerns of integrating traditional and modern medicine. The thesis addresses the challenges involved in incorporating the two disciplines for the best possible impact of local communities in accessing their rights as vested in the constitution. The study is a qualitative study where relevant practicing traditional healers, users, Western doctors, nurses, managers and government policy makers were interviewed regarding the draft policy on traditional medicine. This was to obtain information on the challenges, gaps and possible solutions regarding the integration of African traditional medicine into the health care system of Southern Africa. Findings show the following: a majority of traditional healers do not agree to scientific trialling and testing on the herbs that they prescribe, and Western doctors feel that traditional healers should only treat patients spiritually unless they have a scientifically tested scope and limitations on their field. The study also found that traditional healers want to be registered and integrated into the health care system, but do not agree to have regulated price fixing. Other conclusions included that the communities seek traditional help for cultural reasons and more benevolent purposes, but are changing their focus towards seeking medical help from clinics where it is provided for them. However, people within the communities are still confused whether to seek traditional or western medicine and therefore seek both. It was found that medications are not readily available in district clinics and hospital waiting times force people into seeking traditional help. Nurses, doctors and caregivers acknowledge that traditional healers are hampering the health care of patients by delaying hospital treatment of patients hence progressing illnesses. However, they also state that traditional healers help people spiritually and mentally. Therefore policy makers have found solutions to educate healers and create regulatory boards to limit and create a scope of practice for traditional healers. Recommendations and solutions for the relevant policy are as follows: It is recommended that traditional health practitioners should only be allowed to practice and train over the age of 21. They must be prohibited from certain procedures, for example: drawing blood, treating cancers, and treating AIDS/HIV. They should only be allowed to practice midwifery if they have had training. They should be prohibited from administering injections and supervised drugs, unless trained at a tertiary level traditional healers can be used as home caregivers, spiritual healers, and traditional advice counselling entities in the communities. Traditional healers must be prevented from referring to themselves as a ‘doctor’ or ‘professor’. This misleads people into believing that they are allopathic doctors. ‘Traditional health practitioners’ must realise that they are holistic healers, and must be addressed as such. A strong recommendation is to rename ‘traditional health practitioners’ as ‘spiritual practitioners’. With regards to regulations, it must be imperative that every practicing traditional health practitioner be registered annually with the relevant board. A good suggestion is for traditional health practitioners (THP) to attend formal training courses, under an experienced herbalist, and it should be documented on paper. A written record of the location of practice, and specialty must also be documented. There must be policies on health and safety, hygiene and sterility that need to be in place. It is suggested that training on patient confidentially must be taught and implemented. A code of conduct and a standard of professional ethics must also be implemented. Health and safety regulations pertaining to the profession and the citizens must be listed. Efforts towards dispelling myths and making people aware, thereby filtering out the positive side of the traditional medicine (e.g. medical benefits with some herbs), and rooting out the ‘quack’ practices (e.g. the use of amulets around a patient’s body to cure diseases) should be practiced. Pertaining to co-operative relationships between modern medical doctors and traditional practitioners, it is recommended that the use of exchange workshops between the two professionals needs to be developed. Also scientific information and technology must be available to traditional healers. A continued professional development (CPD) programme should be a mandatory requirement, as for all other health care professionals. It seems the development of traditional hospitals, in which a scope of practice is defined, can be used as a recovery ward and a spiritual guidance centre. The above recommendations will encourage a healthier, safer and transparent health care system in South Africa, where all disciplines of medicine co-exist in one National Health Care System. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nadat navorsing deur die Departement van Gesondheid gedoen is, is daar gevind dat 80 persent van Suid-Afrikaners tradisionele genesers besoek. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om ondersoek te doen na die gebruik van tradisionele medisyne deur landelike gemeenskappe in die Limpopo Provinsie, en om ook ‘n bydrae te lewer tot die konsepbeleid wat deur die Minister van Gesondheid bekendgestel is (South Africa, Department of Health 2007a). Tradisionele genesers kan beskou word as ‘n belangrike hulpbron in die nasionale gesondheidsdiens. Hulle deel in kulturele gelowe en waardes van hulle pasiente en word ook gerespekteer in hulle gemeenskappe. Suid-Afrika egter, gee geen erkenning aan tradisionele genesers of die feit dat hulle in die gesondheidsdiens is nie. Ondanks die feit van moderne geneesmiddels, is daar ‘n dramatiese evolusie wat besig is om plaas te vind in die Westerse Wêreld. Die erkenning en waarde van tradisionele medisyne wat bydra tot mense se gesondheidkwaliteit, het daartoe gelei dat Staatsorganisasies begin insien het dat daar ‘n gaping is en dat publieke peilings gedoen word om ‘n oplossing te vind en ‘n beleidsdokument saam te stel wat tradisionele genesers insluit (Matomela 2004). Die ondersoek wat Pefile (2005) gedoen het, het positiewe resultate getoon by die gebruik van tradisionele medisyne wat ‘n holistiese behandeling in ‘n wyer verskeidendheid van medisyne insluit by gebruikers. Ook die wetenskaplike vooruitgang van tradisionele medisyne het daartoe bygedra dat ‘n beleidsdokument in plek gesit word vir die wettige erkenning daarvan. Nuwe wetgewing is in werking gestel om beheer uit te oefen oor tradisionele genesers en tradisionele medisyne. Hierdie dokument verskaf ‘n sinopsis van die Staat se inisiatiewe om die gaping tussen moderne medisyne en tradisionele medisyne aan te spreek en ook om landelike gemeenskappe toe te laat om hulle reg uit te oefen soos wat in die Grondwet vervat is. Die studie is kwalitatief waar relevante praktiserende tradisionele genesers, verbruikers, Westerse dokters, verpleegkundiges, bestuurders en staatsdiensbeleidvormers ondervra is oor ‘n konsep beleidsdokument oor tradisionele medisyne. Dit was gedoen om informasie rakende die uitdaging , gapings en 'n moontlike oplossing te vind vir die integrasie van Afrika se tradisionele medisyne in die gesondheidsorgsisteem van Suidelike Afrika. Belangrike bevindings sluit die volgende in: die meerdeerheid tradisionele genesers stem nie saam dat wetenskaplike toetse gedoen word op kruie wat hulle voorskryf nie; tradisionele genesers will geregisteer en geïntegreer word in die gesondheidsorgsisteem maar stem nie saam oor prysregulering en prysvasstelling nie; Westerse dokters is van mening dat tradisionele genesers net pasiënte geestelik moet kan behandel tensy hulle ‘n wetenskaplik getoetse doel en beperkings in hulle veld het; Westerse dokters glo dat tradisionele genesers dwarsboom die gesondheidsorgsisteem deurdat hulle behandeling vetraag; die gemeenskap soek tradisionele hulp op vir kulturele redes en ander welwillendheidsredes maar gaan soek mediese hulp by klinieke waar dit aan hulle verskaf word; mense van gemeenskappe is verward en raadpleeg beide tradisionele genesers en Westerse dokters vir hulp; sommige medisyne is nie altyd by klinieke beskikbaar nie en mense sien nie kans om in lang rye te wag by hospitale nie en dit noop dat hulle tradisionele medisyne gebruik; verpleegkundiges en gesondheidswerkers erken dat tradisionele genesers mense vertraag om gesondheidsorg en behandeling by hospitale te kry, maar verstaan ook dat tradisionele genesers aan mense geestelike hulp verleen; en besleidskrywers moet oplossings vind om tradisionele genesers op te voed en om komitees te stig wat tradisionele genesers se ruimte van praktisering in toom te hou. Die volgende word as voorstelle tot aanpassing van die genoemde beleidsdokument geïdentifiseer:- Tradisionele genesers mag alleenlik praktiseer en opleiding verskaf na die ouderdom van 21 jaar. Hulle moet verbied word om sekere prosedures, byvoorbeeld die trek van bloed; behandeling van HIV/VIGS; om voor te gee dat hulle mediese praktisyns is; om vroedvroue te wees slegs indien gekwalifiseer daartoe; om inspuitings toe te dien en medisyne uit te reik slegs indien hulle tersiëre opleiding gehad het. Tradisionele genesers se dienste kan gebruik word as gemeenskapsgesondheid hulpwerkers, geestelike genesers, en kan tradisionele advies en begeleiding aan die gemeenskap lewer. Tradisionele genesers moet belet word om die titels “Dokter” en “Professor" te gebruik. Tradisionele genesers moet daarop let dat hulle holistiese genesers is en moet daarvolgens aangespreek word. Hulle moenie pasiënte mislei deur voor te gee dat hulle allopatiese geneeshere is nie. “Tradisionele genesers” moet hernoem word na “geestelike genesers”. Tradisionele genesers moet by ‘n erkende organisasie geregistreer word en moet so-ook jaarliks registrasie hernu. Formele onderrig wat deur ‘n ervare kruiegeneser aangebeid word moet bygewoon en gedokumenteer word. ‘n Geskrewe rekord van die ligging van die praktyk en betrokke spesialisering moet bygehou word. Beleidsvoorskrifte wat verband hou met gesondheid en veiligheid, hygiene en sterilisasie moet in die tradisionele gesondheidgeneserspraktyk geïmplementeer word. Opleiding in pasiëntkonfidensialiteit moet aangeleer en toegepas word. Samewerking en werkswinkels tussen moderne mediese dokters en tradisionele gesondheidgenesers moet geïmplementeer en ontwikkel word. Mediese wetenskapsinligting en tegnologie moet aan tradisionele genesers bekendgemaak word. Voorts moet ‘n voortgesette professionele ontwikkelingsprogram (POP) aan alle gesondheidswerkers voorgeskryf word. Dit blyk wenslik te wees om tradisionele hospitale tot stand te bring waar die bestek van praktyk gedefinieer word. Sulke hospitale kan dien as plekke waar pasiënte aansterk en geestelike onderskraging geniet. ‘n Etiese kode en standaard vir professionele etiek moet geskep word vir tradisionele genesers. Gesondheids- en sekureitsregulasies moet van toepassing wees en geïmplementeer word. Pasiënte moet ingelig word oor die wegdoen van mites en fabels. Daardeur kan die positiewe sy van tradisionele medisyne (byvoorbeeld mediese voordele van kruie), en uitroei van “kwakke” (byvoorbeeld dra van gelukbringers om die lywe), verdryf word. Dit sal die aanmoediging van ‘n gesonder, sekuriteitbewuste en deursigtige gesondheidsorg sisteem bewerkstellig in Suid-Afrika waar alle dissiplines van medisyne saam bestaan in die Nasionale Gesondheidsorgsisteem.

The use of traditional medicine through the use of medicinal plants in Africa and especially in South Africa has long been considered an important characteristic of people's daily lives and socio-cultural heritage. Cotyledon Orbiculata is among the medicinal plants that are used by South African traditional practitioners for the treatment of epilepsy and painful conditions such as corns, warts, toothache, earache, boils and various other ailments. However, the claim of therapeutic successes of medicinal plants by traditional medicine practitioners are hardly subjected to scientific scrutiny. This study therefore, investigated the anti-epileptic property of Cotyledon Orbiculata by studying the effects of the methanol extract of the plant against chemically induced seizures by pentylenetetrazole, picrotoxin, bicuculline and N-methyl-DL-aspartic acid in mice. The study also investigated the analgestic effects of Cotyledon Orbiculata by studying the effect of the plant extract on pain induced by acetic acid and hot plate thermal stimulation.

Medicinal bulbs form part of the diversified flora in South Africa. The plants are used extensively in South African traditional medicine in the treatment of various ailments. Due to the ever-increasing demand and the unrestricted collection of medicinal plants from the wild, many of these slow growing bulbous plant species are driven into over-exploitation and extinction. The main parts collected for use are the underground bulbs, leading to the destructive harvesting of the whole plant. This form of plant harvesting poses threats to the long term sustainability of these plant resources from their natural habitats. Sustainable harvesting of these plants should be within the limits of their capacity for self-renewal. However, this seldom occurs with the often inconsiderate medicinal plant gatherers. Conservation of these plants is therefore necessary. A strategy that would take into consideration the sustainable harvesting and perhaps simultaneously provide similar medicinal benefits, would be the substitution of bulbs with leaves of the same plant. This study was aimed at evaluating the seasonal pharmacological and phytochemical properties in bulbs/corms and leaves of medicinal bulbs with a view of promoting the substitution of bulbs with leaves in traditional medicinal use. Four medicinal bulbous plants, Tulbaghia violacea, Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Drimia robusta and Merwilla plumbea were evaluated for the pharmacological and phytochemical properties in their bulbs/corms and leaves in spring, summer, autumn and winter seasons, with a view of promoting the use of leaves as a conservation strategy. Dried plant materials were sequentially extracted with petroleum ether (PE), dichloromethane (DCM), 80% ethanol (EtOH) and water in each season. The extracts were tested for activities against Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus), Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) bacteria and the fungus Candida albicans using the in vitro microdilution assays to obtain minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFC). The four plant species were also evaluated for their ability to inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2) enzymes. Spectrophotometric methods were used to evaluate saponin and phenolic contents of samples from the four plant species in each season. Antibacterial activity was fairly comparable between bulbs/corms and leaves of H. hemerocallidea, T. violacea, and M. plumbea, with at least one extract showing some good activity (MIC < 1 mg/ml) in most of the seasons. Bulb extracts of D. robusta did not show good antibacterial activity while the leaf extracts showed good activity (0.78 mg/ml) against B. subtilis in spring, summer, and autumn and S. aureus (0.78 mg/ml) in autumn. The best antibacterial activity was recorded in winter, with MIC values as low as 0.195 mg/ml from the DCM bulb extracts of T. violacea against K. pneumoniae and S. aureus and PE corm extracts of H. hemerocallidea (0.195 mg/ml) against B. subtilis. Good antibacterial activity from water extracts were only recorded from corm extracts of H. hemerocallidea in summer, autumn and winter, H. hemerocallidea leaf extracts in autumn and winter, and M. plumbea bulb extracts in autumn. The leaf extracts of all the screened plant species demonstrated good fungicidal activity in autumn, with H. hemerocallidea corm water extracts recording an MFC value as low as 0.39 mg/ml. The leaf extracts of H. hemerocallidea (water), D. robusta (DCM) and M. plumbea (DCM) had good MFC values of 0.78 mg/ml each, in spring. The DCM leaf extracts of T. violacea also showed good fungicidal activity (0.78 mg/ml) in summer, while corm water extracts of H. hemerocallidea had an MFC value of 0.39 mg/ml in winter. There were no fungicidal activities recorded from all the bulb extracts in all the seasons. All the PE and DCM extracts in all the tested plant samples recorded between moderate (40-70%) and high (> 70%) COX-1 and COX-2 inhibition levels across all seasons. The EtOH corm extracts of H. hemerocallidea also demonstrated moderate to high inhibitory activity against COX-1 enzyme across all seasons. Bulb and leaf extracts of T. violacea showed selective inhibitory activity for COX-2 enzyme in all the seasons. The highest COX inhibitory levels were recorded in COX-2 from the PE leaf (spring) and bulb (autumn) extracts of T. violacea, with both recording 100% inhibitory activity. Phytochemical analysis revealed higher total phenolic compounds in bulbs/corms and leaves of all the analysed plant species, to be either higher in spring or winter. Plant material collected in autumn had the least levels of total phenolics. An almost similar trend to that of total phenolics was observed for flavonoids, gallotannins and condensed tannins in most plant samples, with higher levels either in spring or winter. Total saponins were consistently higher in winter than in the other seasons in all the screened plant species. There were in some cases, relationships between the peaks in the levels of some phytochemical compounds and the observed levels of bioactivity in different assays. The results obtained from this study demonstrate that the leaves of the screened plant species may substitute or complement bulbs in the treatment of certain ailments in traditional medicine. Thus, plant part substitution can be sustainably utilised in the conservation of these plant species while retaining the same medicinal benefits. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

The use of traditional medicine is a popular practice in South Africa especially among rural dwellers due to several reasons such as availability of natural products, cultural beliefs, preference of natural products to synthetically derived drugs and the high cost of modern drugs. Traditional healers in South Africa play key roles in administering treatment for all sorts of ailments using plants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of seven selected medicinal plants that are used in traditional medicine to treat stomach-related ailments for their pharmacological and phytochemical properties. Plant material was extracted sequentially with ethyl acetate (EtOAc), ethanol (EtOH) and water. The extracts were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities using the microdilution technique against two Gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 19433 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12600) bacteria and a Gram-negative (Escherichia coli ATCC 11775) bacterium. A modified microdilution technique was used to screen for antifungal activity against a yeast-like fungus (Candida albicans ATCC 10231). Only the EtOAc extract of Tetradenia riparia demonstrated good antibacterial activity against the Gram-negative E. coli, all the other extracts that were active only showed good antibacterial activity against the two Gram-positive (E. faecalis and S. aureus) bacteria with MIC values <1 mg/ml. None of the extracts that exhibited good inhibitory activity showed corresponding bactericidal activity against the bacterial test strains, suggesting that the observed activity were all inhibitory. Good antifungal activity with an MIC value <1 mg/ml was observed in only 5 extracts, and none of the extracts exhibited corresponding fungicidal activity. The in vitro colorimetric assay for anthelmintic activity against Caenorhabditis elegans revealed that almost all the extracts possessed moderate to high anthelmintic properties. The EtOAc extract of T. riparia had the best activity at MLC value of 0.004 mg/ml. The anti-inflammatory activity of the plant extracts was tested using the cyclooxygenase assays to determine their inhibitory potential against COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. All the EtOAc extracts demonstrated both COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitory activity in the range of 50.7 ± 2.4 to 99.5 ± 0.5%. Apart from the EtOH extracts of C. multicava that showed high inhibitory activity against both COX-1 and COX-2, all the other EtOH extracts were COX-2 selective. Aqueous extracts exhibited poor inhibitory activity against both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes with the exception of T. riparia and Coddia rudis that showed good inhibitory activity (69.1 ± 0.9 and 92.65 ± 0.7%) against COX-1 and COX-2 respectively. The standard plate incorporation assay for the Ames test was carried out to determine the potential genotoxic effects of the plant extracts and this revealed that all the extracts were non-mutagenic towards Salmonella typhimurium tester strains TA98, TA100 and TA1537 without metabolic activation. However, further studies incorporating metabolizing enzymes are needed to confirm the safe use of the studied plants. Phytochemical analysis revealed relatively high amounts of total phenolics, gallotannins and flavonoids in all the evaluated plants. Total and steroidal saponins were detected in only two plant samples, Canthium spinosum and Cassinopsis ilicifolia (bark). These findings present useful information on the types of bioactive compounds that could be responsible for the pharmacological activities observed among some of the plant extracts. The results obtained in this study showed different levels of pharmacological activities among all the evaluated medicinal plants which provide scientific validation for their use in traditional medicine as antimicrobial agents. Phytochemical analysis provides valuable information for further study that will be aimed at isolation and identification of the bioactive principles in the evaluated plant species. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Biochemistry)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / Diabetes mellitus is one of the fast growing chronic metabolic disorders throughout the world. It has become a life threatening disease and health burden. So far it can only be managed with commercial therapeutic agents, proper diet and exercise. People particularly from developing countries use medicinal plants to treat this condition. According to WHO, about 80% of the population in developing countries are dependable on medicinal plants. This prompted many researchers to explore the effectiveness and safety of these plants. In the current study ten medicinal plants were randomly chosen, screened for antidiabetic activity by testing their ability to inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. The plants were tested using in vitro assays. The finely powdered leaves of each plant were extracted with hexane, chloroform, acetone and ethyl acetate. Phytoconstituents of each plant extracts were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. All plant extracts tested positive for phenols, flavonoids and all negative for starch. Their compounds were better separated in the TEA mobile system on the TLC plates. All plant extracts had more of total phenolics ranging between 0.1-400 GAE/mg than total flavonoids and condensed tannins. Antioxidant activity of the plant extracts was tested quantitatively at various concentrations using DPPH. Most plant extracts were able to scavenge the radicals produced by DPPH at highest concentration of 2.5 mg/mℓ. Not all plant extracts with the highest number of total phenolics had the highest antioxidant activity. For antidiabetic in vitro assays, plant extracts inhibited various percentages of both α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity at concentrations ranging between 0.019- 2.5 mg/mℓ. The best overall activity against both enzymes was observed in acetone and ethyl acetate plant extracts. Cassia abbreviata and Helinus integrifolius were even more active than acarbose which was used as positive control. These plant extracts inhibited both the enzymes in a dose dependent and non-competitive manner. Seeing that both extracts of C. abbreviata and H. integrifolius were consistent when inhibiting both enzymes, they were further evaluated for their effect on glucose uptake by the C2C12 muscle and H-II-4-E liver cells. All the plant extracts tested were able to increase glucose uptake in the muscle cells. However optimal increase was seen in the liver cells when treated with 250 µg/mℓ of acetone and ethyl acetate extracts of C. abbreviata. The cytotoxicity effects of both acetone and ethyl acetate of C. abbreviata and H. integrifolius was tested using the xCelligence system on RAW 264.7 cells. Different cell indexes were obtained after treating the cells with different concentrations (0.05,0.1 and 0.25 mg/mℓ) of each plant extracts respectively. The system was run for three days but the toxic effects of plant extracts were analyzed for the first ten hours. The results obtained shows that cell index decreased as the concentration of the plant extracts was increased. All the plant extracts were less toxic as compared to positive control, Actinomycin D. The leaves of H. integrifolius were further exhaustively extracted with hexane, dichloromethane, acetone, ethyl acetate and methanol respectively. Since the DCM extracts yielded the highest mass in quantity, it was further used for isolation of active compounds. Column chromatography and bioassay guided fraction led to isolation of a mixture of triterpenes identified as α and β-amyrin. The structure was elucidated using nuclear magnetic resonance technique. The inhibitory capability of the isolated compound against α-amylase enzyme was less than the crude extract which inhibited more than 50% of the activity at a concentration of 1 mg/mℓ.Based on the enzymes assays and cell culture work it can be concluded that C. abbreviata and H. integrifolius species are the best inhibitors of carbohydrate digesting enzymes, and therefore be used to manage postprandial hyperglycemia in the people with type 2 diabetes. However more work still need to be conducted for further isolation of more active compounds.

Thesis (MA. (African Languages)) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / Ngudo ino yo sengulusa ndeme ya u thusa ṅwana ho sedzwa nḓila ya Tshivenḓa, sa izwi maitele aya a tshi khou ngalangala musalauno. Ngudo iyi yo sumbedza uri u thusiwa hu kha ḓi vha hone naho mathusele a hone o fhambana, sa izwi zwi tshi bva kha thendelano ya muṱa. Ho wanala uri kha muthuso hu shumiswa vhathu vhofhambanaho u fana na vhomaine, vhakegulu, vhafunzi kana ha tou rengwa mishonga ine ya shumiswa kha u thusa ṅwana. Ngudo yo dovha ya sumbedza mvelelo mmbi dza u sa thusa ṅwana na mvelelo mbuya dza u thusa ṅwana.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Biochemistry )) --University of Limpopo, 2007 / Refer to document / The Cannon Collins Trust Fund and the National Research Foundation

Thesis (M.Sc. (Botany)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / Traditional medicine plays a major role in the primary health care of many people residing in rural areas. People in these areas still consult traditional healers who utilise plants as medicine. Medicinal plants have come under increasing pressure due to a number of factors, which have resulted in the decline of certain species, extinction in others, and a general decrease in biodiversity of high use areas of South Africa, Blouberg Mountain included. To date there has been a lack of information on how traditional healers utilise the Blouberg Mountain with respect to amounts and species removed, or where the most important collecting sites are located. Thus, no conservation strategy exists for the Blouberg Mountain to ensure sustainable management of its natural resources. Furthermore, there is a perception amongst elders of this area that, as with indigenous knowledge around the world, the knowledge centered around Blouberg’s medicinal plants is declining, and little formal documentation of that knowledge has taken place. Consequently, this study investigated aspects related to medicinal plant use such as collection, patterns of collection, legislation, storage and packaging of medicinal plants by traditional healers around Blouberg Mountain. These were documented via a semi-structured questionnaire and a data collection sheet. Furthermore, traditional harvesting methods employed by traditional healers, and in situ conservation issues related to species removal from the mountain were investigated. Data was collected between September 2010 and September 2011. Sixteen villages in close proximity to the mountain, and 32 healers (two per village) were selected. In addition 16 consulting rooms were sampled (one per village) in order to gather information on the number of species collected from the mountain and stored in the consulting rooms. The 16 most used (indicated by village traditional healers) collection tracks, (one per village surrounding Blouberg Mountain), were travelled with traditional healers to record botanical and vernacular names of the medicinal plants, vegetation type, habitat, parts used, harvesting method, replacement value of plant species and perceived rarity of collected material. A Garmin GPS was used to record waypoints for the beginning and end of each track. Co-ordinates were logged automatically every 10 m. A map using Quantum GIS software to capture the position of the healers’ collection tracks, overlaid with topographical and vegetation information, and protected area information of the Blouberg Mountain, was generated. Geographic Information System software was used to geo-process the collection tracks of the healers with respect to where medicinal plants were collected relative to the various vegetation types. This gave information on vegetation types important to healers. The majority of traditional healers were females. Most of them had no formal education, with only a minority reaching secondary school. Due to their low level of literacy they tended to shy away from sources of written information, with the result that none of the questioned healers had any knowledge of the various national or provincial environmental legislations. The majority of them see between 15 and 20 patients per month. Most of the healers had more than 30 years of experience in traditional healing. The study found 64 plant species commonly used for medicinal purposes. Most of them were harvested for their roots and bark. According to the healers, Boophane disticha and Hypoxis hemerocallidea are declining in Blouberg Mountain, with Warburgia salutaris, endangered in South Africa, not perceived as rare or declining. However, a number of plant species recorded in the Red Data List as of least concern, or not threatened, are seen as rare by the healers. These include Clivia caulescens, Erythrina lysistemon, Lannea schweinfurthii and Maerua juncea. No exotic species were documented from the surveyed tracks. However, two naturalised exotics were collected from the mountain, namely Cassytha filiformis and Corchorus tridens. Cocculus hirsutus, a naturalised exotic and Abrus precatorius, an exotic species were found in one of the consulting rooms. Dichrostachys cinerea, Philenoptera violacea and Tarchonanthus camphoratus, which are indicators of bush encroachment, were identified on selected tracks. Tracks on which indicators of bush encroachment are present should be investigated more thoroughly to ascertain the extent and severity of such a threat. vii Investigations into healers’ collection tracks showed that the Soutpansberg Mountain Bushveld vegetation type is the most heavily utilised of the five vegetation types around Blouberg Mountain. This vegetation type is vulnerable to human population densities as most species were collected from it, therefore it should be conserved and managed if possible as it is targeted for plant species of medicinal value. The most travelled tracks were found in the Catha-Faurea Wooded Grassland community. Solutions to the problems of over harvesting of medicinal plants require local innovations and the full participation of traditional healers in resource management initiatives. The development of medicinal plant nurseries together with propagation of key species will be a crucial management tool, as this will reduce over harvesting of natural resources from the wild. In conclusion, it was found that although most species utilised around Blouberg Mountain are abundant and not threatened, healers are nevertheless concerned about dwindling medicinal plant supplies. They would welcome conservation initiatives and the use of GIS maps would be useful in prioritising conservation areas.