Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Pharmaceutical Botany Candidate: Ivana Lakatošová Supervisor: PharmDr. Anna Hošťálková, Ph.D. Title of Master's thesis: Bioactive metabolites of representative members in the genus Magnolia 2019, 72 p. Key words: Magnolia, secondary metabolites, traditional medicine, CNS bioactivity The aim of this Master's thesis was to summarise current knowledge of significant secondary metabolites of species Magnolia officinalis and Magnolia obovata, and their biological activity. Botanical features of genus Magnolia were defined and described, followed by the classification of bioactive compounds isolated from species Magnolia officinalis and Magnolia obovata. The Master's thesis focused predominantly on the effects of biphenol compounds of magnolol and honokiol, which have been subjected to many studies. The main attention was given to the immunosuppressive effect and pharmacologic effects on the nervous system. Essential oils were observed to have an anti-inflammatory and a myorelaxant effect. Alkaloids and neolignans, which had been known to relax spasms of skeletal muscles, expressed neuroprotective activity. Neolignans were shown to have the inhibitory effect on bacteria, viruses and pathogenic fungi. They also proved themselves to be...

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2012 / The main aim or purpose of this study was to look at the ways and the strategies of minimizing\ mitigating the over-harvesting of indigenous medicinal plants in order to use them sustainably. The task of identifying and assessing challenges facing local communities in utilizing and sustaining indigenous medicinal plants in Thengwe village and their implications on environmental conservation and management of natural resources was done during the pilot survey. The environmental field survey was conducted after gaining permission to enter into the identified study areas including the Mutavhatsindi Nature Reserve. The result revealed that most of the indigenous medicinal plants are used for healing, religious, economical and for protection purposes. Most of the indigenous medicinal plants in the study area are depleted and many of them are facing extinction. The study was qualitative in design. Semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire were used. The questionnaire had both open-ended and closed questions. The study area was Thengwe Village in the Mutale Municipality. The existence of medicinal plants is threatened by people `s perceptions and attitudes towards them. For some indigenous medicinal plants, depletion is at a high rate due to over-harvesting and because the plants when traded by herbalists they have a premium price attached to them. Interestingly, perhaps surprisingly, the majority of young people hold negative attitudes towards the indigenous medicinal plants due to poor knowledge of the value of indigenous medicinal plants, in contrast to the elders who appreciate their role and consider them as part of their culture, economy and religion. One of the findings is that medicinal plants were found to be important to the community members as the source of income and creation of jobs for the medicinal collectors who sell the species to traditional healers. For the reason of preserving indigenous medicinal plants and others as the environmental resources, this study recommends that there should be strong intergovernmental relationships between the National, Provincial and Local governments in order to prevent over-harvesting of the medicinal plants. The indigenous medicinal plants are equally important to biodiversity students and researchers who want to study and research indigenous medicinal plants which play an important role in the improvement of the livelihoods of community members. Furthermore, education campaigns within the communities and school learners are recommended to encourage the prevention, sustainability and utilization of the indigenous medicinal plants. Additionally, the legal authorities should be empowered to prosecute all people who may be found illegally in possession of indigenous medicinal plants, as well as endangered and protected species. Heavy fines and charges should be imposed on such culprits. Of importance is the fact that the results and recommendations of this study may facilitate the teaching of environmental education and management of natural resources as well as boost the local economy of the Vhembe district Municipality by showing that medicinal plants in the area can be seen as a viable tourist attraction.

Thesis (M.CUR.) --University of Limpopo, 2014 / Indigenous practices (IPs) are experiences generated by people who are living in a specific region context and a specific cultured group. IPs are shaped by cultural traits that are passed from one generation to the next. The practices are rooted and embedded in such a society and, therefore, the practices become part of the people’s lifestyle. It is difficult to try and change these practices, since people have adhered to them throughout their entire lives. The believe system plays a major role in health care seeking behaviour of individuals because they are informed by the IPs that are observed in their environment (Shaik & Hatcher, 2005). IPs are stored in people’s memories and are expressed in songs, dances, beliefs, rituals, cultural values, myths, and healing of diseases by using herbs. During pregnancy, IPs are still applied worldwide. Ayaz and Efe (2008) indicate that it occurs mostly in Turkey and Africa where women’s reassurance is depending on the local context and meaning of pregnancy. THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY To determine indigenous practices of pregnant women at the Dilokong Hospital in the Greater Tubatse Municipality of the Limpopo Province.This was achieved by the exploring and describing the indigenous practices of pregnant women in the antenatal (ANC) clinic of the maternity ward at the Dilokong Hospital.. DESIGN AND METHOD A qualitative, descriptive, explorative and contextual research design was used for the participants to describe the indigenous practices by pregnant women. Data was collected by means of unstructured one-on-one interviews in maternity unit of the ANC clinic at the Dilokong Hospital of the Greater Tubatse Municipality. Ethical considerations as described by Denosa (2000) were adhered to in order to ensure the v quality of the study. The criteria for trustworthiness were observed as stipulated in Babbie and Mouton (2009).Fifteen pregnant women were interviewed. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Four themes with sub-themes emerged from the data analysis by using Tech’ṡ open coding approach (Creswell 2006, Botma, Greef, Mulaudzi & Wright, 2010). Four themes were emerged namely; indigenous practices based on ancestral knowledge; indigenous practices based on spiritual diviners versus church principles; restricted practices versus instructions followed during pregnancy and labour and indigenous practices during labour and delivery. It is recommended that a national IP strategy needs to be developed to provide a framework and platform to support and promote grass roots IPs into mainstream development in the health care system in relation to midwifery practice. CONCLUSION The study findings indicated that IPs were regarded as an honourable health intervention by THPs, families, and pregnant women. They showed trust in methods used to preserve pregnancy, labour, and delivery, although, the indigenous practices by pregnant women still continue. Indigenous practices such as cords around their waists, are still observed during physical examinations. However, there is a reduction of prescribed potions mixed with cool drinks for use to accelerate labour and to prevent negative consequences because the potential toxicity has been explained during the provision of health education. These findings call for health care professionals to emphasise training and workshops for the THPs church diviners that are the fundamental principle of effective implementation of IPs to enhance improvement in the prevention of complications during pregnancy, labour and delivery. KEYWORDS Pregnant women Indigenous practice Indigenous knowledge

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / This study sought to identify the bottlenecks in the promotion of Zimbabwean Traditional Medicines (ZTMs) towards improving the national healthcare delivery system. The indigenous medicines lost value and recognition to the Conventional Western Medicines introduced by the British colonialist since 1871 and is still dominating the national healthcare delivery system. There are growing challenges to ensure accessibility of affordable drugs especially for primary healthcare. The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) is in support of re-engaging indigenous medical interventions to achieve the Millennium development goals. Indigenous Traditional Medicine Knowledge-Based Systems (ITMKS) form the basis of the main source of health care for about 80% of the population in the developing countries. The implementation of the Zimbabwe Traditional Medicines Policy (ZTMP) has been at a stand-still since inception in 2007. The research used mixed methods involving qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data was collected through desk and field research. Questionnaires and focus group discussions were used to record perceptions and attitudes of key informants. The stakeholders included Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs), Medical Doctors, Pharmacists, Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ) staff, Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), Traditional Medical Practitioner’s Council (TMPC), Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (Zinatha), Ministry of Health and Childcare, WHO, Higher Education Institutions (UZ School of Pharmacy staff and students), Christian Groups, NGOs and Prostate Cancer Patients in Harare CBD. The stakeholders sampling framework was obtained from the list of registered practitioners. The stakeholder mapping involved selection of 5 key informants from each focus group obtained through random selection. The Snowball sampling technique was used to follow the closest 5 key informants in each focus group. The key findings established that 80% of respondents agreed to the integration of ZTM. The major bottlenecks were lack of modern dosage forms and standardization to determine quality, safety and efficacy of the ZTM. The study suggests that in order to fast track the integration process, a bottom up implementation strategy providing ZTM advocacy, capacity building in the institutionalization and training of ZTMPs, pharmacists and CMP need to be engaged for a favorable and quick buy-in. The study also recommends further analysis of the Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) areas of specialization in pharmaceutical practice in order to improve treatment outcomes.

This ethnography explores the varied contours of a national health care system and how it is used in conjunction with traditional forms of health care in Toledo District, Belize, focused on the largest town of Punta Gorda (P.G.), In a medically plural environment, a variety of health care options are used based on a wide range of social, economic, and structural factors that shape people's choices and decisions. The convenience of and experience with low-cost home- and self-care options make these the most common first choice during an illness event in P.G., however a deeper exploration of health behavior reveals that people will exhaust all options in their quest for health. In an era when neoliberal trends have a direct effect on people's lives, including a negative impact on health and well-being, Belize stands out as an interesting case. The small Central American/Caribbean nation has taken actions that appear to be contradictory to broader neoliberal policies that encourage privatization of government services, by implementing a national health care system that provides low-cost and free health services to its citizens. While new health facilities have been opened, and health services have become more widely available throughout Belize, an analysis of how and why the health care system functions shows that such programs may actually function as mechanisms of control and surveillance, thus aligning with neoliberal aims such as decentralization and privatization of services. As it has been implemented in southern Belize, the national health care system also replicates and extends an historic trend of marginalization and neglect to the region, showing that from the perspective of the State, and by extension, the powerful and elite of the nation, the citizens of P.G. are seen as less deserving of the quality of health care services that are necessary to lead healthy and productive lives.

No description available.

This study examines the experience of managing Type 2 diabetes from the perspective of Part-European people from Fiji who have this disorder. A qualitative approach was used, and the methodology was grounded theory based on the theoretical perspective of symbolic interactionism. Data was collected from the in-depth interviews of nine participants who have been living with Type 2 diabetes. Text from the interview transcripts was analysed using the version of grounded theory advocated by Strauss and Corbin (1998). This process facilitated the discovery of 'Carrying On With Life And Living' as the main concern shared by Part-Europeans managing Type 2 diabetes. It also identified the substantive theory of 'Walking The Line' as the core category and the basic social and psychological process by which Part-Europeans resolve their main concern of 'Carrying On With Life And Living'. This was a three-stage process involving firstly 'Carrying on Regardless', secondly 'Attempting Balance in Time and Motion and Control', and thirdly 'Balancing, Unbalancing, and Recovering Balance'. The results of this study reveal that the social and historical contexts of Part-European culture, such as heavy drinking, carrying on with life and living in the face of adversity, and taking traditional medicine impact significantly throughout their managing process. Findings of this study may contribute to development of some culturally aware strategies that could assist healthcare services to provide appropriate support, intervention, and education for Part-Europeans with Type 2 diabetes. This study also addresses the lack of studies concerned with the management of Type 2 diabetes in Pacific peoples and serves to inform research initiatives and priorities set by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.

This research explores the international evolution of the policy of integration (formalisation) of traditional medicine in health care systems. This concept first arose on the policy agenda of the World Health Organisation in the 1970s and then re-emerged in 2002 (with alternative and complementary medicines). The history of this policy at the global level and its transfer to national levels over this period is analysed, via the content, scope and outcomes of policy and programme documents. This analysis emphasises the roles of context and stakeholders (specifically interest groups). The context in terms of the economic, political and social environment surrounding the development of the policy is considered, and held to offer a potential explanation as to how and why the policy agenda on integration was set and the manner in which programmes were formulated and implemented. Interest group interaction (competition for resources) is concluded to play a key role in explaining the development of this policy on an international level, and its problematic transfer to national levels. A case study of Sri Lanka explores national level implementation in greater detail. An analytical framework to analyse the development and implementation of this policy has been created, from a synthesis of anthropological and political science tools. The combination of several theories into an analytical framework allows this policy issue to be understood as an intrinsically political exercise that has been stimulated by global social and economic forces. The analytical framework developed offers another tool for the analysis and consequent understanding of the health policy process and thus may have relevance beyond the health policy issue of integration. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

While much research has examined the intricate interactions associated with the harvesting of wild animals for human consumption, little work has been undertaken in attempting to understand the greater socio-cultural significance of such use. In addition, to properly understand such systems of interaction, an intimate knowledge is required with regard to the rationale or motivation of resource users. In present day Mali, West Africa, the population perceives and upholds wildlife as a resource not only of valuable animal protein, in a region of famine and drought, but a means of generating income. The animal parts trade is but one mechanism within the larger socio-cultural structure that exploits wildlife through a complex human-environmental system to the benefit of those who participate. Moreover, this informal, yet highly structured system serves both cultural and outsider demand through its goods and services. By using traditional ethnographic investigation techniques (participant observation and semi-structured interviews) in combination with thick narration and multidisciplinary analysis (sociocultural and biological-environmental), it is possible to construct a better understanding of the functions, processes, and motivation of those who participate. In a world where there is but only a limited supply of natural and wild resources, understanding human-environmental systems is of critical value. / Graduation date: 2003

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Pretoria, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.