Traditional medicine has become an important part of healthcare worldwide. It is estimated that about 25 percent of prescribed medicines contain plant products or active compounds derived from plants. In South Africa, traditional medicine forms part of the culture and tradition of most communities. Garlic compounds have been shown to have a variety of antimicrobial properties. Amongst these are antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral and anti protozoal activities. Allicin and its breakdown products have been shown to be the main active compounds which possess these properties. Tulbaghia violacea has been used for the treatment of a variety of illnesses including asthma, fever, oesophageal cancer, constipation and hypertension. This study investigated the antifungal nature of T.violacea on the morphology, spore germination and lipid synthesis of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. The results of this study showed that the plant extract inhibited A. flavus growth at a minimal inhibitory concentration of 15mg/ml and was fungicidal at 20mg/ml and above. A. parasiticus was not inhibited at 25mg/ml indicating resistance to the inhibitory component of the plant extract. A measure of metabolic activity using the XTT assay showed reduced metabolic activity in the presence of increasing concentrations of the plant extract. Higher extract concentrations resulted in higher percentage inhibition of fungal growth for both fungal species with up to 98 percent inhibition being observed for the highest extract concentrations for both fungi. Germination was also delayed in the presence of 15mg/ml plant extract concentration by up to 60hr for A. flavus and 48hr for A. parasititcus. The TEM results showed increased thickening of the cell wall with higher extract concentrations. The thickening was greater for A. flavus than for A. parasiticus. Cell wall thickening may be the reason for the delay in germination in both species. Lipid production was reduced in the presence of plant extracts when compared to the control. The plant extracts inhibited triglyceride production at 15mg/ml for both A. flavus and A. parasiticus. The results therefore indicate that T. violacea extracts are antifungal and probably affect germination through interactions with the cell wall. It is possible that the extract affects lipid production in Aspergillus species.

Resistance of human pathogenic bacterial strains results in selective pressure against known antibiotic. However, plant derived compounds that possess antibacterial potential are currently being investigated for treatment of wound infections in diabetic patients as they are inexpensive and non-toxic. Hence, this dissertation was designed to evaluate two medicinal plants (Brachylaena elliptica and Brachylaena ilicifolia) traditionally used in the treatment of various diseases such as diabetes, and its secondary complications in diabetic patients. The in vitro antioxidant activity of both plants were evaluated using DPPH (1, 1-diphenylhydrazl), ferric reducing power, ABTS (2, 2’-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), NO (nitric oxide) and H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) techniques. The antibacterial test and Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by agar dilution method against 5 bacteria strains (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogene, Proteus vulgaris and Proteus mirabilis) infecting wounds in diabetic patients using amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin as positive control. The phytochemical analyses were assessed using standard published methods. Identification of bioactive components in essential oils of both plants were assessed using GCMS. The aqueous and ethanol extracts of both plants were also evaluated to identify bioactive components using LC-MS. The results of the phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of phenols, tannins, flavanoids, flavanols, proanthocyanidins, saponins and alkaloids in both plants. Both plants indicated strong antioxidant activities which might be due to the presence of bioactive compounds. The aqueous and ethanol leaf extracts of both plants demonstrated appreciable broad spectrum activities against these wound pathogens with MIC ranging between 5 and 0.3 mg/ml. The GC-MS analysis of the essential oils of both plants revealed the presence of monoterpenes, oxygenated sesquiterpenes, phenolics and esters. The LC-MS analysis of the aqueous and ethanol leaf extracts of both plants showed that both plants are rich in alkaloids, terpenes, terpenoids, monoterpernoids, and flavanoids. Conclusively, this study has partially justified the ethnomedicinal use of B. elliptica and B.licifolia leaves for the treatment of various diseases, including diabetes and wound infections caused by bacteria in diabetic patients. These may be attributed to the presence of antioxidant compound such as phenols, flavanoids, saponins, tannins, alkaloids and other phytochemical compounds.

A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of phisophy in the Faculty of Arts, in the Department of IsiZulu naMagugu at the University of Zululand, 2004. / Lolu cwaningo luwumzamo wokuphonsa itshe esivivaneni sokushicilelwa nokulondolozwa kwalokho okungamagugu esizwe. Isizwe esingalondolozi amagugu nefa laso sinjengomuntu ovunule akangapheleia. Iqhaza lezimila emithini nasekudleni komdabu kumaZuiu kuyinto ebalulekile neyigugu. Kumele kubhekwe ngamehlo abanzi ukuze nezizukulwane ezizayo zilithole lela gugu zilisebenzise, kusimame isizwe. Uma isizwe sesibizwa ngesithuthukile leso sizwe sisuke kokuningi sikwazi ukuziphilisa ngalokho okuyifa namagugu aso. Izimila zingelinye lamafa amaZulu ngoba ngaphandle kokudla okuyisidingongqangi, nokwelapha kubalulekile. Kulezi zinsuku zanamuhia kubhoke indlala nezifo ezingomashayabhuqe, abantu bakhathazekile isizwe siyaphela. Inselelo le ebhekene nesizwe okumele siyihlangabeze ngolwazi nangesibindi. Bekungamele siqaiaze kude kodwa bekufanele sibheke esinakho sisebenzise khoaa kuxazululeke inkinga esikhungethe. Umcwaningi ubona sengathi iqhaza lezimila ekudleni nasemithini yomdabu lithanda ukushabalala. Impucuko yaseNtshonalanga yenza abantu abaningi babone sengathi ukudla komdabu kuyinto ephansi futhi kungukudla okungenamsoco. Umsoco bekucatshangwa ukuthi utholakala ekudleni kwesilungu kuphela. Iqhaza lezimila emithini yomdabu nalo futhi belibukelwa phansi. Bekubonakala sengathi imithi yesilungu yodwa engasetshenziswa ukwelapha abantu kulezi zinsuku, ngoba mhlawumbe kube nomuntu mumbe ongenalwazi ngemithi yesintu. Ukudla okunomsoco kugcina umuntu ephilile enamandla. Ukudla ukudla okungenamsoco kudala isizwe esingondlekile nesintekenteke. Uma kubhekwa lezi zimila zomdabu kubonakala kusuka izizwe phesheya kwezilwandle zizokwenza ucwaningo lapha kwaZulu-Natali zibuyele emuva ziyokwenza amaphilisi nemithi ngazo lezi zimila zethu. Lokho kufakazela iqiniso lokuthi, sicebile, sinefa, okumele siligcine silisebenzise ngokuyikho ukuxazulula tzinkinga esinazo njengesizwe samaZuIu. Ucwaningo luyindlela yokufika ekuxazululweni kwezinkinga ezisikhungethe. Inhlosongqangi yalolu cwaningo bekuwukucwaninga ngeqhaza lezimila ekudleni nasemithini yomdabu esizweni samaZulu. Inhloso exhanteleyo yona kuwukucwaninga ukuthi lungakanani ulwazi ngeqhaza lezimila ekudleni nasemithini yomdabu yesizwe samaZulu kotbisha abachibiyela izifundo zabo zokufundisa. Kusetshenziswe uhlelo nohiu lwemibuzo ukufeza ie nhloso. Kube sekubhekwa nalokho osekuke kwabhalwa ngeqhaza lezimila ekudleni nasemithini yomdabu. Kucwaningwe ngezimila ezinhlobonhlobo, ezidliwayo, ezinobuthi nalezo ezeiaphayo. Imfuyo nayo ayisalanga ngaphandle, kubukwe izhnila ezelapha imfuyo kanye nalezo eziyingozi emfuyweni. Imiphumela etholakele ibe isihlaziywa kwenziwa izincomo, kwaba isiphetho emva kwalokho.

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The study of isiZulu medicine names as reflected in indigenous healing system. This research focuses on the meaning of names of nsatural herbs in isiZulu language which form part of traditional medicine within the Zulu society. It plays an important role in the manifestation of a composite picture of Zulu society. This research also proposes to investigate isiZulu medicine as reflected in indigenous healing systems within th Zulu society which forms what is known as Zulu cosmoloy. the primary objective of this research is to contribute to an understanding of the ways in which humans use natural herbs and animal parts in constructing healthy life as part of healing practice. / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)

Traditionally, Sceletium tortuosum has been used as a medicine and for social and spiritual purposes. The genus is distributed in the south-western parts of South Africa. This project phytochemically analysed and characterised Sceletium plant extracts and determined if any extract showed anti-malarial properties. Extracts were prepared in ethanol and methanol and various compounds were purified using column chromatography with hexane and ethyl acetate as mobile phase. The structure of isolated compounds, including mesembrine, pinitol, sucrose, mesembrenone and obtusalin, was confirmed using NMR. The Plasmodium Lactate dehydrogenase assay was used to screen all extracts and mesembrine to show that four extracts showed antimalarial activity with activity values ranging between 1.47 μg/ml and 7.32 μg/ml, well below the 10 μg/ml cut off value. The study recommends extracting compounds from fresh plant material and further research as to anti-malarial activity of compounds isolated from Sceletium tortuosum / Life & Consumer Sciences / MSc. (Life Sciences)

Thesis (M.A. (African Languages)) --University of Limpopo, 2012 / Refer to the document