Magister Scientiae (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) / Plants have been used as medicine since antiquity. Passed on by word of mouth through the generations, this oral tradition is at risk of becoming extinct due to westernization and lack of documentation. The community in the Dwarsrivier valley is one such community who continues to use these medicinal plant remedies on a daily basis. However, these remedies are at risk of becoming extinct due to a lack of interest from the younger generation. The objectives of the study were to identify the plants used for medicinal purposes, provide an inventory and select several plants for elemental analysis and phytochemical screening. Individuals were selected based on their ethnobotanical knowledge and agreed to participate in the study. Over 40 individuals were interviewed from the four communities; Pniel, Lanquedoc, Meerlust and Kylemore. Of the 40 participants interviewed, 25 participants agreed to complete questionnaires. The survey yielded 53 plant species belonging to 31 families of which only 24 are indigenous. Although more exotic plants are used compared to indigenous, the indigenous plants were the more popular choice for medicinal use. Most plants belonged to the Lamiaceae family followed by Asteraceae, Alliaceae, Apiaceae and Rosaceae. The most popular plants in terms of ranking are Agathosma crenulata followed by Artemisia afra and Helichrysum petiolare. This is the first report of Protea cynaroides, Cissus rhombifolia, Canna spp. and Dilatris viscosa used for medicinal purposes.

Background. As a result of the AIDS pandemic, many people areimmuno compromised andopportunistic fungal infections (OFIs) such as candidiasis are common. Despite the widespread use of medicinal plants in South Africa, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding the use of such plants in the management of these infections. This study evaluates three South African medicinal plants (Arctotis arctotoides, Pittosporum viridiflorum, and Gasteria bicolor) traditionally used in the treatment of OFIs in HIV/AIDS patients, in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Materials and methods. A six-stage process of documentation, evaluation and analysis of results was conducted: (1) Selection of medicinal plants most frequently used in the treatment of OFIs through ethnomedical studies and the survey of specialised literature; (2) Collection and preparation of the extract of each plant; (3) Antifungal evaluation of the crude plant extracts. (4) Phytochemical and antioxidant evaluation of the active crude plant extracts; (5) Cytotoxicity evaluation of the bioactive extracts using the Chang liver cell line, and (6) Statistical analysis of the results. Ethnobotanical information was obtained through interviews with traditional healers and AIDS patients with the aid of semi-structured questionnaires, direct observations and by reviewing studies reported in the literature. Following the approval from the University of Fort Hare‘s Ethics Committee, 101 HIV/AIDS patients were recruited through convenience sampling into an anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire study. The agar diffusion and micro-dilution methods were used to determine the antifungal activities of the hexane, acetone and aqueous extracts of A. arctotoides, G. bicolor and P. viridiflorum against 10 opportunistic fungi.

Malaria affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and equally claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year. With the current spread of drug resistance to standard antimalarial drugs like chloroquine and the emergence of artemisinin-resistant parasites, new antimalarial drugs and formulations are urgently needed. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in this study in search of novel compounds with promising antiplasmodial activity. Using the ethnobotanical approach, a total of 61 plant species from 59 genera distributed in 34 plant families were found to be used traditionally for the treatment of malaria in Nigeria. Biological evaluation of the plant¿s methanolic extracts was assessed using the parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) assay against the chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) and chloroquine-resistant (K1) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. A total of five (5) plant species showed more potent antiplasmodial activities against the malaria parasites. These are Acanthospermum hispidum, Cassia occidentalis, Kaempferia aethiopica Prosopis africana and Physalis angulata with MIC values ranging between 7.815µg/ml to 31.25µg/ml (3D7 strain) and 15.63µg/ml to 62.50µg/ml (K1 strain) against the malaria parasites, respectively. Two plants, Prosopis africana (Leguminosae-mimosoideae) and Physalis angulata (Solanaceae) were selected for further study. The phytochemical investigation of the active chloroform extracts of P. africana and P. angulata yielded several compounds with three known alkaloids, namely, prosopinine (I), prosopine (II) and acetamide (III). Their structures were confirmed by MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. Compounds I, II and III have moderate in vitro antiplasmodial activity against the malaria parasites. Both chloroquine and artemether were used as standard control. / Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (Commonwealth Scholarship Reference Number: NGCS-2005-259).

La richesse moléculaire des végétaux constitue une source importante de molécules tinctoriales et bioactives d'origine naturelle, utilisées depuis toujours par les artisans et tradipraticiens dans le domaine artisanal et thérapeutique. Ces travaux contribuent principalement à l’étude chimique de cinq plantes tinctoriales : T. grandis, L. inermis, K. senegalensis, I. tinctoria et P. cyanescens, lesquelles représentent les plus employées par les artisans à l'issue d'une enquête ethnobotanique réalisée au Sud-Est du Bénin. Un essai d'optimisation des conditions d’extraction des colorants de T. grandis assistée par ultrasons a été effectué et comparée à trois autres techniques utilisées conventionnellement. Ce procédé a été établi comme le plus simple, rapide, efficace et donnant le rendement le plus important en colorants jaunes et rouges extraits des plantes étudiées, en comparaison aux extractions classiques. De la même manière, il a été mis au point un procédé d'extraction de l’indigotine par usage du dithionite de sodium. Il a pu être démontré que ce procédé permet d'extraire rapidement et efficacement cette molécule à partir de P. cyanescens comparativement à l'emploi de solvants organiques usuels. Une étude fondamentale sur l’identification des colorants extraits à partir des plantes étudiées a été effectuée. Une approche chromatographique utilisant la CLHP/UV-Vis a permis d’identifier la catéchine et l'épicatéchine ainsi que des acides phénoliques, constitutifs des tanins quantitativement caractéristiques des espèces K. senegalensis et L. inermis. En outre, la lawsone et des flavones ont été identifiées dans L. inermis. Il a été caractérisé en plus de la tectoquinone, trois autres anthraquinones Ta, Tb et Tc dont les structures n'ont pas été élucidées, à ce jour, ainsi que des flavonoïdes dont cinq n'ont jamais été décrits dans littérature de T. grandis. Quant aux plantes à indigo, elles se différencient non seulement par la teneur en indigoïdes issue de leurs divers extraits mais aussi par trois flavonoïdes identifiés spécifiquement dans P. cyanescens. L’ensemble de ces résultats expérimentaux a pu être appliqué avec succès à l’étude de colorants extraits à partir d'échantillons prélevés sur des objets du patrimoine notamment des masques, statuettes et textiles provenant de collections muséales, ce qui a contribué à la détermination de leur origine minérale et botanique. Par ailleurs, des tests chimiques sur des fractions plus ou moins enrichies en molécules colorantes issues des plantes étudiées ont permis l'évaluation des propriétés pharmacologiques réalisés in-vitro révélant une activité antioxydante et cytotoxique sur les cellules cancéreuses MCF-7 et IGROV / Molecular plant wealth is an important source of dyes and naturally occurring bioactive molecules, have always been used by artisans and crafts and traditional healers in the therapeutic field. This work contributes mainly to the chemical study of five dye plants: T. grandis, L. inermis, K. senegalensis, I. tinctoria and P. cyanescens, which represent the most used by the artisans at from a ethnobotanical study conducted in southeastern Benin. An optimization of the extraction conditions dyes from T. grandis assisted ultrasonic tests was carried out and compared with three other techniques conventionally used. This process has been established as the simplest, quick, efficient and providing the most important yield in yellow and red dyes extracted from plants studied, in comparison to conventional extractions. Similarly, a method of indigotine extraction using sodium dithionite has been developed. It could be shown that this method can extract quickly and efficiently indigotine from P. cyanescens compared to the use of conventional organic solvents. A fundamental study of the identification of dyes extracted from plants studied was performed. Chromatographic approach using HPLC / UV-Vis permits to identify catechin and epicatechin and phenolic acids, tannins constituent species characteristics quantitatively and K. senegalensis and L. inermis. Furthermore, lawsone and flavones have been identified in L. inermis. It was further characterized by the tectoquinone, three other anthraquinones Ta, Tb and Tc whose structures have not been elucidated and flavonoids which five were never been described in literature of T. grandis. As for indigo plants, they differ not only by the content of their various end indigoid extracts but also specifically identified by three flavonoids in P. cyanescens. All these experimental results have been successfully applied to the study of dyes extracted from samples of objects including heritage masks, statuettes and textiles from museum collections, which contributed to the determination of their mineral and botanical origin. Furthermore, evaluation of the pharmacological properties, by chemical tests in vitro and antioxidant showed cytotoxic activity on cancer cells MCF-7, IGROV and very important fraction of more or less enriched in the dye molecules from plants tested

Thesis (M. Sc. (Botany)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / The aim of the study was to investigate medicinal plants used for the treatment of various ailments by the traditional healers and local people and to determine antifungal activities against animal fungal pathogens. Ethnobotanical survey was conducted to identify medicinal plants used by local people and traditional healers to treat various ailments in Makhado Local Municipality, Vhembe District, Limpopo, South Africa. A questionnaire was designed to gather information on the local name of plants, plant parts used and the methods of preparation and administration by the traditional healers. In our findings, sixty-three medicinal plants belonging to thirty-three families were identified to be used for treatment of various diseases such as chest complaint, sexual transmitted infections, headache, swollen legs, hypertension, blood purification, asthma, and infertility. Specific parts of the plant used for medicinal purposes vary from species to species and from one traditional healer to another. The dominant families were Fabaceae, Celastraceae and Euphorbiaceae. Of the sixty-three plants species identified, trees were the most predominant plant form (53%), followed by shrubs (23%), herbs (14%), and climbers (10%). Root, fruit, bark, leaves, seeds and in some instances the whole plant are used for the preparation of medicine while decoction and infusion were the general methods of preparation. The mode of administration of medicine was mainly oral. The most frequently used plant species were Warbugia salutaris (Bertol.f.) Chiov, Sclerocarya birrea (A.Rich) Hochst and Eleondron transvaalense (Burtt Davy) R.H. Archer. Eight plant species (Asparagus buchananii Bak., Albuca seineri (Engl. & K.Krause) J.C Manning & Goldblatt, Elephantorrhiza elephantina (Burch.) Skeels, Indigofera circinnata Benth, Maerua juncea Pax, Pentarrhinum insipidum E. Mey., Senna italica Mill. and Schinus molle L.) were selected based on the information given by the local people and the traditional healers for further phytochemical analysis and microbiological assays. Antifungal activities of the selected plant species were determined against three fungal pathogens namely, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Of the tested plant species, hexane leaf extracts of M. juncea, ethyl acetate leaf extracts of S. italica, A. buchananii and E. elephantina were the most active against Candida albicans, Cryptococcus v neoformans and Aspergillus fumigatus with Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging between 0.02 mg/ml and 0.08 mg/ml. Bioautography assay was used to determine the number of active compounds in the plant extracts. No active compounds were observed in some plant extracts against the tested animal fungal pathogens indicating possible synergism. The most promising plant species were: A. buchananii, A. seineri and M. juncea, all had shown good activity with 4 compounds against A. fumigatus. Acetone and methanol extracts had the same active compounds visible on bioautograms. Most of the active compounds were observed in TLC chromatograms developed Benzene: ethanol: ammonia hydroxide (BEA) eluent solvent system. Based on excellent antifungal activity against the tested microorganisms, leaf extracts of A. buchananii, A. seineri M. juncea, P. insipidum and root extracts of I. circinnata were also tested for cytotoxicity against the Vero kidney cells. All plant extracts investigated were relatively not toxic against the cells with LC50 ranging between 0.131 mg/ml and  1 mg/ml. Water extracts of A. buchananii, A. seineri and M. juncea had LC50  1 mg/ml. The leaf aqueous extracts of P. insipidum were less toxic than root aqueous extracts of I. circinnata with LC50 of 0.65 mg/ml and 0.49 mg/ml against the Vero kidney cells respectively. The results indicate that the local people and traditional healers in Makhado Local Municipality use medicinal plants and their indigenous knowledge on the treatment of fungal infections and related ailments. / University of Limpopo and National Research Foundation (NRF)

Despite decades of intense research, malaria remains a deadly worldwide disease. Resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to chemical treatment still remains important. Efforts are now being directed towards the discovery and development of new chemically diverse anti-malarial agents. In the course of the search for new antimalarial compounds, a study of plants traditionally used against malaria by the people inhabiting the forests located near Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India was made, which permitted the identification of 34 plants currently used. Among these, 27 plants were selected for testing for antiplasmodial activity aimed at identifying the most effective plants for further research. Also, their activities were compared with 27 randomly collected plant species in order to asess the value of an ethno-medical approach.

Association of Commonwealth Universities. Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. United Kingdom.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Nowadays, obesity is an endemic condition of great importance and the treatment of obesity includes many pharmacological or non-pharmacological alternatives. Medicinal plants are found between these alternatives and many plants are used for this purpose in Brazil, but the ethnobotanical studies are restricted to isolated regions and no study was performed to integrate these information, in order to give direction to scientific studies. In this context, in the present study it was conducted a systematic review about the use of medicinal plants in Brazil for obesity and weight loss. We have used the terms ethnobotanical , obesity , weight loss , Brazil and their variations in English and Portuguese for searching for papers in scientific databases. Thirty-one studies were identified and indicated 43 species popularly utilized to this purpose. The main species found were Baccharis trimera (Less.) DC. ( carqueja , 14 citations), Annona muricata L. ( graviola , 6 citations) and Hancornia speciosa Gomes ( mangabeira , 4 citations). Scarce scientific evidence was found for the majority of plants referred by the ethnobotanical surveys, which strengthened the need for more studies in this field. Interestingly, H. speciosa was the third plant more cited and the ethnobotanical surveys have demonstrated that the bark of H. speciose is the part of the plant that is popularly used to treat obesity or induce body weight loss. As there are no study that support the possible actions of this plant on obesity and/or weight loss, the present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of aqueous extract of the stem bark of H. speciosa (AEHS) on the glycemic and adipogenic profiles of obese mice. For this purpose, Swiss mice were divided into four groups that received standard diet (SD), standard diet plus AEHS (SDE), high-fat diet (HD) and high-fat diet plus AEHS (HDE). The EAHS was administered in the drinking water for the last 8 weeks of a total period of 18 weeks that animals received their diets. At the end of the experiment, the water and food intake, body weight, weight of adipose tissue pads, blood glucose levels, insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance were evaluated. Data demonstrated the development of obesity in animals of group HD, which was associated to insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, since this group showed increased area over the curve for insulin (p < 0.01) and glucose (p < 0.001) tolerance tests, along with augmented fasting blood glucose levels (p < 0.05) when compared to SD group. Besides, HD group showed increased weight of retroperitoneal (p < 0.05), perirenal (p < 0.001) and periepididymal (p < 0.05) adipose pads, as well as augmented the adiposity index (p < 0.05), in comparison with SD group. The addition of AEHS to mice did not changed the liquid or food intake, but it was not possible to observe difference between HD and HDE groups in the majority of the parameters evaluated. This treatment only caused a reduction in the weight of perirenal adipose pad, without affection the adiposity index. In this way, AEHS did not change the effects caused by the induction of obesity in mice, in contrast to ethnobotanical studies that indicate the use of the bark of H. speciosa in obesity and body weight loss. / A obesidade é uma condição endêmica, de grande importância nos dias atuais e para seu tratamento muitas alternativas farmacológicas ou não-farmacológicas são utilizadas. Dentre estas alternativas, encontram-se as plantas medicinais. Várias plantas são utilizadas para este fim no Brasil, mas os estudos etnobotânicos são restritos a regiões isoladas e não há na literatura estudos integrando estas informações para direcionar os estudos científicos. Neste contexto, no presente estudo foi realizada uma revisão sistemática sobre o uso de plantas medicinais no Brasil para a obesidade e perda de peso. Foram feitas buscas em bases de dados científicos com os termos ethnobotanical , obesity , weight loss , Brazil e suas variações em inglês e português e foram identificados 31 estudos que indicaram 43 espécies utilizadas popularmente para o fim proposto. As principais espécies encontradas foram Baccharis trimera (Less.) DC. ( carqueja , 14 citações), Annona muricata L. ( graviola , 6 citações) e Hancornia speciosa Gomes ( mangabeira , 4 citações). Poucas evidências científicas foram encontradas para a maioria das plantas citadas nos estudos etnobotânicos, alertando para a necessidade de pesquisas para este fim. De forma interessante, a H. speciosa foi a terceira planta mais citada e os estudos etnobotânicos têm demonstrado que a casca do caule desta planta é a parte utilizada pela população para tratar a obesidade ou produzir perda de peso corpóreo. Como não há estudos que comprovem as ações desta planta sobe a obesidade e/ou perda de peso, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo principal investigar o potencial terapêutico do extrato aquoso da casca do caule da H. speciosa (EAHS) no perfil glicêmico e adipogênico de camundongos obesos. Para cumprir este objetivo, foram utilizados camundongos Swiss divididos em 4 grupos que receberam dieta padrão (DP), dieta padrão associada ao EAHS (DPE), dieta hiperlipídica (DH) e dieta hiperlipídica associada ao EAHS (DHE). O EAHS foi administrado na água de beber durante as 8 últimas semanas de um período total de 18 semanas em que os animais receberam as respectivas dietas. Ao final do experimento foram avaliados o consumo hídrico e de ração, peso corporal, peso dos coxins adiposos, glicemia, sensibilidade à insulina e tolerância à glicose. Foi observado o desenvolvimento de obesidade nos animais do grupo DH, associado à resistência à insulina e intolerância à glicose, pois este grupo apresentou maior área sob a curva nos testes de tolerância à insulina (p < 0,001) e à glicose (p < 0,001), além de maior glicemia de jejum (p < 0,05), quando comparado ao grupo DP. Além disso, o grupo DH mostrou aumento da massa dos coxins retroperitoneal (p < 0,05), perirenal (p < 0,001) e periepididimal (p < 0,05), bem como elevou o índice de adiposidade (p < 0,05) em comparação ao grupo DP. A adição do EAHS não alterou a ingestão hídrica ou consumo de ração dos animais, porém não foi possível observar diferença entre os grupos DH e DHE na grande maioria dos parâmetros avaliados. Este tratamento apenas reduziu significativamente a massa do coxim adiposo perirenal, sem afetar o índice de adiposidade. Dessa forma, o EAHS não alterou os efeitos causados pela indução da obesidade em camundongos, contrastando com os estudos etnobotânicos que indicam o uso da casca da H. speciosa na obesidade e na perda de massa corpórea.