Submitted in complete fulfillment for the Degree of Master of Technology: Biotechnology, Durban University of Technology, 2013. / The biosynthesis of NPs has many advantages over the tedious, expensive and toxic physical and chemical methods of synthesis. Plants are stocked with valuable metabolites that are capable of reducing metal salts to form NPs. In this study, aqueous leaf extracts of A. dubius, G. perpensa, C. roseus and C. triloba were reacted with AgNO3 and HAuCl4 to determine the plants reducing abilities and hence synthesis of Ag and Au NPs capabilities. The synthesis reactions were carried out at different temperatures and extract concentrations for optimization. The goal was to form NPs within the specific wavelength range. Polar solvents: methanol and ethyl acetate extractions were carried out at the optimized conditions to evaluate the best solvent for the extraction of phytochemicals from the plants. The plant leaf extracts that were successful (A. dubius, G. perpensa and C. triloba) in synthesizing NPs were then micropropagated to form callus cultures. The reducing abilities of these callus cultures extracts were determined by varying temperature and concentration parameters. Characterization of the NPs formed by the different extracts was performed using UV-vis, TEM and FTIR. UV-vis spectrophotometry was used as a confirmatory as well as characterizing tool. TEM analysis was able to provide a description on the size and shape of the NPs whereas FTIR provided information on the biomolecules responsible for synthesis and capping of NPs. The stability of the NPs was determined by UV-vis scans over a period of 30 days which allowed observation of the alteration in peak shape and absorbance and hence condition of particles. Phytochemical tests were performed on the leaf extracts of the four plants to elucidate possible phytochemicals responsible for the reduction of metal salts. Antibacterial activity of the NPs was evaluated by using the disk diffusion assay and MICs were determined by the broth dilution method against pathogenic bacteria. A. dubius, G. perpensa and C. triloba were capable of synthesizing Ag NPs and Au NPs which were indicated by yellowish orange and reddish purple colour changes respectively. G. perpensa was able to spontaneously form Ag and Au NPs without any addition of heat whereas A. dubius and C. triloba required heat to form Au NPs. As the temperature of the reactions increased, the absorbance and possibly the number of NPs produced, increased. When the concentration of the extract was doubled, the absorbance was seen to decrease. C. roseus did not produce any Ag or Au NPs with any of the leaf extracts. Only A. dubius and C. triloba callus extracts were investigated for NP synthesis and it was found that A. dubius callus extracts were unsuccessful in synthesizing NPs and C. triloba callus extracts were able to form unstable Ag and Au NPs. The spherical Ag NPs that were formed from aqueous extracts of A. dubius were slightly larger than the methanolic Ag NPs. The Ag NPs produced by G. perpensa were in the same size range for aqueous and methanolic extracts. C. triloba Ag NPs formed from the methanolic extract were closer in size to A. dubius aqueous Ag NPs but the C. triloba aqueous extract produced much larger Ag NPs than the other extracts. The Ag NPs produced from A. dubius aqueous and methanolic extracts as well as C. triloba methanolic extracts exhibited the longest stability of 30 days. Ag NPs from G. perpensa aqueous extracts had the least stability. G. perpensa did not form any hexagonal Au NPs and the spherical and triangular Au NPs were smaller unlike in A. dubius and C. triloba Au NPs. The Au NPs formed by the aqueous extracts of A. dubius and C. triloba were larger in comparison to their methanolic counterparts. The Au NPs produced from G. perpensa aqueous and methanolic extracts as well as A. dubius and C. triloba methanolic extracts exhibited the longest stability of 30 days. Au NPs were stable for longer in comparison to Ag NPs. FTIR provided evidence that Ag and Au NPs have a chemical bond with the amide group in amino acids. However the intensities of biomolecules for Au NPs are more pronounced compared to the Ag NPs. It was also found that the Ag NPs synthesized by methanolic leaf extracts have slightly higher intensities than Ag NPs synthesized from aqueous leaf extracts. Phytochemical screening showed the absence of tannins in the C. roseus leaf, A. dubius and C. triloba callus extracts and presence in the other three plants. C. triloba methanolic extract Ag NPs showed the highest activity against Gram-positive S. aureus. Aqueous and methanolic Ag NPs from G. perpensa and C. triloba as well as A. dubius methanolic Ag NPs had activity against all fourteen bacteria. A. dubius aqueous Ag NPs had no activity against Enterobacter spp. and a strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae. G. perpensa Ag NPs had better antibacterial activity and lower MICs against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria compared to A. dubius and C. triloba. There was no antibacterial activity seen with Au NPs. The size and shape of NPs are the keys to their biomedical properties. Green synthesis of NPs is a feasible way for the future. This study showed that NPs can be synthesized very easily and economically. A key finding of this study is that different plants produce varying sizes and aggregation of NPs. / National Research Foundation

Dissertation submitted in fulfilment for the requirements of the Degree of Master of Technology in Biomedical Technology, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / Introduction Medicinal plants have been used for centuries as remedies for human diseases because they contain components of therapeutic value. Recently, the acceptance of traditional medicine as an alternative form of health care and the development of microbial resistance to the available antibiotics have led scientists to investigate the antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of extracts obtained from medicinal plants used in traditional medicine. A comparative study was carried out on the antimicrobial properties of extracts obtained by two different methods in order to choose that which extracts the most effective antimicrobial compounds. Methodology The plants used in this study Artemisia afra, Erythrina lysistemon and Psidium guajava were harvested from the Silverglen Nature Reserve (Chatsworth) early in the morning (8 a.m.). The leaves of A. afra and P. guajava extracts and the bark of E. Lysistemon were used to prepare the extracts. All plant extracts were prepared according to modified method of the German Homeopathic Pharmacopoea. Two solvents, water and 60 percent ethanol were used to extract the antibacterial compounds from plant material. The extracts were then assessed for their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. The effect of the plant extracts on these bacteria was determined by the disk diffusion test, which was used as the screening test. Positive results were further subjected to the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration assays. Tubes that showed no turbidity were then sub-cultured onto non-selective plates. Bacterial sensitivity testing was carried out in accordance with modified Kirby-Bauer Antimicrobial Sensitivity Test. An attempt was made to identify some antibacterial compounds using Thin Layer Chromatography and High Pressure Liquid Chromatography. Results None of the gram negative organisms were inhibited by Artemisia afra, Erythrina cafra and Psidium guajava. Only the ethanol extracts of all three plants were able to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus but not Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas auruginosa. None of the test organisms were inhibited by the aqueous extracts of all three plants used in this study. In the screening test, the zones of inhibition for ethanol extracts against Staphylococcus aureus ranged from 3mm – 7mm. The minimum inhibitory concentration ranged from 16.67 percent – 83.3 percent inhibition depending on the dilution of the extract. Quercetin and Catechin were identified as some of the antibacterial compounds present in the leaves of Psidium guajava. These two compounds were not identified on Erythrina lysistemon and Artemisia afra. Conclusion The results obtained in this study have proven that Artemisia afra, Erythrina cafra and Psidium guajava ethanol extracts contain antibacterial substances. The ethanol extracts of all plants in this study inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus but had no effect on the gram negative bacteria. Aqueous plant did not inhibit the growth of any bacteria in this study. This study has also shown that antibacterial effect of these extracts may be considerably enhanced in traditional treatment if traditional healers can include ethanol as one of the extraction solvents. The results obtained in this study might be considered sufficient for further studies aimed at isolating and identifying the active compounds and evaluating possible synergism of antimicrobial activity among these extracts. Investigations on toxicity of these extracts should also be carried out.

Submitted in fulfillment for the Degree of Doctor of Technology: Biotechnology, Durban University of Technology, 2010. / Ceratatheca triloba (Bernh.) E. Mey. Ex Hook. f. is one of four species that is common to the summer rainfall areas in South Africa, especially the grasslands. It is used in traditional medicine to treat stomach cramps, nausea, fever and diarrhea. Like many other plants used in the traditional medicine system, these uses are not justified through scientific investigations. This study was undertaken to characterize the functionality of the main bioactive compounds from Ceratatheca triloba. This was achieved by isolating and identifying predominant chemicals from the non polar extracts using conventional chromatography techniques. Once identified the crude extracts and identified compounds were tested for their antimicrobial, anti-oxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity and anticancer activity. This was followed by investigating the safety of the crude extracts and the purified compounds by the Brine shrimp lethality assay, and its toxicity to HepG2 cells and the Salmonella mutagenecity test. For large scale production, we set up a protocol to produce 9, 10 anthracenedione in a cell suspension culture system. Following the complete chemical profile of the roots, stems, flowers and leaves the predominant compounds were isolated, characterized and identified by UV-Vis, IR, EI-LCMS and NMR (COSY, HMQC, HMBC and DEPT). Three anthraquinone derivatives and one steroid, 9, 10 anthracenedione, 1-hydroxy-4-methylanthraquinone, 5, 8-dimethoxy-2, 3, 10, 10a-tetrahydro-1H-phenanthrene-4, 9-dione and androst-5-ene-3, 17, 19-triol were determine by analysis of spectral data (UV, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and EI-LC-MS) 9, 10 anthracenedione and 1 hydroxy-4-methylanthraquinone showed antibacterial activity against S.aureus, M. luteus, B cureus and E. coli. Due to the synergistic effect of the individual compounds, the crude extract exhibited good potency (>500) against S.aureus and M. luteus, medium potency against E. coli. and S. typhimurium (<100) and very low potency against B cureus (<10). Although a similar trend was observed for 9, 10 anthracenedione and 1 hydroxy-4-methylanthraquinone unlike the crude extract. A very low potency against S.aureus for 9, 10 anthracenedione and a high potency for 1 hydroxy-4-methylanthraquinone. Thus 9, 10 anthracenedione is an effective drug against E. coli and S. typhimurium and 1 hydroxy-4-methylanthraquinone is effective against S.aureus and M. luteus. The crude root extracts and 9, 10 anthracenedione, 1 hydroxy-4-methylanthraquinone, 8-dimethoxy-2, 3, 10, 10a-tetrahydro-1H-phenanthrene-4 showed a ± 50% reduction of the free radicals. No anti-inflammatory activity was observed. The purified extracts showed moderate toxicity against HepG2 cells at high concentrations and no toxicity was observed against brine shimp larvae. No mutagenecity was observed with the crude extracts using the Ames test. All purified and crude extracts showed potent inhibition of the human topoisomerase II enzyme. In conclusion, although this study does not indicate any relationship to its traditional usage it provides valuable information that paves a way for commercial exploitation of C. triloba. 9, 10 anthracenedione and 1 hydroxy-4-methylanthraquinone can be used as antibacterial agents. Their antioxidative potential can be exploited for anti-cancer as in many cancers reactive oxygen species are implicated in the aetiology of these cancers. Furthermore, in this study 9, 10 anthracenedione was produced from both callus cultures and cell suspension cultures. This compound demonstrates potent anti-topoisomerase II activity which is vital to cancer treatment. Thus, the synergistic effect of 9, 10 anthracenedione and 1 hydroxy-4-methylanthraquinone as antibacterial, anti-oxidative and anti-cancer compounds demonstrate the importance of C. triloba. / Centre for Research Capacity Development ; National Research Foundation

Thesis (Ph. D. (Microbiology)) --University of Limpopo, 2019 / Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top ten diseases that causes morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although TB is curable, the main problem currently with TB is development resistance to the current chemotherapy. Medicinal plants, as a source of drugs, have been found to cause less or no resistance. Medicinal plants are studied and considered for their efficacy and safety because they possess bioactive compounds with various biological activities. The aim of the study was to isolate and characterise bioactive compounds from selected seven plant species [A. dimidiata (LNBG 1969/46), A. afra (LNBG 2010/27), Z. capense (LNBG 1969/100), C. herorense (LNBG 1977/71), L. javanica (LNBG 1969/460), E. camaldulensis and C. lemon (UNIN 12330)] with activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis, Multi- drug resistant tuberculosis starain and H37Rv Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain. It was also imperative to determine whether crude extracts, sub- fractions of the extracts and the isolated bioactive compounds are cytotoxic or not. Leaves of the seven selected plants were collected from South African National Botanical Institute (SANBI) at Nelspruit, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The leaves were dried and milled to fine powder. The leaves of each plant were extracted using solvents of varying polarity (i.e. hexane, dichloromethane, acetone and methanol). Phytochemical screening was done using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) developed in three mobile phases varying in polarity and then sprayed with vanillin sulphuric acid in methanol heated at 110oC for optimal colour development. Qualitative antioxidant activity was determined by using 1,2- diphenylpicryl hydrazyl (DPPH) assay on TLC plates. Antimycobacterial activity for all the plant extracts was done using bioautography assay in qualitative analysis of the active compounds and for quantitative analysis, the microplate dilution assay was used. The plants which showed better activity (C. lemon, C. hereroense and A. dimidiata) with the microplate dilution assay and bioautography were further subjected to solvent- solvent fractionation as the first step towards isolation of bioactive compounds. Synergistic, additive, indifferent and antagonistic effects of the crude extracts combinations of the three selected plants was determined. The combinations where A. dimdiata was also part of the combinations frequently showed synergistic effect. On the other hand, with the combinations of C. hereroense and A. dimdidata (CH-AD) there was no antagonistic effect observed. The combinations of crude extracts of C. lemon and A. dimidiata all showed synergistic effect, except for only three combinations. Based on the synergistic effect observed and the bioactivity on the bioautography and microplate dilution assay of the sub- fractions, A. dimidiata was chosen for further analysis for antimycobacterial activity using the MDR- TB strain and M. tuberculosis H37Rv strain. The sub- fractions of A. dimidiata with the most activity were hexane and butanol. Hexane and butanol fractions both showed good MIC activity against the TB isolated M. tuberculosis field strain and H37Rv strain of 0.47 and 031 mg/ml, respectively. Butanol fraction was further taken for isolation using open colum chromatography doing bioassay guided isolation. The isolated compounds, together with the crude were tested for their biological activity using MTT assay to determine their cytotoxicity and antimycobacterial activity assay to confirm their activity against M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis. Cytotoxicity assay showed that the crude extracts of A. dimidiate were toxic against the Vero kidney cells and the subfractions (i.e. butanol and hexane) became moderate to non-toxic and one compound (oleanolic acid) from the butanol sub-fraction was non- cytotoxic. This indicates that the isolation of the crude extracts tends to become non- toxic to the cells. The study suggests the use of pure compounds to fight against TB as compared to crude extracts since they are both bioactive and non- cytotoxic. Crude extracts combinations were effective in killing Mycobacterium as compared to single crude extracts. The present study recommends the use of A. dimidiata plant leaves crude extracts combinations as they mostly exhibit synergistic effect. Furthermore, Mycobacterium and also contain non- cytotoxic antimycobacterial compound (oleanolic acid). The study serves as a scientific proof for the use of this plant in traditional medicine for TB treatment.

This thesis explores the robustness and the versatility of pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) for a variety of analytes and matrices. Applications discussed include: selective extraction of alkaloids in goldenseal followed by their degradation studies; in-cell clean-up of pesticides in medicinal plants employing custom made molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) sorbents; in-cell pre-concentration followed by desorption of aflatoxins in plants with MIPs; desorption of pesticides from electrospun nanofiber sorbents; and removal of templates from MIPs sorbents. It was demonstrated that selective extractions could be achieved by just changing the temperature of water while adjusting the pressure. For instance, the alkaloids in goldenseal (hydrastine and berberine), were extracted at 140 °C, 50 bars, 1 mL min⁻¹ in 15 min; organochlorine pesticides from medicinal plants were extracted at 260 °C, 80 bars, 1 mL min-1 in 10 min; while aflatoxins AFG2, AFG1, AFB2 and AFB1 were extracted at 180 °C, 60 bars and a flow rate of 0.5 mL min⁻¹ in 10 min. The selectivity of PHWE was further enhanced by combining it with selective MIPs sorbents at higher temperatutes. In-cell clean-up of interfering chlorophyll was successfully removed from the medicinal plants during pesticides analysis while clean-up of aflatoxins AFG2, AFG1, AFB2 and AFB1 was achieved in two extraction cells connected in series. Ultrasound was also combined with PHWE for extraction of hydrastine and berberine at 80 °C and 40 bars in 30 min. PHWE was further evaluated for removal of templates from quercetin, phthalocynine and chlorophyll MIPs. The templates were thoroughly washed off their MIPs within 70 min with PHWE compared to over 8 h for Soxhlet and ultrasound assisted extraction. Pesticides were also desorbed from electrospun nanofibers at 260 °C, 80 bars in 10 min employing only water at 0.5 mL min⁻¹. In the light of green chemistry, the decrease in the usage of organic solvents was 100%, resulting in no organic solvent waste.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Biotechnology)-Dept. of Biotechnology, Durban University of Technology, 2007 xi, 114 leaves / Eighteen traditionally leafy vegetables consumed as food or medicinal compounds by a majority of people in the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa were analysed for the presence of potentially harmful chemicals (antinutrients) and for their toxicity and mutagenicity. The purpose of the study was to determine whether leafy vegetables were safe for human consumption. Chemical analysis showed that none of the vegetables contained cyanogenic glycosides, however all the vegetables contained oxalic acid ranging from 24.1 mg/ml to 798.2 mg/ml with Solanum nigrum, Portulaca oleracea and Mormodica balsamina showing the highest concentrations. Most of the vegetables contained negligible amounts of phytic acid and saponins, except for Momordica balsamina (3.01 mg/ml and 1.83 mg/ml, respectively). Fourteen of the plants contained alkaloids with Portulaca oleracea having the highest content (1.53 g total alkaloids/5 g leaf material). Eight of the plants were found to inhibit trypsin activity. These chemical analyses were carried out in duplicate and the mean and standard deviation were used. The Ames test revealed that none of the leafy vegetables produced a mutagenic frequency above 1, except 10 000 µg/ml organic extract of Senna occidentalis (mutagenecity considered at mutagenic frequency above 2), thus none were considered mutagenic. All 18 organic extracts did not kill off more than 50% brine shrimp and were thus considered non-toxic. On the other hand the aqueous extracts of seven vegetables, namely, Physalis viscosa, Amaranthus dubius, Justicia flava, Bidens pilosa, Senna occidentalis, Chenopodium album and Ceratotheca triloba, killed more than 50% of the shrimp and are thus considered toxic above 100 µg/ml. The MTT assay carried out on the organic extracts indicated that 17 vegetables did not kill off more than 50% of HepG2 cells and were thus considered non-cytotoxic. The aqueous extracts of four vegetables, namely, Justicia flava, Asystasia gangetica, Momordica balsamin and Senna occidentalis, however killed more than 50% of the shrimp and were thus considered cytotoxic above 1 000 µg/ml. It may be concluded from the antinutrient analyses and the bioassays on the 18 vegetables that caution needs to be maintained with the consumption of certain leafy vegetables included in this study, especially Senna occidentalis.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Biotechnology)-Dept. of Biotechnology, Durban University of Technology, 2007 xi, 114 leaves / Eighteen traditionally leafy vegetables consumed as food or medicinal compounds by a majority of people in the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa were analysed for the presence of potentially harmful chemicals (antinutrients) and for their toxicity and mutagenicity. The purpose of the study was to determine whether leafy vegetables were safe for human consumption. Chemical analysis showed that none of the vegetables contained cyanogenic glycosides, however all the vegetables contained oxalic acid ranging from 24.1 mg/ml to 798.2 mg/ml with Solanum nigrum, Portulaca oleracea and Mormodica balsamina showing the highest concentrations. Most of the vegetables contained negligible amounts of phytic acid and saponins, except for Momordica balsamina (3.01 mg/ml and 1.83 mg/ml, respectively). Fourteen of the plants contained alkaloids with Portulaca oleracea having the highest content (1.53 g total alkaloids/5 g leaf material). Eight of the plants were found to inhibit trypsin activity. These chemical analyses were carried out in duplicate and the mean and standard deviation were used. The Ames test revealed that none of the leafy vegetables produced a mutagenic frequency above 1, except 10 000 µg/ml organic extract of Senna occidentalis (mutagenecity considered at mutagenic frequency above 2), thus none were considered mutagenic. All 18 organic extracts did not kill off more than 50% brine shrimp and were thus considered non-toxic. On the other hand the aqueous extracts of seven vegetables, namely, Physalis viscosa, Amaranthus dubius, Justicia flava, Bidens pilosa, Senna occidentalis, Chenopodium album and Ceratotheca triloba, killed more than 50% of the shrimp and are thus considered toxic above 100 µg/ml. The MTT assay carried out on the organic extracts indicated that 17 vegetables did not kill off more than 50% of HepG2 cells and were thus considered non-cytotoxic. The aqueous extracts of four vegetables, namely, Justicia flava, Asystasia gangetica, Momordica balsamin and Senna occidentalis, however killed more than 50% of the shrimp and were thus considered cytotoxic above 1 000 µg/ml. It may be concluded from the antinutrient analyses and the bioassays on the 18 vegetables that caution needs to be maintained with the consumption of certain leafy vegetables included in this study, especially Senna occidentalis.

Medicinal plants have been used as traditional medicine in the treatment of numerous human diseases for thousands of years in many parts of the world. In the developing world, especially in rural areas, herbal remedies continue to be a primary source of medicine. Scientifically, medicinal plants have proven to be an abundant source of biologically active compounds, many of which have already been formulated into useful therapeutic substances or have provided a basis for the development of new lead molecules for pharmaceuticals. Antibiotic resistance, undesireable side effects and expences associated with the use of combination therapy in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections have generated a considerable interest in the study of medicinal plants as potential sources of new drugs against this organism. The high complexicity of bioactive compounds accumulated in plants coupled with their broad antimicrobial activity may make it difficult for pathogenic organisms, including H. pylori to acquire resistance during treatment. This study therefore evaluates the antimicrobial potential of selected South African medicinal plants employed in the treatment of H. pylori-related infections, and the subsequent isolation of the plant active principles. An ethnobotanical survey of plants used in the treatment of H. pylori-related infections was conducted in the study area. Crude extracts of Combretum molle, Sclerocarya birrea, Garcinia kola, Alepidea amatymbica and 2 Strychnos species were screened against 30 clinical strains of H. pylori and 2 standard control strains (NCTC 11638 and ATCC 43526). In the preliminary stages of this study, ethyl acetate, acetone, ethanol, methanol and water extracts of the plants were tested against H. pylori by agar well diffusion and micro broth dilution methods. The plant crude extracts that exhibited anti-H. pylori activity with a iv percentage susceptibility of 50 percent and above were considered for the rate of kill assays and the most active crude extracts selected for bio-assay guided isolation of the active ingredient. Preliminary fractionation of the crude extract was achieved by thin layer chromatography (TLC) using different solvent combinations; hexane/diethylether (HDE), ethyl acetate/methanol/water (EMW) and chloroform/ethyl acetate/formic acid (CEF) in order to determine the most suitable combination for column chromatography (CC) and subsequent testing by indirect bioautography. The extract was then fractionated in a silica gel column using previously determined solvent combinations as eluent. Active fractions obtained from column chromatography separations were further fractionated and the compounds identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. All the plants exhibited antimicrobial activity against H. pylori with zone of inhibition diameters ranging from 0 - 38 mm and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.06 - 5.0 mg/mL. The most active plant extracts were the acetone extract of C. molle with a percentage susceptibility of 87.1 percent, acetone and aqueous extracts of S. birrea (71 percent each) and the ethanolic extracts of G. kola (53.3 percent). Except for the aqueous extract, these extracts also exhibited a strong bactericidal activity against H. pylori at different concentrations. TLC analysis revealed the presence of 9 components in the acetone extract of S. birrea with the EMW solvent system as opposed to 5 and 8 with HDE and CEF respectively. Bioassay-guided isolation led to the identification of 52 compounds from the acetone extract of S. birrea with n-octacosane being the most abundant (41.68 percent). This was followed by pyrrolidine (38.91 percent), terpinen-4-ol (38.3 percent), n-eicosane (24.98 percent), cyclopentane (16.76 percent), n-triacontane (16.28 percent), aromadendrene (13.63 percent) and α-gujunene (8.77 percent). Terpinen-4-ol and pyrrolidine demonstrated strong antimicrobial activity against H. pylori at all concentrations tested. These results may serve as preliminary scientific validation of the ethnomedicinal uses of the above mentioned plants in the treatment of H. pylori-related infections in South Africa. Terpinen-4-ol and pyrrolidine could be considered for further evaluation as therapeutic or prophylactic agents in the treatment of H. pylori-related infections. However, further investigations would be necessary to determine their toxicological properties, in-vivo potencies and mechanism of action against H.pylori

Thesis (M.Sc.(Microbiology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / This study aimed to investigate antimycobacterial and cytotoxic compounds from Cassia petersiana. Cassia petersiana was selected for the current study based on its traditional use for treating tuberculosis (TB) symptoms. Extraction is an important step in the use of medicinal plants; hence, solvents of varying polarity were employed to extract a wide range of compounds where chloroform was the best extractant (67 mg). As there is no relation between the amount of plant material extracted and the bioactivity of the extracts, standard tests were used to determine the presence of different phytochemical constituents from Cassia petersiana and the total phenolic, flavonoid, and tannin contents were quantified using colorimetric assays. It was revealed that all the tested phytochemical constituents were present, and it was proven that phenolic compounds were the most abundant, followed by the tannins, while the flavonoids were the least among the common phytochemical constituents quantified. The phytochemical compounds were further profiled on thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and developed in BEA, CEF, and EMW solvent systems. Colourful compounds which indicated diverse phytochemicals were visualised with both vanillin-sulphuric acid and ultraviolet light on the phytochemical chromatograms and good separation of the compounds was from the BEA solvent system. The qualitative and quantitative antioxidant activity and antimycobacterial activity assays were used to evaluate the extracts from Cassia petersiana. Minimal antioxidant activity was observed on the qualitative antioxidant activity profile. These findings correlated with the minimal quantity of antioxidants from extracts of Cassia petersiana from the quantitative antioxidant assays; ferric reducing power and DPPH scavenging activity assays. Cassia petersiana extracts had bioactivity against Mycobacterium smegmatis as indicated by the lowest MIC value. The cell viability effects of the acetone crude extract from Cassia petersiana were evaluated against the tryptophan hydroxylase-1 (TPH-1) macrophage cells. Large scale extraction procedure was employed to extract a sufficient amount of plant material in preparation for the isolation of the bioactive compound. Bioassay-guided fractionation combined with column chromatography and TLC were used to isolate and purify the bioactive compound from the n-hexane extract of Cassia petersiana. The purified isolated compound was elucidated as β-sitosterol, which showed remarkable bioactivity against Mycobacterium smegmatis only on the TLC-bioautographic assay, while the quantitative antimycobacterial activity was higher xx with the MIC value of 2.5 mg/mL. Although β-sitosterol is known as a good antioxidant, it showed no antioxidant activity on the qualitative antioxidant activity assay. Therefore, further studies, including in vivo assay, are recommended on the isolated compound to evaluate its biological activities before consideration of its use in the development of alternative drugs.

Thesis (M. Sc. (Biochemistry)) --University of Limpopo, 2017 / Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterised by perpetual hyperglycaemia. Various oral pharmacological theraputic management strategies currently exist but are too expensive and having a host of undesirable side effects. Therefore people resort to the use of traditional medicinal plants as they offer a cost effective and readily available health care avenue. Despite the wide-spread use of traditional medicinal plants, several worrisome concerns about their effectiveness, clinical modes of action and safety have been raised. Leaves of five selected plants (Toona celliata, Seriphium plumosum, Schkuhria pinnata, Olea africana, Opuntia ficus-indica) were collected from Mankweng area, Capricon Local Municipality, Limpopo province, South Africa. Ground plant materials were exhaustively extracted by maceration in methanol, acetone or hexane. The presence of different plant secondary metabolites in the crude extracts was determined using various standard chemical tests and thin layer chromatography (TLC). A myriad of compounds which represented various secondary plant metabolites groups were observed on the TLC plates and were best resolved in the non-polar (BEA) and intermediate (CEF) mobile phases. The total phenolic content and total flavonoids of the different extracts were determined spectrophotometrically using the Folin-Ciocalteu`s phenol reagent method and Aluminium chloride colorimetric assay respectively. The plants contained comparatively higher amounts of total phenolic compounds as compared to the flavonoids. The antiglycation activity of the plant extracts were determined using the bovine serum albumin assay. The acetone extract of Seriphium plumosum (SPlA) exhibited the most glycation inhibitory activity among all the examined extracts, as it resulted in 2,22% glycation. The antioxidant potential of each of the different extracts was quantitatively determined spectrophotometrically using the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay and the ferric ion reducing power assay. The methanol extract of Seriphium plumosum showed the best antioxidant activity among all the extracts in this study. It exhibited the lowest EC50 values of 0.72 mg/ml and 2.31 mg/ml for the DPPH scavenging activity and the ferric reducing power assay respectively. The cytotoxicity profiles of the different plant extracts on C2C12 cell line were determined using the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium xiii bromide (MTT) assay. It was concluded that since the all the extracts investigated had CC50 values greater than 50 μg/ml they were generally non-toxic. The amount of glucose taken up by differentiated C2C12 cells was quantified using the glucose uptake assay. Treatment of the C2C12 cells with the hexane extract of Seriphium plumosum resulted in the best glucose utilisation effect of 35,77% which was higher than that of insulin which was 26,06% after 6 hours. The translocation assay was used to determine the effect of the plant extract on GLUT4 translocation while the expression of various mitogen activated protein kinases in the cells was determined using the human MAPK profiler assay. It was established that treatment with Seriphium plumosum hexane extract resulted in increased GLUT4 translocation from the intracellular vesicular stores to the cell surface membrane. The increase in GLUT4 translocation may have resulted from the upregulation of expression of phosphorylated Akt-1, Akt-2, GSK3β, ERK1, ERK2 p70S kinase and MKK3 under the influence of Seriphium plumosum hexane extract. The study documents a probable insulin-mimetic activity of the hexane extract of Seriphium plumosum. This activity may be responsible for its hypoglycaemic capability and may occur via the augmentation of proximal mitogen activated protein kinases involved in the GLUT4 translocation pathway. Further investigations need to be conducted to ascertain this novel finding which may help provide a cost-effective and readily available antidiabetic therapeutic agent. / National Research Foundation (NRF)