Doctor Educationis / It is believed that early humans had knowledge of how to use traditional medicinal plants, but the knowledge has been partially lost as society underwent various changes leading to new civilizations. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify natural product constituents from Tulbaghia Alliacea. There has not yet been any scientifically conducted investigation on the plant. Tulbaghia Alliacea is used for fever and colds, asthma, pulmonary tuberculosis and stomach problems. / South Africa

No description available.

Magister Pharmaceuticae - MPharm / An aqueous extract prepared from the leaves and smaller stems of Leonotis leonorus was used to investigate the potential effects on certain cardiovascular parameters such as left ventricular systonic pressure, end-diastolic pressure, developed pressure, heart rate, cardiac work and coronary perfusion pressure in isolated rat hearts. / South Africa

Magister Pharmaceuticae - MPharm / The specific objectives of this study were to investigate whether Artemisia Afra, Leonotis leonorous and Mentha Longiflora have PDE 4 inhibitory activity, to determine and compare the levels of the total phenolic compunds , total and individual flavanoids, especially luteolin and hesperetin, in the three plants and finally, to determine if there was a correlation between the PDE inhibitory activity and the levels of flavanoids or phenolic compounds in the plants. It was hypothesized that the plants with higher levels of total flavonoid and/or aglycone luteolin and/or hesperetin had higher PDE inhibitory activity. / South Africa

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Plants have always been a source of medicine and are still being used by traditional healers in the rural part of Africa, Asia and India to treat a range of illnesses including cancer. The in vitro anticancer activity of an 80 percent ethanol extract of Cyathula prostrata, an annual branching shrub used by traditional healers in Nigeria to treat cancer was investigated. No previous studies have outlined the possible pathways and mechanisms used by cancer cells when treated with C. prostrata. Dose response analysis was performed to determine the effective cytotoxic concentrations of C. prostrata on HeLa (cervical cancer cell line) and U937 (myelo-monocytic cell line). The IC50 values were 100.8 μg/ml and 64.4 μg/ml for HeLa and U937 cells, respectively. All further experiments were performed using 125 μg/ml C. prostrata extract and 50 μM cisplatin as positive control. With the use of the fluorescent DNA binding dye propidium iodide, the induction of tumour cell death by C. prostrata extract has been linked to cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase at 24 and 48 h. In both cell lines, more than 80 percent of the C. prostrata treated cells were found in the G1 phase after 48 hours of treatment. The annexin V-FITC/PI assay revealed an increase in the percentage apoptotic cells from 4.9 percent to 53.1 percent at 24 h and 8.3 percent to 50.3 percent at 48 h. Since apoptosis induction can occur via a number of different pathways, distinct features were used as markers to investigate the mode of action of this C. prostrata extract. Markers such as activated caspase-8, p21 and cyt-c, were investigated with the aid of fluorescently labelled (FITC) antibodies with analysis using flow cytometry. No change in p21 levels was observed in response to treatment with the extract for up to 48 h. Cell cycle arrest in G1 was therefore not induced by this cyclin-CDK inhibitor. Increase in caspase-8 activation was observed in response to treatment with the extract with no cyt-c release from the mitochondria. The lack of cyt-c release was due to no change in mitochondrial membrane potential, which was investigated with the aid of fluorescent mitochondrial dyes and flow cytometric techniques. Caspase-8 activation is unique to the extrinsic apoptotic pathway. The results from this study therefore show that C. prostrata extract induces apoptosis via the extrinsic pathway and that this activation in independent of the mitochondria. The levels of hTERT, the catalytic subunit of telomerase, were investigated as an additional molecular target for C. prostrata. This was also investigated using FITC labelled antibodies and flow cytometry. A decrease in hTERT levels was observed following C. prostrata treatment. The findings from this study suggest that the extract acts through multiple targets, by inducing: cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase through an unknown mechanism; apoptosis through an extrinsic death receptor pathway and replicative senescence through inhibition of telomerase.

[No abstract available] / Science, Faculty of / Botany, Department of / Graduate

[No abstract available] / Science, Faculty of / Botany, Department of / Graduate

Ah experiment was conducted to ascertain the effect of soil applications of manganese, boron, zinc, copper and magnesium on the yield and composition of potato tubers (variety Green Mountain). The following determinations were made on the harvested crop: yield, percentages of dry weight, ash, carbohydrate, roughage, and nitrogen; and the minerals phosphorous, potassium, chlorine, calcium, manganese, copper and iron. The significant findings were as follows: the boron treatments increased the yield of tubers and increased the copper content; the manganese and zinc treatments both reduced the calcium content and copper reduced the ash content of the tubers. There were also marked trends in the following: the zinc treatments tended to increase yield and the nitrogen and magnesium content of the tubers; the copper treatment tended to increase the calcium content; the manganese treatment tended to depress the ash content and increase the chlorine content of the tubers; the magnesium treatment tended to decrease the chlorine and the copper content of the tubers. The significant findings, as well as the definite trends of the effect of the treatments, are discussed. As a result of this experiment, it is recommended that boron be included in the fertilizer treatments for potatoes grown on the type of soil, and under conditions similar to those of this experiment. / Science, Faculty of / Botany, Department of / Graduate

Studies were conducted at the University of British Columbia during the fall of 1950 to ascertain the effect of varied soil concentration of DDT, Chlordane and Benzene hexachloride upon the growth and nodulation of red clover. The study was divided into two phases: (a) the effect of these insecticides upon clover seed germination, (b) the effect of soil applications of these residual insecticides upon red clover growth and nodule formation. Analyses of the germination and harvest data showed that stimulation of red clover occurred within a limited range and plant injury at higher toxicant concentrations. Significant growth and yield differences occurred between insecticide treatments and between dosage treatments. Nodule formation occurred on all of the plants but the distribution and size of the nodules were affected by the concentrations of the insecticides in the soil. Chemical analyses of the clover plants showed that the nitrogen and phosphorus content of the foliage was unaffected by the presence of high concentrations of DDT, Chlordane or Benzene hexachloride in the soil. The potassium content, however, appeared to be affected by DDT. Biological analyses of the clover plants failed to show any signs of translocation of the insecticides from the roots into the foliage. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate