Roger Murugas Coopoosamy

Bulbine species (Asphodelaceae) are routinely used in many African communities to treat various dermatological disorders, including wounds, due to their relative accessibility, affordability, safety records, and reported efficacies. However, these reported biological activities lack robust empirical evidence and well-validated cellular mechanisms for plausible applications. Hence, this review was aimed at investigating the bioactive compounds of Bulbine species linked to their cellular wound healing attributes, their toxicity, and cytotoxicity. A detailed literature search was conducted using Web of Science, Google scholar, and PubMed, followed by Scopus and VOSviewer (version 1.6.20) bibliographic analyses. Bulbine frutescens (L.) Willd. and Bulbine natalensis Baker safely mediate tissue healing and coagulation cascade as adaptogens and cytotoxic agents. The wound healing activities of the Bulbine species were linked to the synergistic wound healing or tissue repair properties of bioactive compounds (such as saponins, terpenoids, luteolin, and apigenin) via the expression of collagen type-I, alpha-2 (COL1A2) gene, collagen III, increase in the wound tensile strength, and anti-cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) mRNA. Bulbine species were also reported to contain specialised biomarker compounds (such as naphthoquinones, bulbine-emodin, and aloe-emodin) which mediate the activation of hydroxyproline, Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor, transforming growth factor beta—β1 (TGFβ1), and the suppressor of mothers against decapentaplegic proteins (SMAD), which ultimately induce tissue granulation, myofibroblast differentiation, re-epithelialization, higher protein complexes, and scar tissue formations. These findings give credence to the wound healing therapeutic potential of Bulbine species. However, additional clinical studies are necessary to further ascertain the reported efficacies of Bulbine species’ bioactive principles, their overall safety, and the underlying cellular mechanisms involved in the wound healing process and carcinogenesis.

Background This study aimed to identify important plants and parts of medicinally harvested species traded in the Durban medicinal (muthi) market. A better understanding of the extent of the medicinal plant trade is necessary to enable conservationists and municipal managers to better manage threatened species and to take preventative action to protect this valuable resource. Methods Thirty traditional healers from the Durban muthi market in KwaZulu-Natal were interviewed and information was gathered on important plants and parts that were traded. Information was compared to previous data to ascertain whether muthi plants were being exploited. Results Approximately 13 species were widely harvested and sold at the Durban muthi market which includes: Siphonochilus aethiopicus, Hypoxis gerrardii, Aloe aristate, Scilla natalensis, Eucomis autumalis, Senecio serratuloides, Warburgia salutaris, Chrysanthemoides monilifera., Artemisia afra, Bidens Pilosa, Aloe ferox, Haworthia limifolia, Ocotea bullata. These species are sold to cure a wide variety of ailments. The most common plant parts that are traded are the leaves and the stems although other parts are also collected. Single species are preferred rather than a mixture of parts from different plants. Approximately 22% of individuals interviewed indicated that they practiced unsustainable harvesting mainly due to poor harvesting practices and a lack of knowledge of the threatened status of many important species. Conclusion Domestication and mass cultivation may be key strategies to redress exploitation and unsustainable harvesting practices. Recommendation To address these issues, a multifaceted approach is required, including community engagement, improved regulatory enforcement, and initiatives to promote sustainable harvesting and cultivation practices.

Background: Leonotis leonurus is used extensively in African herbal medicine to manage several diseases including diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, hypertension, and skin and respiratory infections. Although L. leonurusis a valuable medicinal plant in Africa, little has been done to improve the plant’s organoleptic and pharmacological properties. The study evaluated the effects of Moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaf powder treatments on the chemical profiles of essential oils from L. leonurus. Methodology: All trials were conducted in experimental greenhouse tunnels. Six-week-old L. Leonurus seedlings were transplanted into individual pots (1 seedling per pot) containing 1kg of GromorTM potting mix (30 dm3) and subjected to varying quantities (0, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10g) of Moringa leaf powder (MLP) biweekly for eight weeks. Additionally, each seedling received 100 mL of 50 % Hoagland’s solution once every 4 weeks and was watered regularly throughout the trial. At the end of the trial, the plant’s shoots were harvested and essential oils were extracted from them by steam distillation. The oils’ chemical profiles were then determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy. Results: MLP applications caused each treatment to have a distinct chemical profile. Notable variations in oil yield, number, and concentration of compounds per each sample evaluated were observed. Caryophyllene and humulene were among the bioactive compounds whose concentration increased by 4- to 10-fold in treatments, compared to the control. Caryophyllene, β-copaene, humulene, and phytol were among the most dominant compounds in the oil samples. Conclusions: MLP induced qualitative and quantitative changes in L. leonurus essential oils. The powder could therefore be potentially used to improve the quality and yield of medicinally valuable crucial oils from the plant. Recommendations: Future research could focus on maximizing the use of MLP in natural situations. Such field trials should also investigate the powder's possible use in conjunction with other organic fertilizers.

Background: Infertility is a social challenge common among couples ranging from sub-Sahara, Asia and different parts of the world. Infertility occurs as result of malformation of the uterus, poor diet, illness, and continuous unprotected sexual activity. Aim: To provide an update on medicinal plants used across regions in the world capable of healing female infertility. Setting: This article provides a world overview of medicinal plant activity from different regions across the globe. The use of modern medicine is effective but often not at the reach of the majority. Methods: The article summarises previous literature on the use of medicinal plants in female fertility treatments. Findings indicated the importance of traditional healers in woman’s infertility. The traditional healers used materials prepared from herbs. Herbs are derived from plants and plant extracts of various natural resources, including plant leaves, bark, flowers, roots, fruits, and berries. Results: Female infertility has been proven to respond well to herbal-based therapy. Women’s infertility is a condition that is receiving more attention concerning medicinal herbs. Several kinds of plants have been used in different regions of the world to cure female infertility. The performance of the various medicinal plants depends on accumulation of bioactive ingredients. Conclusion: Modern plants have shown potential in enhancing female fertility through their various therapeutic properties and bioactive compounds. Overall, while there is promise in using plants for female fertility holds promise, further research and clinical trials are necessary to establish their safety and effectiveness. Contribution: These herbs can be used as an alternative or supplemental therapy for female infertility, and further research is required to determine their effectiveness and safety.

Background: Pelargonium sidoides (Geraniaceae family) is extensively used in African folk medicine to manage several diseases including gonorrhoea, tuberculosis, gastro-intestinal, hepatic and menstrual disorders. The plant’s parts and efficacious extract-based pharmaceutical products are sold in several local and international markets. However, the growing demand for the herb has resulted in overexploitation of its wild populations, prompting an urgent need to develop sustainable production and conservation strategies. Aim: The present study investigated the effects of vermicompost leachate (VCL) on morpho-physiological properties of greenhouse–grown P. sidoides. Setting: Pelargonium sidoides seeds were supplied by the Mountain Herb Estate (Pretoria, South Africa), and all experiments were conducted at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Methods: Six-week-old seedlings of the plant were watered regularly and subjected to 50 mL (soil drench) of VCL (1:5, 1:10 or 1:20; VCL: water, v/v dilution) once a week. After 8 weeks, the seedlings were harvested, and morphological parameters, antioxidant activity, phytochemical and photosynthetic pigment content determined. Results: The VCL (1:5, 1:10 and 1:20; VCL: water) induced a significant (p ≤ 0.05) increase in the concentration of phenolic compounds, photosynthetic pigments, canopy size, leaf area, number of tubers, fresh and dry weights in treatments compared to the control. The antioxidant activity also increased by 7% – 27 % in treatments compared to the control. Conclusions: The study showed that VCL improves the yield and quality of P. sidoides. Contribution: The use of VLC could, therefore, potentially help in the conservation and large-scale production of the herb.

Background: There has been an alarming increase in infections because of multidrug resistance. Several multidrug-resistant microbes are becoming more resistant to medications with several side effects. There is an urgent requirement for natural, safer and inexpensive antimicrobial agents. Aim: The study sought to examine the effects of the antimicrobial activity of Aloe ferox (A. ferox) in different regions across South Africa. Method: The antimicrobial activity was determined using the agar disk diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration was determined using the microplate dilution method. 100 mg of dry extract was dissolved in 1 mL of ethanol, ethyl acetate and aqueous to obtain the concentration of 100 mg/mL dilutions (1:10, 1:100 and 1:500), respectively. Results: The aqueous extracts showed antibacterial activity against all Gram-positive bacteria. Ethanol extracts showed greater inhibition of Gram-positive bacteria than ethyl acetate extracts. Ethanol showed inhibition on Gram-negative bacteria, that is, Protea vulgaris, Escherichia coli and S. sonnei. Aqueous and ethanol extracts displayed strong inhibition at the concentration of 1:10 against all fungal species across regions. Conclusion: A. ferox showed inhibition to varying degrees across all the regions. The concentrations of A. ferox active ingredient used in traditional medicine differ by region. The study validates the potential difference in the antimicrobial activity of A. ferox across different geographical regions. Contribution: This study adds to existing knowledge about the remarkable antimicrobial activity of A. ferox as a traditional medicinal plant because of differences in regions.

Introduction: Due to the numerous potentials discovered from biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles (SNPs), the interest of many researchers has been stirred up. Tamarindus indica fruit has many therapeutic potentials attributed to fruit. Hence, the objective of this study was to synthesize, characterize, and evaluate the in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activities of SNPs mediated from T. indica fruit pulp extract. Methods: The bioreduction of silver nitrate was performed using methanol extract of T. indica fruit pulp. UV–vis spectrophotometry studies at 480 nm confirmed the synthesis of SNPs. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The antioxidant properties were assessed using methods of ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The antibacterial potential was evaluated using the agar well technique. Results: FTIR spectroscopy revealed that the presence of various functional groups was responsible for reduction and stabilization during the biosynthesis process. With the aid of ImageJ software, the size of the nanoparticles was determined to be in the range of 18-50 nm. The anti-oxidation activity assays showed a strong reducing potential towards the radicals tested. Lastly, strong antibacterial activities were observed when the nanoparticles were tested on some pathogenic bacteria through the agar well method. Conclusion: This biological method of synthesizing SNP from T. indica has shown significant enhancement in its biological activities in terms of antibacterial and antioxidant properties; thus, it might be considered a therapeutic agent.

Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal (BPJ) is an international, open access, peer reviewed, quarterly research journal.

Background: The influence of inorganic fertilizer has posed considerable challenges on increasing food production worldwide. A careful plan is required to increase the yield and quality of crops. A profound knowledge on the use of organic manure involvement in plant growth and development could be beneficial for food production. The use of acceptable inorganic and different concentrations of vermicompost has been used in an attempt to enhance crop growth and development with the aim of increasing food production. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of vermicompost tea concentrate extracted from cow manure and grass cutting on physiological responses of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).Vegetative growth and yield of tomato was stimulated by mineralization of organic waste coupled with the mesophilic action of earthworm. Vermicompost is a by-product of earthworm tissues. It is a nutrient source rich in essential components for plant growth and development. Methods: An investigation was conducted in pot media under exposed natural conditions from August 2020 to November 2020 at Mangosuthu University of Technology. In this experiment, the growth of tomato plants were subjected to different vermicompost concentrations and amended with NPK fertilizer were studied. Sandy loam soil of about 5 kg were weighted into pot media (2.0mheight, 2.3m diameter). The experiment was set up in a completely randomized block design consisting of five treatments with five replicates per treatment. Treatments included: Positive control (PC), 5%VCL+NPK, 10% VCL+NPK, 20%VCL+NPK and the inorganic (NPK). Result: Results revealed that there were significant differences at (P less than 0.01) among the treatments with respect to plant height and number of leaves from week three to week eight. Similar trends were found with 5% VCL+NPK, 10% VCL+NPK, 20% VCL+NPK and the NPK treatments. This may be due to phytohormone release from earthworm tissue. Tomato flower inflorescence was significant at (P less than 0.01). Tomato fruit, different components at harvest which were, weight wet and dry weight were higher with NPK treated at (P less than 0.01) than the 5% VCL+NPK, 10% VCL+NPK. Root length in 20% concentration was considerably higher than the other treatments. The results showed that minimum supplementation with inorganic fertiliser may be necessary with vermicompost leachate in order to successfully grow crops in nutrient deficient soil.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a debilitating condition that is becoming more common around the world, as well as a financial and social burden on healthcare systems. If not treated with kidney replacement therapies, kidney failure, the final stage of CKD, can be fatal. Chronic kidney disease patients are now seeking the use of alternative remedies, including medicinal plants, as the primary source of healthcare.Aim: This review aimed to evaluate the use of medicinal plants in the treatment of CKD and other associated kidney diseases in South Africa.Method: This article summarises previous research (2010–2021) on the impact of traditional plant-based medicine in CKD treatment and identifies the context between traditional and conventional medicines. Various scientific databases were used to source key literature.Results: The findings of this study revealed 10 medicinal plant species from nine different botanical families that are commonly used for the treatment of CKD and other kidney-related diseases in South Africa. In addition, the study demonstrated that despite medicinal plants having toxic impacts, they were still the preferred choice of medication for CKD, especially in developing countries.Conclusion: It is crucial to validate the balance between the risks and benefits of medicinal plants in CKD treatment to further enhance the credibility of medical plants in drug development.Contribution: This study contributes to the existing knowledge of medicinal plants used in CKD treatment primarily in South Africa.