Namrita Lall

Breast mastitis is an inflammatory condition caused by pathogenic infection, which is usually treatable with antibiotics, yet there is a lack of research focusing on plant-based alternatives. Aromatic plants are rich in secondary metabolites which potentially exhibit antibacterial and anti-inflammatory bioactivity. This study aimed to investigate ethanolic extracts of six aromatic plant species, namely,; Allium schoenoprasum L., Allium × proliferum (Moench) Schrad. Ex Willd., Coleus amboinicus Lour., Eriocephalus africanus L., Pelargonium graveolens L’Her., and Salvia aurea L., for their antibacterial activity against the breast mastitis-associated pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), as well as their cytotoxicity and wound healing potential against human keratinocytes (HaCaT). Extracts with relatively high antibacterial activity, and low cytotoxicity, underwent gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify potential bioactive compounds. Coleus amboinicus, E. africanus , P. graveolens displayed antibacterial activity against S. aureus ATCC 25923 (with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 250 μg/mL for all extracts, and only E. africanus was found to have a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) at the tested concentrations (MBC of 1,000 μg/mL) . Salvia aurea was found to have the strongest antibacterial activity (MIC value of 15.625 μg/mL) and had an MBC of 250 μg/mL. Most extracts displayed minimal toxicity against HaCaT cells (IC ₅₀ > 1,000 μg/mL), excluding S. aurea (IC ₅₀ of 75.80 ± 4.58 μg/mL). Allium × proliferum, C. amboinicus, and P. graveolens displayed statistically significant wound healing activity, while E. africanus exhibited wound healing inhibition. Compounds such as camphor (identified in an abundance of 20.45% in S. aurea ), and carvacrol (identified in an abundance of 5.08% in C. amboinicus and 6.63% in P. graveolens ) were identified which may contribute to the observed bioactivity. It has been observed that the chosen aromatic plants may provide secondary metabolites that could potentially contribute to advances in breast mastitis treatment. Future prospects of this research include exploring aspects such as inflammatory signaling pathways or to isolate compounds such as camphor and carvacrol to determine whether these compounds are responsible for the observed bioactivity.

Accurate species identification is essential for conserving and managing plants that provide important ecosystem services and have ethnobotanical value. The Greyia tree genus ( G. sutherlandii , G. radlkoferi and G. flanaganii ) is endemic to South Africa and Eswatini, and certain genotypes have medicinal value for treating skin hyper‐pigmentation. However, distinguishing among species is difficult because of overlapping phenotypes and the limited resolution of standard DNA barcodes. To overcome these limitations, a robust molecular identification assay was developed using a two‐phase strategy. First, de novo SNP discovery using 3RAD sequencing identified 47,726 genome‐wide SNPs from two to three plants sampled from each species' core geographic range: G. radlkoferi in northern Limpopo, G. sutherlandii in eastern KwaZulu‐Natal, and G. flanaganii in the south‐eastern Eastern Cape. Principal component analysis and coancestry matrices revealed three discrete genetic clusters, supporting the recognition of the three species. Selecting a set of 200 SNPs with intermediate Fst values (0.2–0.5) resulted in optimal separation of the three clusters. This led to the final selection of a 23‐SNP panel that included five informative barcoding loci (ITS, trnL‐F , matK ). Second, the 23 SNPs were converted into allele‐specific fluorescent PCR assays (SNP Type) for genotyping on the BioMark HD platform. The panel was validated using genomic DNA from 17 individuals from the 3RAD population groups and successfully differentiated all three species. It was then applied to 73 trees sampled across a 1000‐km transect from the Eastern Cape to Limpopo. Genetic clustering (PCA, UPGMA and ADMIXTURE) assigned each tree to one of three species‐level groups matching their expected ranges. In a practical case study, the assay also identified the species origin of 33 Greyia trees of unknown provenance from production orchards. This study provides an efficient SNP‐based tool for accurate species identification, supporting conservation planning and the sustainable management of Greyia populations.

Ferns, among the oldest vascular plants, have been widely used in traditional medicine worldwide. While pharmacological studies predominantly focus on trop

Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that affects individuals of all ages worldwide. Patients may develop various forms of eczema, including atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, which is often associated with an allergic response to various stimuli, dyshidrotic eczema which develops on the palms and soles, asteatotic dermatitis that predominantly occurs in elderly patients, nummular eczema characterized by its cylindrical shape lesions and seborrheic dermatitis often located on patient's scalps, back, face and chest. Extensive studies have been conducted on atopic dermatitis, however, limited information such as their etiology, effect on the immune system and potential treatments are available on the other types of eczema. The socioeconomic impacts of eczema include the cost of conventional treatments such as corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents and phototherapy, expenses related to specialists’ consultation and the effect on work and school productivity. The impact of atopic dermatitis on patients’ quality of life, social functioning and individual healthcare expenses has been extensively studied in other countries but remains underreported in South Africa. Reports have estimated the annual direct and indirect costs in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, however reports are limited for South Africa. This study aimed to provide information on the different types of eczema's etiology, their respective socioeconomic impact in South Africa in correlation to the above mentioned inflated yearly cost, and conventional, targeted and alternative treatments commercially available. Several knowledge gaps were identified in this study, including the limited availability of information on asteatotic dermatitis, dyshidrotic dermatitis and nummular eczema, the effect most commercially available treatments have on other eczema subtypes and an in-depth review of the socioeconomic impact of eczema within the African continent.