Medicinal plants play a major role in meeting people’s medical and health needs, especially in developing countries. However, due to a lack of access to modern veterinary facilities, poor visibility of animal health ...Medicinal plants play a major role in meeting people’s medical and health needs, especially in developing countries. However, due to a lack of access to modern veterinary facilities, poor visibility of animal health personnel, and high prices of orthodox medicines, most farmers rely on traditional healers and the administration of medicinal plants to treat livestock ailments. The present study was conducted to document Ethnopharmacological knowledge of medicinal plants used to manage livestock ailments in three rural communities of the Eastern Cape. This study was carried out in three rural communities between July 2009 and February 2010. Data were collected by administering pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires and participative field observations. For the interviews, a sample of 48 knowledgeable respondents was purposively selected. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, determination of information consensus factor, and fidelity level. A total of 12 medicinal plants belonging to 9 families were used by local people to cure different ailments. A high number of medicinal plants were claimed by males compared to females. Roots and barks were the major plant parts used, and the least were leaves (27.3%). Six plants were used to treat diarrhea and fertility, five plants to treat wounds, and two plants to treat scabs. This study has shown that Eastern Cape flora is rich with various plants which could be used to replace orthodox drugs. Further studies are needed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations, biological activities, and toxicities and characterize the plant’s chemical compounds.展开更多
Vernonia amygdalina Del. is a tropical species susceptible to frost which is an annual phenomenon of the winter season of the Eastern Cape. Limited populations of the species arc in the province dieback during the win...Vernonia amygdalina Del. is a tropical species susceptible to frost which is an annual phenomenon of the winter season of the Eastern Cape. Limited populations of the species arc in the province dieback during the winter period, thereby making large scale cultivation through conventional vegetative propagation impossible. In our effort to increasing the population of the species within the province, a micropropagation approach through tissue culture teehnology was employed. Two growth regulators （BAP ＆ NAA） were tested at four levels of concentration under continuous light and dark conditions. Plantlets were subsequently transferred to the field after acclimatization at different temperature conditions. The result of the study showed that BAP generally performs better than NAA for callus induction under continuous darkness, while direct micropropagation of shoot under continuous light condition at I mg L^-1BAP showed the best result. To achieve greater success for the rapid multiplication of the species, this study further demonstrates that the optimum temperature range for acclimatizing the species prior to the transfer of the plantlet to the field is between 23 ±3 ℃.展开更多
Antimicrobial resistance is a major problem in the management of infectious diseases. African indigenous functional food-plants such as Chenopodium album and Solanum nigrum may constitute important sources of phytoche...Antimicrobial resistance is a major problem in the management of infectious diseases. African indigenous functional food-plants such as Chenopodium album and Solanum nigrum may constitute important sources of phytochemical constituents for the synthesis of antimicrobial compounds against infectious organisms. The objective of this study was to determine the antimicrobial pro- perties of Chenopodium album and Solanum nigrum-leaves used as functional food-plants in the O.R. Tambo district municipality of South Africa. Organic and aqueous solvent-extracts of C. album and S. nigrum were tested against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC127853), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6051), Escherichia coli (25922) and Enterococcus faecalis (51299) using standard microbiological techniques. Ciprofloxacin was included in all the experimental runs as positive control antibiotic. The aqueous extracts of both plants were the most active with zones of inhibition diameters ranging from 0 mm - 20 mm and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC50) values ranging from 0.63 mg/mL - 10 mg/mL. The positive control antibiotic was highly active with zones of inhibition diameters ranging from 17 mm - 31 mm and MIC50 values from 0.0003 mg/mL - 0.0005mg/mL for all the bacteria tested. Both extracts were bactericidal with minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) ranges from 2.5mg/mL - 20mg/mL. From the results, it can be concluded that both plants possess compounds with antimicrobial properties, thus validating scientifically their use in traditional medicine. However, more studies to document the respective plant-principles responsible for antimicrobial activity of these plants would shed more light on their functional properties.展开更多
文摘Medicinal plants play a major role in meeting people’s medical and health needs, especially in developing countries. However, due to a lack of access to modern veterinary facilities, poor visibility of animal health personnel, and high prices of orthodox medicines, most farmers rely on traditional healers and the administration of medicinal plants to treat livestock ailments. The present study was conducted to document Ethnopharmacological knowledge of medicinal plants used to manage livestock ailments in three rural communities of the Eastern Cape. This study was carried out in three rural communities between July 2009 and February 2010. Data were collected by administering pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires and participative field observations. For the interviews, a sample of 48 knowledgeable respondents was purposively selected. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, determination of information consensus factor, and fidelity level. A total of 12 medicinal plants belonging to 9 families were used by local people to cure different ailments. A high number of medicinal plants were claimed by males compared to females. Roots and barks were the major plant parts used, and the least were leaves (27.3%). Six plants were used to treat diarrhea and fertility, five plants to treat wounds, and two plants to treat scabs. This study has shown that Eastern Cape flora is rich with various plants which could be used to replace orthodox drugs. Further studies are needed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations, biological activities, and toxicities and characterize the plant’s chemical compounds.
文摘Vernonia amygdalina Del. is a tropical species susceptible to frost which is an annual phenomenon of the winter season of the Eastern Cape. Limited populations of the species arc in the province dieback during the winter period, thereby making large scale cultivation through conventional vegetative propagation impossible. In our effort to increasing the population of the species within the province, a micropropagation approach through tissue culture teehnology was employed. Two growth regulators （BAP ＆ NAA） were tested at four levels of concentration under continuous light and dark conditions. Plantlets were subsequently transferred to the field after acclimatization at different temperature conditions. The result of the study showed that BAP generally performs better than NAA for callus induction under continuous darkness, while direct micropropagation of shoot under continuous light condition at I mg L^-1BAP showed the best result. To achieve greater success for the rapid multiplication of the species, this study further demonstrates that the optimum temperature range for acclimatizing the species prior to the transfer of the plantlet to the field is between 23 ±3 ℃.
文摘Antimicrobial resistance is a major problem in the management of infectious diseases. African indigenous functional food-plants such as Chenopodium album and Solanum nigrum may constitute important sources of phytochemical constituents for the synthesis of antimicrobial compounds against infectious organisms. The objective of this study was to determine the antimicrobial pro- perties of Chenopodium album and Solanum nigrum-leaves used as functional food-plants in the O.R. Tambo district municipality of South Africa. Organic and aqueous solvent-extracts of C. album and S. nigrum were tested against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC127853), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6051), Escherichia coli (25922) and Enterococcus faecalis (51299) using standard microbiological techniques. Ciprofloxacin was included in all the experimental runs as positive control antibiotic. The aqueous extracts of both plants were the most active with zones of inhibition diameters ranging from 0 mm - 20 mm and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC50) values ranging from 0.63 mg/mL - 10 mg/mL. The positive control antibiotic was highly active with zones of inhibition diameters ranging from 17 mm - 31 mm and MIC50 values from 0.0003 mg/mL - 0.0005mg/mL for all the bacteria tested. Both extracts were bactericidal with minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) ranges from 2.5mg/mL - 20mg/mL. From the results, it can be concluded that both plants possess compounds with antimicrobial properties, thus validating scientifically their use in traditional medicine. However, more studies to document the respective plant-principles responsible for antimicrobial activity of these plants would shed more light on their functional properties.
