ABSTRACT The purpose of this project was to study the antioxidant potential of selected Namibian Leafy Vegetables (NLV), using Total Phenolic Content (TPC), Total Flavonoid contents (TFC) as well as Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and Reducing Power (RP) assays. The study also aimed at detecting and characterizing eight phenolic acids (4- hydroxybenzoic, trans-ferulic, vanillic, gallic, syringic, sinapic and para-coumaric acids) ...
ABSTRACT Amaranth is an underutilised crop with great potential as a source of essential nutrients. It also contains bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. However, its characterisation for agronomic and nutritional traits is limited. Likewise, information on its hepatoprotective potential is scarce. In this study Amaranthus accessions were characterised using phenotypic and molecular markers. The quality of its seed protein and hepatoprotective activity of its Ethanol Seed Extra...
ABSTRACT Exposure to certain hexavalent chromate compounds (HCC) causes lung and colon cancers. Their mechanisms of cytotoxicity are unclear, but believed to be affected by ascorbate and particle size. However, their role is not clearly defined. Co-exposure with sodium arsenite (SA) is common, but its effect on HCC toxicity is unknown. Current therapy has side effects, necessitating the search for antidote from unexplored natural products such as Rauvolfia vomitora (RV). This study therefore ...
ABSTRACT Crinum jagus is a medicinal plant used traditionally to treat tuberculosis, malaria and other bacterial infections. However, there are limited documented scientific studies to substantiate the use of this plant. Due to increase in resistance to malaria and tuberculosis drugs, the need for the development of other drugs is pertinent. This study was designed to determine the pharmacological activities of extract and fractions of Crinum jagus. Methanol extract of C. jagus obtained by so...
ABSTRACT Natural products present in medicinal plants are an important source of therapeutic agents and many research groups are currently screening different biological activities of plants. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial, antioxidant properties and phytochemical analysis of Acacia arenaria (Fabaceae), Aloe esculenta (Alliaceae) and Pechuel-Loeschea leubnitziae (Asteraceae) that are used in traditional settings. The antimicrobial activity of the methanol-dichloromethane (...
ABSTRACT Namibia has a rich biodiversity of plant species of which a great variety is used for food, cosmetics and medicinal applications. Seed oil production from indigenous sources has economic importance for Namibia and is an asset for improving the livelihoods of local communities. Knowledge of the quality and composition of these oils can be used towards value-added product development strategies and improved marketing of indigenous resources. A comprehensive profile of indigenous seed ...
ABSTRACT Though the promotion of resistant bacteria worldwide has mainly been attributed to the injudicious use of many antibiotics, the role of non-antimicrobial drugs used in the clinical management of pathological conditions of non-infectious diseases in the modulation of microbial drug resistance or susceptibility needs to be assessed. The effects of the antibioticnon- antibiotic drug-drug interactions against bacteria in SCD patients and in other chronic diseases cannot be overemphasized...
ABSTRACT Over the years, natural products have played a major role in the search for novel drugs or drug candidates. Secondary metabolites from nature especially those of fungal origin exhibit unique biological activities and research continue to meet the keen interests which have potential pharmaceutical value. Fungi constitute an important source of secondary metabolites such as penicillin. The present study analyzed the biological activities of a variety of compound mixtures from wood deca...
ABSTRACT The continual emergence of drug resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has caused global public health concerns. This project establishes basis for deciphering diverse resistance mechanisms in mycobacteria which would lead to the development of novel therapeutic options. Unique classes of antipsychotic compounds have been found to possess antifungal and anti-mycobacterial activities. The study sought to use antipsychotic compounds and a panel of phenotype modifying compounds...
ABSTRACT Pearl millet is a staple food and fodder crop of marginal areas of sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Americas. Although pearl millet is stable food for 70 % of Namibian population, its productivity is very low (low yield, susceptible to diseases/insect and prolonged reproductive cycle) and has a limited genetic diversity. For the purpose of widening gene diversity, developing high yielding and drought resistant pearl millet, the Kangara and Okashana 2 were mutated using Colbalt...
ABSTRACT , Proteolytic activity of theJQ.qOOxgsupernate of homegenates ef adult Haemonchus contortus has been studied with respect to substrates susceptible to its proteolytic activity, and the effects of factors such as temperature, pH, substrate concentration, extract concentration, dibasic metal ions, detergents, heat and some specific inhibitors of proteolytic activity. The supernate had two pH optima, 5.6 with haemoglobii as substrate, and 7.8 using L-alanyl - p-nitroanilide. It showed o...
ABSTRACT Tick-borne pathogens and ticks pose significant problem to livestock production especially cattle production. This causes huge economic decline to livestock farmers in tropic and sub-tropic regions of Africa. The most economically important tick-borne pathogens to the production of bovine include Babesia, Anaplasma, Theileria and Ehrlichia. In Ghana, inadequate data exists on the species and genetic diversity of tick-borne hemoparasites. The current study was conducted to detect and ...
ABSTRACT Mycobacterium ulcerans, causes Buruli ulcer (BU), a necrotizing skin disease endemic in 33 countries globally. Its environmental reservoir and mode of transmission are unknown. Portaels hypothesized that prior skin contamination followed by penetration through existing skin abrasion or trauma may be a possible route through which M. ulcerans is transmitted to humans. Comparative epidemiological and case control studies have outlined some risk activities associated with BU that could...
ABSTRACT Alcoholic extract of Croton membranaceus Mull. Arg is used at the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine at Mampong Akwapim to treat retention of urine due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The effect of the extract on rat steroid 5areductase activity in invo was investigated using a radioimmunoassay technique to quantitate dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels in blood. The effects of the extract and two unidentified alkaloidal isolates of the plant, provisionally refer...
ABSTRACT Arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism that leads to the production of both anti- and pro-inflammatory eicosanoids is a standard assay used to investigate the basis for the therapeutic action of anti-inflammatory medicinal plants. Earlier investigations have established the efficacy of some herbal preparations in terms of their ability to increase the amounts of anti-inflammatory eicosanoids. Desm.od.ium adscendens and Parkitina sp. ('Tina A' ) increased PGE2 and PGI2 synthesis and inhibit...