ABSTRACT Namibian ethno-medicinal plants have not yet been evaluated for their efficacy in inhibiting the activities of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase (RT) and their toxicological effects to mammalian cells have not yet been reported. Hence the aims of this study were: (1) to evaluate selected Namibian plants for their biological activities against RT; (2) to evaluate their toxicity to mammalian cells, and (3) to isolate and characterize the active compounds from se...
Abstract The Karoo-Namib is a species rich region in which many iconic and keystone species are found, such as Aloe pillansii. The recent population history of A.pillansii is poorly understood. However the suggested climatic shifts that occurred throughout the Holocene era may have affected its distribution, demographics and gene flow. The glacial/interglacial refugia hypothesis predicts that the southernmost population served as a refuge population and that the subsequent expansion of the po...
INTRODUCTION Despite wide interest in the nutrition and health of children in underdeveloped areas of the world, countries in Africa have been neglected by individuals and groups in the United States as sites for dietary and health studies. Reasons for this doubtless lie elsewhere than in a lack of interest. Such study not only offers the possibility of providing information needed by the indigenous population, but also information concerning the nutritive needs of children in relation to con...
ABSTRACT Malaria is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in children under 5 years and pregnant women. The use of Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), which is a combination of a fast-acting artemisinin derivative and a relatively slow-acting partner drug, is used for malaria treatment in disease-endemic areas. The ACT partner drugs in Ghana are lumefantrine (LUM), amodiaquine (AQ), and piperaquine (PQ). Plasmodium falciparum isolates wi...