Background: ‘U wela’ also known as ‘Divhu’ in ‘Tshivenda’ is a sexually transmitted infection caused by a combination of fungal and bacterial microorganisms that affects males because of unprotected sexual encounters with a woman who has had an abortion or miscarriage.Aim: The study aimed to investigate medicinal plants used to treat ‘u wela’ and determine their biological activity against Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Candida albicans.Setting: Eight plant species (Elaeodendron transvaalense[Burtt Davy] R.H. Archer, Albizia versicolor Welw. ex Oliv, Xanthocercis zambesiaca Baker, Cassia abbreviata subsp. beareana [Holmes] Brenan, Anthocleista grandiflora Gilg, Myrothamnus flabellifolius Welw., Mimusops zeyheri Sond, and Capparis tomentosa Lam.) used to combat ‘u wela’ were selected from the Ethnomedicinal plant’s database of over 300 medicinal plants used for medicinal purposes in humans, in the Vhembe district, Limpopo province, South Africa.Methods: The antimicrobial activity of the plant extracts was investigated against Candida albicans and Neisseria gonorrhoeae using serial dilution and bioautography assays.Results: The plant extracts of A. versicolor and C. abbreviata had excellent activity with a low minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). value of 0.02 and 0.07 mg/mL, respectively. In bioautograms developed in benzene/ethanol/ammonia hydroxide (BEA), active compounds were visible in the extracts of A. versicolor.Conclusion: A. versicolor had excellent antimicrobial activity and may be used in traditional therapy to combat ‘u wela’.Contribution: The study has demonstrated that A. versicolor is a promising plant species that could lead to the discovery of novel drugs to combat ‘u wela’.

Background: Artabotrys brachypetalus is best known for its edible fruits, but today, it is a well-known medicinal plant. However, there are several uses of the species, some of them known since prehistoric times.Aim: This study compiles the existing information of the traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties, and future potential applications of A. brachypetalus.Setting: This review provides an overview of uses and ethnopharmacological properties of A. brachypetalus.Method: Multiple searches on existing literature were carried out on the traditional, medicinal, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties of A. brachypetalus in online databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, JSTOR, and Science Direct as well as using pre-electronic literature sources obtained from the university library.Results: This study showed that A. brachypetalus is a multipurpose species used as a food plant, source of fibre, firewood, timber, and herbal medicine. Artabotrys brachypetalus serves as a medicinal plant in five countries to treat human and animal diseases, accounting for 55.6% of the countries where the species is naturally found. The phytochemical evaluation of the plant revealed that it contains alkaloids, cyclohexane carboxylic acid, dicarboxylic acid, fatty acids, flavonoids, phenolics, sesquiterpenes, and sugars. The pharmacological assessments showed that the phytochemical compounds isolated from the species and crude extracts demonstrated antifungal, antidiabetic, antiplasmodial, and larvicidal activities.Conclusion: Further research should focus on elucidation of pharmacological, phytochemical, toxicological, in vitro, in vivo and clinical research of the species.Contribution: This study contributes to the existing knowledge about A. brachypetalus that could be useful in bio-prospecting for new health-promoting products required in the primary healthcare delivery system.

Background: Antioxidants present in plant extracts prevent free radicals from causing chronic diseases in humans.Aim: The study investigated 12 medicinal plants (Kleinia longiflora DC., Berchemia discolor [Klotzsch] Hemsl., Persea americana Mill., Sansevieria hyacinthoides [L.] Druce, Dichrostachys cinerea [L.] Wright Arn, Withania somnifera Dunal [Ashgandh], Momordica balsamina L., Lonchocarpus capassa, Pappea capensis, ‘Rhus lancea L. fil’ with ‘Searsia lancea (L.F.) F.A. Barkley’ Peltophorum africanum, Maytenus heterophylla [Eckl. Zeyh.] Robson) for antioxidant activity using the qualitative and quantitative 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay.Setting: The plant species were selected from the ethnomedicinal plant database of over 300 medicinal plants used for therapeutic purposes in Limpopo province.Methods: The plant materials were extracted with solvents of various polarities such as acetone, dichloromethane (DCM), methanol, hexane, and water. The qualitative and quantitative DPPH methods were used to determine the antioxidant activities of plant extracts.Results: The yellow bands revealed the presence of antioxidant compounds against the purple background on the Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) plates. Methanol, hexane, and water extracts of L. capassa were the most active radical scavengers in the DPPH assay among the six medicinal plants screened. Plant extracts of P. africanum showed strong antioxidant activity by inhibiting DPPH, compared with the standard ascorbic acid.Conclusion: The findings indicate that some extracts can be used as an easily accessible source of natural antioxidants.Contribution: The findings revealed that the plant species investigated displayed noteworthy antioxidant activity, which provides scientific evidence for their utilisation by traditional health practitioners to treat fungal infections.

Background: Lonchocarpus capassa is a medicinal plant used to treat diseases such as fungal infections, diarrhoea, oral candidiasis, and stomach complaints in South Africa.Aim: The study aimed to investigate the cytotoxicity and antifungal compounds isolated from L. capassa leaf extracts.Setting: The study was conducted in Muduluni village, Makhado Local Municipality, Limpopo province.Methods: Leaf extracts were screened for antifungal activity against fungal pathogens: Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus fumigatus. Bioassay-guided fractionation using column chromatography of the acetone extract led to the isolation of six antifungal compounds. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry were used for the identification of compounds. The antioxidant activity of the plant extracts was investigated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. Cytotoxicity of isolated compounds was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against Vero monkey kidney cells.Results: The plant extract had an excellent minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) value of 40 μg/mL against the microorganisms. Compound 1 was identified as Lupeol, Compound 3 as Friedelin, and Compound 4 as 6-(γ,γ-Dimethylallyl)-3’,4’-dimethoxy-6”,6”-dimethylpyrano-[2”,3”:7,8]-flavanone (Compound 4). Compounds 2 and 5 were not identified because of the presence of mixtures of long-chain fatty acids. Friedelin was the most active radical scavenger in the DPPH assay. The compounds were not toxic with an LC50 value of ˃ 0.2 mg/mL.Conclusion: Screening of medicinal plants could provide lead to the discovery of novel antifungal agents.Contribution: The results support the traditional use of L. capassa to combat fungal infections in humans.

Background: Tribulus terrestris L. is a traditional herb regularly recognised as puncture vine, yellow vine, devils horn, goat head and caltrop, this is often a yearly shaggy herbaceous plant species with stems of up to 2m long, having a place to the family of Zygophyllaceae.Aim: The study explored the therapeutic potential of this herb as it is being utilised for pharmaceutical purposes because of its furostanol saponins, which have a stimulating impact on characteristic testosterone levels.Setting: The study took place in different locations of Mpumalanga Province, Bushbuckridge (24.8398°S, 31.0464°E), Kamagugu (25.4566° S, 31.0034° E) and Nkomatipoort (25.4510° S, 31.9587° E).Methods: Utilising ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS), 50 metabolites were tentatively identified within the leaves of Tribulus terrestris L. from three diverse areas of Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.Results: Metabolomic-chemometric analysis revealed that Parvispinoside B, F-Gitonin and Gitonin scored highest for the discrimination of Tribulus terrestris L. from three locale clusters. Heat maps showed designs and groupings based on the metabolite concentrations.Conclusion: This study provided novel insights in terms of thorough identification of the secondary metabolites and characterization of the leaves of Tribulus terrestris L. in the areas studied.Contribution: To the best of our knowledge, this study presents the first metabolite profile of Tribulus terrestris L. and its compositional differences in the Mpumalanga region, providing chemical-based evidence for its nutritive and/or health benefits

Background: Based on high frequency index, Ximenia caffra Sond. var. natalensis was selected for further phytochemical investigation and biological assays.Aim: The study aimed to isolate the active antifungal compounds from the leaves of X. caffra var. natalensis.Setting: The ethnobotanical study was conducted in Aganang Local Municipality, Capricorn District.Methods: Acetone extract was partitioned five times with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol and water, respectively. Fractions were screened for antifungal activity against Candida albicans using the microplate method and bioautography assays. The structures of isolated compounds were identified using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry. Cytotoxicity of isolated compounds was determined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.Results: Bioassay-guided fractionation of the ethyl acetate fraction led to the isolation of four compounds, out of which only two were identified. Compound 1 was identified as epigallocatechin gallate, and Compound 3 was confirmed as kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside. Epigallocatechin gallate exhibited moderate antifungal activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.5mg/mL and less toxic to the cells with LC50 = 32.32 µg/mL.Conclusion: The antifungal activity and cytotoxicity of isolated compounds validate the use of X. caffra Sond. var. natalensis in combating oral candidiasis.Contribution: The results have shown the potential bioactivity of X. caffra Sond. var. natalensis in the treatment of oral candidiasis.