Buchu (Agathosma betulina and A. crenulata): Rightfully Forgotten or Underutilized?

Uzara (Xysmalobium undulatum) - An underutilized anti-diarrhoeic and spasmolytic herbal remedy

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Uzara, Xysmalobium undulatum (L.) W.T.Aiton, a herbal medicine for diarrhoea and smooth-muscle cramps is little-known outside Germany, where it has had a market presence for ∼110 years. The early introduction of this Southern African medicinal plant into Europe and the US was entrepreneurially driven, similar to buchu (Agathosma spp.) and Umckaloabo (Pelargonium sidoides DC.). Much of its history of commercialization, from its origin, identity and supply chain to its composition and clinical evidence of efficacy and safety, has been poorly studied and/or scantly published.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this review is to uncover enough data to create a coherent timeline, many of which are published here for the first time, and to evaluate all published data, mostly historical and/or elusive, to corroborate Uzara's status as a safe and efficacious botanical medicine.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Multiple searches were conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases with the following keywords: all scientific and common plant names combined with taxonomy, nomenclature, ethnobotany, traditional use, ecology, cultivation, sustainability, economy, trade, CITES, chemistry, biochemistry, compounds, pre-clinical, pharmacology, clinical, RCT, safety, toxicology, veterinary, review for the period of 1600-2022. Reference sections of selected publications were searched manually. Additionally, product registration databases of national competent health authorities in Europe were consulted for products, license holders and formulations.

RESULTS

The authors find an underutilized potential of uzara as anti-diarrhoeic (with or without underlying infection) and spasmolytic remedy. A by-product of this review is a largely inclusive bibliography of publications on uzara.

CONCLUSIONS

Further clinical research supporting antidiarrhoeal and spasmolytic efficacy would be desirable.

Stevens' Cure (Umckaloabo)-the vindication of a patent medicine

Stevens' Cure (Umckaloabo) emerged as a patent medicine claiming to treat tuberculosis in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the 20th century. However, due to its identity being shrouded in secrecy, it was never truly accepted by the medical community. It was "rediscovered" in the 1970s and subsequently developed into a very popular and successful phytopharmaceutical for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections. Whether Stevens' Cure contained the same ingredient(s) as the modern Umckaloabo has not yet been demonstrated. We attempted to elucidate for the first time the identity of the original ingredient by comparative analysis of historical product samples. Three historical samples of Stevens' Cure were compared with Pelargonium sidoides DC. and P. reniforme Curt. root per UPLC-MS analysis. We confirm that the ingredient-P. sidoides DC.-is indeed the same as used in modern phytotherapy. We also attribute the first ethnopharmacological record of P. sidoides DC. being used for the treatment of tuberculosis to C. H. Stevens, the "creator" of Umckaloabo.

Natural Substances vs. Approved Drugs in the Treatment of Main Cardiovascular Disorders-Is There a Breakthrough?

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a group of diseases with a very high rate of morbidity and mortality. The clinical presentation of CVDs can vary from asymptomatic to classic symptoms such as chest pain in patients with myocardial infarction. Current therapeutics for CVDs mainly target disease symptoms. The most common CVDs are coronary artery disease, acute myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, chronic heart failure, arterial hypertension, and valvular heart disease. In their treatment, conventional therapies and pharmacological therapies are used. However, the use of herbal medicines in the therapy of these diseases has also been reported in the literature, resulting in a need for critical evaluation of advances related to their use. Therefore, we carried out a narrative review of pharmacological and herbal therapeutic effects reported for these diseases. Data for this comprehensive review were obtained from electronic databases such as MedLine, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Conventional therapy requires an individual approach to the patients, as when patients do not respond well, this often causes allergic effects or various other unwanted effects. Nowadays, medicinal plants as therapeutics are frequently used in different parts of the world. Preclinical/clinical pharmacology studies have confirmed that some bioactive compounds may have beneficial therapeutic effects in some common CVDs. The natural products analyzed in this review are promising phytochemicals for adjuvant and complementary drug candidates in CVDs pharmacotherapy, and some of them have already been approved by the FDA. There are insufficient clinical studies to compare the effectiveness of natural products compared to approved therapeutics for the treatment of CVDs. Further long-term studies are needed to accelerate the potential of using natural products for these diseases. Despite this undoubted beneficence on CVDs, there are no strong breakthroughs supporting the implementation of natural products in clinical practice. Nevertheless, they are promising agents in the supplementation and co-therapy of CVDs.

Propagation of Medicinal Plants for Sustainable Livelihoods, Economic Development, and Biodiversity Conservation in South Africa

South Africa is blessed with vast plant resources and unique vegetation types. Indigenous South African medicinal plants have been well-harnessed to generate income in rural communities. Many of these plants have been processed into natural products to heal a variety of diseases, making them valuable export commodities. South Africa has one of the most effective bio-conservation policies in Africa, which has protected the South African indigenous medicinal vegetation. However, there is a strong link between government policies for biodiversity conservation, the propagation of medicinal plants as a source of livelihood, and the development of propagation techniques by research scientists. Tertiary institutions nationwide have played a crucial role in the development of effective propagation protocols for valuable South African medicinal plants. The government-restricted harvest policies have also helped to nudge natural product companies and medicinal plant marketers to embrace the cultivated plants for their medicinal uses, and thus have helped support the South African economy and biodiversity conservation. Propagation methods used for the cultivation of the relevant medicinal plants vary according to plant family and vegetation type, among others. Plants from the Cape areas, such as the Karoo, are often resuscitated after bushfires, and propagation protocols mimicking these events have been established through seed propagation protocols with controlled temperatures and other conditions, to establish seedlings of such plants. Thus, this review highlights the role of the propagation of highly utilized and traded medicinal plants in the South African traditional medicinal system. Some valuable medicinal plants that sustain livelihoods and are highly sought-after as export raw materials are discussed. The effect of South African bio-conservation registration on the propagation of these plants and the roles of the communities and other stakeholders in the development of propagation protocols for highly utilized and endangered medicinal plants are also covered. The role of various propagation methods on the bioactive compounds' composition of medicinal plants and issues of quality assurance are addressed. The available literature, media online news, newspapers, and other resources, such as published books and manuals, were scrutinized for information.

A Review of the Green Synthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles Utilising Southern African Indigenous Medicinal Plants

Metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs), such as zinc oxide (ZnO), have been researched extensively for applications in biotechnology, photovoltaics, photocatalysis, sensors, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals due to their unique properties at the nanoscale. ZnO NPs have been fabricated using conventional physical and chemical processes, but these techniques are limited due to the use of hazardous chemicals that are bad for the environment and high energy consumption. Plant-mediated synthesis of ZnO NPs has piqued the interest of researchers owing to secondary metabolites found in plants that can reduce Zn precursors and stabilise ZnO NPs. Thus, plant-mediated synthesis of ZnO NPs has become one of the alternative green synthesis routes for the fabrication of ZnO NPs. This is attributable to its environmental friendliness, simplicity, and the potential for industrial-scale expansion. Southern Africa is home to a large and diverse indigenous medicinal plant population. However, the use of these indigenous medicinal plants for the preparation of ZnO NPs is understudied. This review looks at the indigenous medicinal plants of southern Africa that have been used to synthesise ZnO NPs for a variety of applications. In conclusion, there is a need for more exploration of southern African indigenous plants for green synthesis of ZnO NPs.