Bioactivity of the selected medicinal plants against Candida albicans

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Abstracts

minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 0.10 mg/ml against M. catarrhalis, while the water extract had MIC of 0.39 mg/ ml against both E. gallinarium and E. casseliflavus. The methanol extract was further tested for antioxidant activity in both the 2, 2diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assays and revealed IC50 values of 0.28 and 0.64 mg/100 ml respectively, suggesting that the extract inhibits oxidation of DPPH better than that of ABTS. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2015.03.160

Ethnobotanical profile of medicinal plants used in the treatment of toothache in the Blouberg Local Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa N.K. Moshapo, M.P. Tshisikhawe Department of Botany, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa About 85% of the traditional medicines are derived from plants and 80% of people in Africa who suffer from high fever and other common ailments rely on traditional medicine for their primary health care and South Africa is no exception which includes Blouberg Local Municipality. The main objective of the study was to document plants used for the treatment of toothache. Forty-one people (herbalists and ordinary people) from 5 different villages around the study area were interviewed using questionnaires. Information recorded during the interviews included local plant names, plant parts used, mode of preparation and route of administration. Results obtained showed that Asclepias fruticosa, Nerium oleander, Ricinus communis, Dichrostachys cinerea, Gossypium hirsutum, Dicerocaryum zanguebarium, Ziziphus mucronata, Solanum panduriforme and an unidentified plant are used as medicinal plants for the treatment of mouth diseases and toothache in the area. Roots (67%), leaves (22%) and seedling leaves (11%) are plant parts that are mostly used. Boiling decoctions (78%), taken orally (11%) and steaming (11%) are used as preparatory methods and half a cup taken twice a day until pain subsides. The study showed that people in communities are afraid of being exploited of their knowledge by researchers which makes everyone to be uneasy and not trust people that come asking for information. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2015.03.161

Does “multiple-bang” flowering enhance outcrossing in the deceptive Dietes grandif lora? E.C. Mostert⁎, C.I. Peter Department of Botany, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa ⁎ SAAB award: Best poster presented over all categories Phenology can have important consequences for the fitness of an individual, and the phenology of flowering, in particular, can be very important for determining an individuals' reproductive success. Dietes grandiflora, a species of southern African Iridaceae, has a peculiar flowering phenology that has in the past been described as a “multiple-bang” flowering and is popularly believed to herald the onset of rain. It also presents pollinators with no nectar and has papillose yellow, UV absorbing patches on the outer petals. These are thought to mimic pollen, suggesting that it is likely deceptive. Coordinated but sporadic flowering and deception are thought to be linked, as many short flowering intervals could increase exposure to

naïve pollinators, increasing the chance of pollination by deceit. This was investigated by making daily observations of flower openings in Morgan Bay, South Africa and comparing these to weather variables using a general linear model, performing breeding or exclusion experiments on the flowers, and observing pollinators. The most important cues found to trigger flowering were an increase in air moisture (in the form of VPD) around two days before flowering and a decrease in moisture on the day of flowering. Flowers that had been cross-pollinated were 39% more likely to set fruit than selfpollinated flowers, while neither emasculated nor the bagged control plants set fruit. Honey bees were found to be the main pollinators of D. grandiflora and while they more often visited flowers in a deceptive fashion, many bees learnt how to manipulate the flowers to access the true pollen. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2015.03.162

Variation in organ δ13C and rhizosphere P nutrition of Wiborgiella sessilifolia of the Cape Fynbos T. Mpaia, C.N. Cupidob, F.D. Dakorac a Department of Crop Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0001, South Africa b Compton Herbarium, Kirstenbosch Research Center, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X17, Cleremont 7735, South Africa c Chemistry Department, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0001, South Africa The various species of the endangered Wiborgia, Wiborgiella and Polhillia genera are endemic to the Cape Fynbos soils which are characterised by dry summer seasons and very low soil nutrient levels, particularly N and P. They are highly threatened and continue to decline yet they are economically important and therefore their conservation is a global priority. Plant and soil samples were collected from the Bredasdorp, Clanwilliam and Swellendam area in 2013 and 2014 for 13C/12C isotopic analysis as well as acid and alkaline phosphatase activities respectively. The activity of acid and alkaline phosphatase in the rhizosphere of Wiborgiella sessilifolia was markedly higher compared to the activity of the enzyme in the nonrhizosphere bulk soil. Furthermore, extractable P in the rhizosphere was higher compared to that in the bulk soil. Dry matter yield, C concentration and C content were significantly greater in twigs compared to the other test organs of the test species. Twigs showed to be more water-use efficient compared to leaves, twigs and flowers. Interestingly, there were no marked variations in δ13C values among plant organs in five-year-old Wiborgiella plants at flowering and podding stages. It is therefore concluded that phosphatase activity improved P availability in rhizosphere of the test Wiborgiella species mainly due to cluster root formation. Twigs of the test species were more water use efficient than any other plant organs in younger plants. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2015.03.163

Bioactivity of the selected medicinal plants against Candida albicans T.M. Mulaudzi, N.A. Masevhe, P. Mojapelo School of Maths and Natural Sciences, Department of Botany, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, South Africa Twelve medicinal plants were selected through ethnobotanical use and were screened for antifungal activity against Candida albicans

Abstracts

(ATCC 10231) and clinical isolates: Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. The dried leaves of Breonadia microcephala, Colophospermum mopane, Commiphora pyracanthoides, Diplorrhyncus condylocaporn, Elaeodendron transvaalense, Elephantorrhiza elephantine, Eugenia natalitia, Leucaena leucocephala, Verninia corymbosa, Zanthoxylum humile, Ziziphus mucronataand and Ornithogalum ornithogaloides were extracted with acetone and water. The antifungal activity of the plant extracts was determined using the micro-dilution and bioautography methods, and their antioxidant activity was evaluated using a DPPH qualitative assay. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 12 acetone plant extracts ranged from 0.04 to 1.25 mg/ml while those of aqueous extracts had a very weak antifungal activity against the test microorganisms which varied from 0.63 to more than 2.5 mg/ml. Acetone extracts of C. mopane and D. condylocapron were the most active with an MIC value of 0.04 mg/ml against C. albicans (ATCC 10231), A. fumigatus and C. neoformans. C. mopane also had the the highest total activity of 7468 ml/g against these microorganisms. This means that the acetone extract from 1 g of the dry plant material could be diluted to 7468 ml and still kill the test microorganisms. With regard to bioautography, the poorly separated compounds in the aqueous plant extracts had no activity. However, some bands in acetone extracts of B. microcephala, C. mopane, E. natalitia and V. corymbosa had less visible zones of inhibition against C. neoformans at an Rf value of 0.9. The activity of the compounds was not intense enough to consider the isolation and characterization of the antifungal compounds. However, the HPLC and TLC chemical profiles of the plant extracts were recorded and serve as basic reference for all future investigations. Acetone plant extracts also showed several bands with varying degrees of antioxidant activities while aqueous extracts hardly showed the antioxidant activities. The antifungal activity exhibited by the plant extracts supports their traditional use to some extent. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2015.03.164

The effects of stratification on Vangueria infausta Burch seeds M. Mutele, P.W. Mokwala Department of Biodiversity, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, University of Limpopo, Private Bag X1106, Sovenga 0727, South Africa The velvet wild-medlar (Vangueria infausta Burch) is an indigenous fruit tree. Each fruit has three to four seeds. The seeds have a hard endocarp like those of the stone fruits. The latter require stratification at a low temperature for germination. An investigation was carried out on the effects of stratification at 6 °C on the germination of the velvet wild-medlar seeds. The seeds were collected from the wild under the trees. The highest germination percentage of 40% was obtained from non-stratified seeds with the lowest germination percentage of 6.7% obtained from seeds stratified for both three and four weeks. However, seeds stratified for five weeks showed a higher germination percentage of 23.3%. Anatomically, there were no observable differences among the treatments. In some seeds there were globules that coalesced to form huge ones. These were probably non-viable seeds that would not germinate. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2015.03.165

Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants prescribed by traditional healers for the treatment of chest and coughing related diseases in the Eastern Cape Y. Ndamanea, L. Kambizib, S.P. Songcac a Department of Botany, Walter Sisulu University, Private Bag X1, Mthatha 5099, Eastern Cape, South Africa

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Department of Horticulture, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, PO Box 652, Cape Town 8000, Western Cape, South Africa c Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Walter Sisulu University, PO Box 19712, Tecoma, East London 5214, Eastern Cape, South Africa Medicinal plants have been used all over the world as unique sources of medicines serving as either primary sources or secondary sources of drugs. It is estimated that about 25% of prescription drugs and 11% of drugs that are considered essential by the WHO are derivatives of plants and a large number of synthetic drugs are obtained from plants as precursor compounds. The documentation of the traditional medicinal plants could contribute to the conservation, sustainable management and use of plant resources. About 80% of the people in developing countries still depend on local medicinal plants to fulfill their primary health care needs. The factors that lead to more people relying on medicinal plants for their primary health care needs are absence or inaccessibility of modern healthcare services and high prices of pharmaceutical products. This study was aimed at documenting and analyzing information on medicinal plants used to alleviate coughing and chest related ailments in the OR Tambo district municipality of Eastern Cape. It was imperative to carry out an ethnobotanical survey to identify different plants used to treat these diseases. Data collection was archived through participatory appraisal research with traditional healers and knowledgeable elders who practice herbal medicine in the study area. Various ethnobotanical techniques were used to collect data including semi-structured interviews, field observations and group discussions. A total of 17 plant species were reported (13 from the wild, 2 from home gardens and 5 species occurring in both the wild and home gardens, belonging to 12 families). The most frequently harvested plant parts were leaves and roots, followed by stems and bark. About 80% of the remedies were prepared from single plants with the highest proportion prepared by crushing, pounding and mixing in water. The most widely used method of application was internal scoring in which oral application was the main route of administration. Medicinal plants reported to be the most widely and frequently used by the local people as remedies for coughing and chest related diseases are Tetradenia riparia, Plectranthus laxiflorus and Eucalyptus regnans.

doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2015.03.166

The diversity and the spread of alien invasive plant species in the Nylsvley Nature Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa E. Nenzhelele, M.P. Tshisikhawe Department of Botany, School of Mathematical and Natural sciences, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa Invasive alien plant species have been identified as the second main cause of biodiversity loss after habitat destruction and the main cause of species extinctions in island ecosystems. A total of 30 quadrats which were 10 m × 10 m in size were constructed subjectively on areas where alien invasive species were identified. Both alien invasive plants and indigenous plants within the quadrats were sampled. Sida spinosa (Malvaceae family) was found to have the highest frequency of 80% followed by Hibiscus cannabinus (Malvaceae family) with a frequency of 53.33% and the least with the lowest frequency was Helichrysum kraussii (Asteraceae family) having a frequency of 3.33%. The invasive alien plant species were found dominating throughout the study area whereas indigenous plant species were found to be very low. Inverse J-shaped relationships between the indigenous and the invasive alien plant species were observed, with alien invasive plant species dominating the pattern of distribution over indigenous