South African Traditional Medicines Research Unit
Current projects 6 - 8
- The
use of traditional medicinal plants in the treatment of viral skin disorders
Supervisors:
Prof. P. Folb and Prof. G. Todd
Researcher: Sibongile C. Pefile
This research aims:
- To investigate the
antiviral properties of traditional medicinal plants used by traditional
healers for the treatment of herpes simplex virus;
- To extract and isolate
the active antiviral component(s) from the medicinal plants selected for
the study, and to explain their chemical structure, mechanism of action,
therapeutic index and the cytotoxicity of the active substance(s);
- To analyse and develop
an effective and safe antiviral agent for the treatment of skin lesions
arising from the herpes simplex virus.
Specific objectives:
- To develop a simple
and efficient assay method for the extraction, isolation and identification
of the active components of the medicinal plants under investigation. Furthermore,
to establish whether activity is due to single or combined effects of the
plant extracts.
- To develop a suitable
cell line for the inoculation of the herpes simplex virus and for the analysis
of the antiviral properties of the plant extracts being tested.
- In addition, to evaluate
the various routes of administration, pharmacokinetics and excretion mechanisms
of the extracts and to establish their stability in body fluids, toxicity
and capacity to reach infected tissue in adequate concentrations during
in vivo analysis of animal models.
- To develop a suitable
technique for the identification, evaluation and monitoring of in vitro
and in vivo antiviral activity;
- To optimise the antiviral
activity from the plants analysed and to design a clinically effective antiviral
agent that exhibits acceptable therapeutic activity against skin manifestations
of herpes simplex virus.
- To make a significant
and valuable contribution to scientific research concerned with the development
and advancement of herpes antiviral treatment, and in doing so, to improve
the long term outlook for the management of herpes simplex virus.
- To provide scientific
evidence supporting traditional healers' belief in the therapeutic efficacy
of medicinal plants, thereby acknowledging the significance of ethno-medicine
in drug development.
- Results obtained from
the study will assist in the establishment of a traditional medicines database
designed to improve knowledge on the use, activity and availability of traditional
medicinal plants.
- The in vitro efficacy tests of plants used in the traditional treatment
of tuberculosis in southern africa against mycobacterium tuberculosis
Project
Leaders: Prof. P. Folb, Dr P. Smith, Dr L. Steyn, Mr W. Campbell, Prof.
E. Shepherd
Principal Investigators: Mr. N. C. Ntutela, Mr B. Bapela
The broad goal of this
project is to screen plants used in the traditional treatment of tuberculosis
in Southern Africa against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in vitro.
Specific objectives:
- To collect plants used
in the traditional treatment of tuberculosis around Southern Africa;
- To perform cold and
hot extractions of plant material;
- To perform in vitro
bioassay of crude extracts against Mycobacterium aurum and subsequently
against Mycobacterium tuberculosis for active extracts;
- To perform bioguided
fractionation; isolation and characterisation of active extracts using Thin
Layer Chromatography; Flash Column Chromatography; High Pressure Liquid
Chromatography; Nuclear Mass Resonance; and Mass Spectroscopy;
- To test the cytotoxic
effect of active fractions against a variety of normal and cancer cell lines
using MTT assay;
- To test the immuno-stimulating
effects of various plant extracts.
- The
cost-effectiveness of single doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in the treatment
of ambulatory mild P. falciparum malaria in the Tonga district of Mpumalanga
Project Leader:
Prof. P.I. Folb
Investigators: Justin J. Wilkins1, Karen I. Barnes1, Barbara Graham2, Indres
Moodley2, Peter I. Folb1
The aim of this research
project is to determine the cost-effectiveness of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine
as first-line treatment for mild ambulatory P. falciparum malaria, in comparison
with its predecessor chloroquine. This will take both provider and end-beneficiary
costs into account.
Specific objectives:
- To determine the cost-effectiveness
of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine as first-line treatment for mild ambulatory
P. falciparum malaria.
- To determine the cost-effectiveness
of chloroquine as first-line treatment for mild ambulatory P. falciparum
malaria.
- To compare and evaluate
the relative merits of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and chloroquine as first-line
antimalarials in Mpumalanga province.
- To model the projected
cost-effectiveness of as-yet-unused antimalarials as first-line treatment
for P. falciparum malaria in South Africa, based upon resistance data gathered
elsewhere.
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