Gloria Aderonke Otunola

University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa · Medicinal Plants and Economic Development (MPED) Research Center

Background: The therapeutic benefits of fermented foods in the treatment and prevention of Type 2 diabetes mellitus have been reported. Aim: Inhibitory effect of fermented rice beverages on α-amylase, α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase was evaluated. Method: Two fermented rice beverages-fermented rice alone (FKR) and fermented rice plus roasted pe...

The problems of malnutrition constitute a major challenge in South Africa, particularly affecting the underprivileged populations of the Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces. The present study aimed to gain an understanding of how to improve the nutritional intake of South African university student mothers and their children by the introduction of M...

Native to India, Moringa oleifera Lam. is a plant with high nutritional value, which is now grown across the world, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. This study determined the knowledge, consumption, attitudes and beliefs toward Moringa oleifera in some African countries (Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa) and in India to gain a better...

This report is part of a larger study on bioavailability of nutrients in Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) grown in South Africa. Albino male rats were assigned into five groups each having a replicate of five; PD-protein deficient diet, PD3, PD5 and PD10 had protein insufficient diets augmented with MOLM at 3, 5 and 10% respectively, while control...

Introduction: Fortification of foods is often performed to formulate and develop functional foods that improve the nutritional and health status of consumers. Methods: In this study, a spice-blend (cayenne pepper, garlic and ginger) was incorporated into wheat flour at 5, 10, 15 and 20% for the production of nutritional and healthy cookies. Physico...

Spices-dried aromatic parts of plants (leaves, seeds, bark, roots, rhizomes, buds, etc) used to enhance flavour, taste and colour (sensory quality) of foods, are increasingly finding other useful roles in healthcare beyond their primary use as culinary organoleptic enhancers. Several spices are currently being investigated for their potential healt...

The risk factors associated with low dietary fiber intake and the synergy with its role in colon prebiotic activity has stimulated a re-awakening in the scientific research. Dietary fiber intake has reduced all over the world, and so it has been labelled as a major shortfall nutrient of important in public health. Changes in lifestyle and improved...

This study investigated the cytotoxicity, anti-obesity and anti-diabetic potentials of blanched, aqueous and ethanol extracts of Heteromorpha arborescens (Spreng.) Cham leaves. The results revealed that both ethanol and aqueous extracts exhibited considerable inhibition against α-glucosidase (IC50 of 627.29 ± 4.62 µg/mL and 576.46 ± 3.21 µg/mL resp...

We investigated the antineoplastic activities of extracts of Pelargonium inquinans leaves, a plant native to South Africa on acute leukemia cell lines, U937 and Jurkat and the inflammatory effect (nitric oxide and cyclo-oxygenase-2) on RAW 264.7 cells. The extracts of Pelargonium inquinans have significant cytotoxicity especially on U937 cells and...

Green nanotechnology has acquired immense demand due to its cost-effective, eco-friendly and benevolent approach for the synthesis of nanoparticles. Among the biological methods, plants aid as a significant green resource for synthesizing nanoparticles that are safe and non-toxic for human use. In the present investigation, Silver nanoparticles (Ag...

The two South African spices named Lippia javanica (Izinziniba) and Foeniculum vulgare (Imbambosi) were studied for its proximate principles, minerals, vitamins and anti-nutrients properties. The experiment shows that L. javanica had higher figure in its lipids, fibres and carbohydrates contents. This implies that L. javanica may help the body to m...

Globally, there is a growing demand for functional foods that provide health benefits without changing current dietary habits. However, the world is made up of diverse societies that consist of a wide range of individuals from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds associated with different food choices and preferences. Functional foods resemble...

The nutritional and antinutrient composition of Heteromorpha arborescens (Spreng.) Cham. & Schltdl. leaves was reported in this study. Proximate analysis revealed the presence of 8.5% total ash, 4.92% crude fat, 8.41% moisture, 15.74% crude protein, 21.48% crude fiber, 40.95% carbohydrates, and 271.04 kcal/100 g energy value. Mineral analysis showe...

This study was aimed at comparing the essential oils obtained from Heteromorpha arborescens leaves by Solvent-Free Microwave Extraction (SFME) and Hydrodistillation (HD) methods in terms of their chemical compositions, yield, CO2 emission, and energy consumption. The solvent-free microwave extraction method indicated a higher oil yield of 0.7 mL/20...

Background: Heteromorpha arborescens (Spreng.) Cham. and Schltdl (Apiaceae) is widely used traditionally for the treatment of a wide range of diseases in Southern and Eastern Africa. Although previous studies have reported the biological activities of hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of H. arborescens leaves, there is no scientific infor...

In the present study silver nanoparticles were synthesized from Elaeodendron croceum stem bark and leaf extracts (ECB-AgNPs and ECL-AgNPs respectively) and were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The antioxidant activity was determined by eval...

This study investigated the phytochemical constituents and antioxidant properties of crude extracts of C. argentea at different maturity stages and seasons. Total phenols, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidin content from water, acetone and methanol extracts were evaluated spectrophotometrically. The antioxidant activities were measured using 2,2- diph...

Background: This study was aimed at investigating the possible anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic effects of extracts from the flowering stage of C. argentea. This growth stage was chosen because of its high polyphenolic content and high antioxidant capacity. Methods: Anti-inflammatory potential of the aqueous, acetone and methanol extracts of C. a...

The effects of incorporation of Moringa leaf fibre (a by-product of leaf processing which contains 24% Crude Fibre by dry weight at 0, 5 and 10 % substitution of wheat flour in cookies was investigated. Three products containing wheat flour: Moringa leaf fibre ratios of 100:0, 95:5, and 90:10 respectively were prepared, and a commercial cookie was...

Celosia argentea is an essential vegetable that is cultivated in the western part of Africa. This species has a growing reputation for its role in alleviating nutritional challenges and has found great application as herb of therapeutic importance in many regions of the world. This study investigated the foliar micromorphology and the histochemistr...

The whole plant of Vernonia mespilifolia is widely used as a traditional remedy for obesity in South Africa. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-obesity and cytotoxic effects of Vernonia mespilifolia extracts in vitro. The α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase inhibitory activities of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Vernonia mespilifol...

Ten commercial barbecue spice blends purchased from Fruit and Vegetables, Spar and Saverite supermarkets in Alice, South Africa were evaluated for the total aerobic bacterial count, Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus and yeasts/moulds counts using standard microbiological assays. The SJ Braai spice was the most...

Background Moringa oleifera is currently and rapidly gaining super food status. Objective This study evaluated the effect of Moringa oleifera leaves (MOLM) on haematological, biochemical and histopathology indices of rats fed vitamins and minerals deficient (VMD) diets. Methods Twenty-five male Wistar rats (220-290g) were assigned into 5 groups o...

The distribution of nutrients and metabolites in different organs and tissues is in a constant state of flux throughout the growth and development of a plant. This study was designed to evaluate the nutritional composition of Celosia argentea at three different stages of maturity to establish the best time of harvest for optimal nutritional benefit...

Dietary deficiencies have become significant in public health challenge globally. This is attributed in part to the pitiable quality of customary diets and the absence of variety in meals. Nutrition and health are closely related, and micronutrient deficiencies are one of the major culprits responsible for the positive correlation between diet and...

Objective To evaluate the phytochemical content and antioxidant potential of the acetone, aqueous, and methanol extracts of the fruit, leaf, and root of Cucumis africanus L.f. Methods Total phenolic, flavonoid, and proanthocyanidin contents were evaluated using spectrophotometric methods. The free radical scavenging activity of the acetone, methan...

Hypoxis hemerocallidea also known as African potato is a medicinal plant widely distributed in Southern Africa, which has enjoyed long usage as a traditional multipurpose herbal medicine. This study evaluated the leaf, corm, peel and root of H. hemerocallidea for their nutritional attributes. Crude protein was highest in leaf (5.56%), followed by p...

Aims: To estimate the phytochemical and vitamins composition and the antioxidant activity of Pelargonium inquinans leaves. Background: Some plants that are used in the traditional setting for the management of different ailments have documented observations and scientific studies. However many other plants lack scientific reports to support their m...

Background The Opuntia spp. have been used in traditional medicine for many centuries. It is used in the management of diseases that involves oxidative stress, especially diabetes, obesity and cancer. Opuntia stricta (Haw) is one of the relatively unknown species in South Africa where it is regarded more as a weed. Because of this, not much is know...

UFH Final data Dec 2017 (1). This file contains all the raw data from which the graphs were drawn. (XLSX)

Kedrostis africana, is a tuberous plant commonly used by traditional healers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa for the management of obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate the antiobesity and cytotoxic effects of Kedrostis africana extracts in vitro The α-amylase, α-glucosidase and lipase inhibitory activities of aqueous and e...

Objective: This study investigated the acute and subacute toxicity of whole-plant aqueous extract of Vernonia mespilifolia Less. (AEVM) in rats for evaluating its safety profile. Methods: AEVM for the acute (2000 and 5000 mg/kg) and subacute (200, 400 and 600 mg/kg) toxicity studies was administered orally to rats according the guidelines 425 an...

Kedrostis africana (L.) Cogn (Cucurbitaceae) is used in South African traditional medicine and pharmacopoeia as an emetic, purgative and diuretic, and it is used against dropsy in the management of obesity. Aim of the study In this study, acute and subacute toxicity of aqueous extract of K. africana tuber was evaluated in male and female Wistar ra...

Vernonia mespilifolia Less. is a shrub of the Asteraceae family used in the South African traditional medicine system for the management of weight loss, hypertension, and heartwater disease. There is a need for scientific evaluation to validate its ethnomedicinal usage. In vitro assays were conducted to evaluate the polyphenolic content, antioxidan...

Here we report the synthesis, characterization and biological properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the extract from a spice blend. AgNPs were prepared using 0.1 mmol/L AgNO3 solution and aqueous extract from a spice blend of garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper. The nanoparticles were characterized using ultraviolet–visible (UV-vis) spectr...

The chemical constituents, antibacterial, protection against protein denaturation and membrane stabilization activities of essential oils from flowers, leaves, seeds, bark and roots of M. oleifera were investigated. Of the eight bacterial strains tested, only the growths of four strains were inhibited by the essential oils. The oils from the flower...

Background and Objective: Celosia argentea is an annual leafy vegetable that has gained prominence for its role in combating nutritional challenges and as a herb of therapeutic importance in many parts of the world. Despite the reported nutritional and pharmacological applications of C. argentea in most countries of the world, it is little known or...

Baboon's Cucumber (Kedrostis africana (Linnaeus) Cogn is a monoecious caudiciform plant that belongs to Cucurbitaceae family. Baboon's Cucumber is used traditionally for the management of syphilis and obesity in South Africa. In the present study, we examined the hatchability and lethality of Baboon's Cucumber bulb extracts against brine shrimps. T...

Objective: To investigate phytochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Kedrostis africana (K. africana). Methods: Dried tubers of K. africana were extracted in acetone, water and ethanol. The total phenol, flavonoid, proanthocyanidin and tannin contents were determined spectrometrically. The antioxidant activity was examined using 2,2...

Moinmoin is a steamed cowpea seed‐based pudding native to Nigeria. This study evaluated the physicochemical, proximate, and sensory properties of moinmoin from a blend of cowpea and water yam flours. The pudding was prepared by varying the proportion of cowpea to water yam flour (CWYP). The blends were in the ratio 75:25% (CWYP1), 50:50% (CWYP2), a...

Background: Herbal drug delivery is limited by poor solubility and bioavailability which can be overcome with suitable nanomaterials that will enhance their pharmacokinetics and performance. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the synthesis, characterization, and biological activities of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from three spices. Materi...

Background Obesity is a global epidemic that affects 500 million people worldwide and is predicted to increase to one billion people by 2030. The prevalence of obesity is increasing across populations in South Africa. However, questions still remain surrounding the predisposing factors and obesity-related health problems especially in the rural are...

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been synthesized from the stems of Sarcocephalus latifolius (SL) and Massularia acuminata (MA) and characterized for their sizes and shapes using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Complete formations of the AgNPs were observed with colour change from colourless to browni...

Background and Objective: Vernonia mespilifolia is widely used in folk medicine in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. This study evaluated the toxicity of acetone, aqueous and ethanol extracts of Vernonia mespilifolia using brine shrimp model. Materials and Methods: Different concentrations (0.0625-1 mgmL-1) of the extracts were used to incu...

Purpose: To evaluate the possible toxicity of a blend of three spices, namely, garlic (Allium sativum), ginger (Zingiber officinale) and cayenne pepper (Capsicum frutescens) in Wistar rats Methods: For acute toxicity test, five females and five male rats were given a single oral dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight of aqueous extract of the spice blend a...

Objective: To evaluate the nutritional composition and elemental constituents of Kedrostis africana and their safety aspect. Methods: Proximate parameters (moisture, ash, crude fibre, crude fat, proteins, and carbohydrate and energy) were evaluated using ALASA methods, and elemental analysis by ICP-OES technique. Results: The results from nutrition...

Vernonia mespilifolia is widely used in folk medicine in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological activity of the acetone, aqueous and ethanol extracts of Vernonia mespilifolia using brine shrimp hatchability and lethality assay. The result showed hatching success in this order: aqueous extract (...

The protective effect of aqueous extracts of three dietary spices, garlic, (Allium sativum), ginger (Zingiber officinale) and pepper (Capsicum frutescens) singly and combined was investigated using a rat model of chronic alcohol intake. Rats were given 30% ethanol, with or without aqueous extracts of garlic, ginger, pepper or mixture of the three a...

This study was conducted to identify and document herbs and spices used for culinary and medicinal purposes in Nkonkobe Municipality, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Seventy four community members were interviewed in 7 locations using the rapid appraisal method. Ethnobotanical data was collected for 58 species of plants belonging to 29 famil...

Background: Lippia javanica (Burm.F.) Spreng is one of the spice plants commonly found in almost every part of South Africa. Apart from its culinary uses, it is also traditionally used as an insect repellant and infusion for fever, flu, kidney stone treatment, cough, common cold, and chest pain. Materials and Methods: The antioxidant activities of...

Background: Lippia javanica (Burm.F.) Spreng is an aromatic indigenous South African plant with culinary and medicinal values. This study investigated the foliar morphology and elemental composition of the plant because not much data concerning the anatomical and micro-morphological features can be found in literatureMaterials and Methods: Fresh le...

Background: Lippia javanica (Burm.F.) Spreng is an aromatic indigenous South African plant with culinary and medicinal values. This study investigated the foliar morphology and elemental composition of the plant because not much data concerning the anatomical and micro-morphological features can be found in literature Materials and Methods: Fresh l...

Allium sativum (garlic), Zingiber officinale (ginger) and Capsicum frutescens (cayenne pepper) are common dietary spices also traditionally used in the treatment of various diseases including diabetes mellitus. The antidiabetic activity of each individual spice is well documented, but their effect when combined is unknown. Polyherbalism is of curre...

Background: Herbal medicine is a popular means of medical management in some parts of the world especially in Africa. Hypoxis hemerocallidea Fisch.C.A.Mey. & Avé-Lall, also known as African potato of the Hypoxidaecae family, is one of the medicinal plants that have enjoyed long usage as an herbal medicine in South Africa. In this study, the morpho...

The relationship between rates of change of Body weight (BWR), Body length, (BLR), Body girth (BGR) Drumstick length (DLR), Shank length (SLR), Thigh length (TLR), Wing length (WLR) and Keel length (KLR) between 1 and 4 weeks age was examined in Marshall Broiler Birds placed on diet containing 0, 5, 10% and 10%+enzyme cocktail Moringa oleifera leaf...

Background Effect of aqueous extracts of Allium sativum (garlic), Zingiber officinale (ginger), Capsicum fructensces (cayenne pepper) and their mixture on oxidative stress in rats fed high Cholesterol/high fat diet was investigated. Rats were randomly distributed into six groups (n = 6) and given different dietary/spice treatments. Group 1 standard...

The effects of incorporation of Moringa leaf fibre (a by-product of leaf processing which contains 24% Crude Fibre by dry weight at 0, 5 and 10 % substitution of wheat flour in cookies was investigated. Three products containing wheat flour: Moringa leaf fibre ratios of 100:0, 95:5, and 90:10 respectively were prepared, and a commercial cookie was...

Garlic (Allium sativum), Ginger (Zingiber officinale), and Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum frutescens) are common culinary spices that are used singly or combined in the diet of many populations of the world and there is a long-held belief of their health-enhancing properties. This study investigated the aqueous extracts each of garlic, ginger, cayenne pe...

Inadequate health care supply, poor nutrition, low income levels, use of trees and their by- products for provision of food, medicine and cosmetics are common among the rural people of the developing nations. Moringa Tree has been reported to be a wonder plant that is useful for human and animal nutrition, health, cosmetics, bio-gas and water purif...

The beneficial health effects of spices against common chronic systemic diseases have been well documented. Comparative study of the proximate, mineral and phytochemical components of three spices namely garlic ( Allium sativum L. ), ginger ( Zingiber officinale Rosc.) and pepper ( Capsicum frutescens L.) were investigated. Analysis of the proximat...

The assessment of effluent generated from international textile industry (Nig) Ltd. Odongunyan Industrial Estate Ikorodu Lagos was carried out. The effluent was analyzed for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total solid (TS), suspended solid (SS), dissolved solid (DS), odour and colour intensity prior to biological trea...

The beneficial health effects of spices against common chronic systemic diseases have been well documented. Comparative study of the proximate, mineral and phytochemical components of three spices namely garlic (Allium sativum L.), ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) and pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) were investigated. Analysis of the proximate co...