Guy Paulin Poungoue Kamatou

• PhD
• Research Technologist at Tshwane University of Technology

The stem-bark of Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman (African cherry) is traditionally used for the treatment of stomach ache, chest pain, malaria, fever, diabetes and high blood pressure. A large number of constituents have been isolated from the stem-bark including β-sitosterol and ursolic acid, which were reported to have anti-inflammatory activit...

Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman (Rosaceae), commonly known as ‘African cherry’, is an evergreen tree, which grows up to 40 m in height, has open branches and a mature stem diameter of up to 1 m, and bears a blackish-brown stem-bark. Prunus africana is distributed in Central Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. The stem-bark is...

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis which has become prevalent due to the emergence of resistant M. tuberculosis strains. The use of essential oils (EOs) as potential anti-infective agents to treat microbial infections, including TB, offers promise due to their long historical use and low adverse effects. The current...

Ethnopharmacological relevance The African Continent harbours approximately 26 Croton species. Many Croton species are used in traditional medicine in southern Africa to treat a variety of ailments including malaria, tuberculosis, microbial infection and inflammation. Considering the high diversity of the genus Croton, the ethnopharmacological info...

Ethnopharmacological relevance The genus Croton (Euphorbiaceae) encompasses 1300 species, which consist of a variety of trees and shrubs distributed across the world. About 26 species are harboured on the African continent. This genus plays an essential role in African folk medicine. Croton species are traditionally used for the treatment of many d...

Croton gratissimus Burch. is widely used in traditional medicine to treat a range of conditions including malaria, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, urinary tract infections, gonorrhoea and impotence. The young branches and leaves are pleasantly aromatic, and it is recorded that various ethnic groups in South Africa used the leaves as a perfume. T...

Saffron, obtained from the stigmas of Crocus sativus L (Iridaceae), is the most expensive spice traded worldwide. In addition to its culinary uses, various medicinal properties have been confirmed for saffron, which has recently captured the interest of the phytotherapy industry. The quality of saffron is determined by the presence of 3 compounds,...

Foot odour, known as bromodosis, is produced as a result of a combination of exocrine secretions and bacterial growth on the feet. Several commercial essential oils have demonstrated promise in inhibiting the growth of odour-causing bacteria as a novel strategy to offer relief from this dermatological problem. South Africa harbours an abundance of...

The topical use of essential oils requires dilution into a carrier oil; however, scientific evidence regarding the antimicrobial efficacy and cytotoxicity when a carrier oil is combined with an essential oil is lacking. This study sets out to determine the antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of 23 essential oils combined with six known carrier...

Propolis also known as “bee glue or bee resin” is a resinous mixture of bee saliva or bee wax and exudate from tree trunks and flowers, produced by honeybees. The composition of propolis varies depending on the vegetation the bees can access. It is therefore expected that propolis obtained from various localities may have different chemical profile...

Quorum sensing is a form of bacterial cell-to-cell communication, which plays an important role in bacterial pathogenicity. Due to increasing drug resistance, quorum sensing has been identified as a potential target to reduce the risk of developing drug resistance. The current study aims at investigating the antiquorum sensing activity of 40 commerc...

The genus Commiphora has been widely used in traditional medicinal systems to treat pain, skin infections, diarrhoea and periodontal diseases. Oleo-gum resins of seven Commiphora species (C. myrrha, C. confusa, C. baluensis, C. pseudopaolii, C. guidotti, C. holtziana and C. kataf) were collected from Kenya and Ethiopia. Headspace analysis was deter...

Objective The study investigated the efficacy of commercial essential oil combinations against the two pathogens responsible for acne with the aim to identify synergy and favourable oils to possibly use in a blend. Methods and materials Antimicrobial activity was assessed using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay against Staphylococcu...

Actaea racemosa (black cohosh) has a history of traditional use in the treatment of general gynecological problems. However, the plant is known to be vulnerable to adulteration with other cohosh species. This study evaluated the use of shortwave infrared hyperspectral imaging (SWIR-HSI) in tandem with chemometric data analysis as a fast alternative...

The oil obtained from the seeds of Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (Kalahari melon) is highly sought after in the cosmetic industry as a prized ingredient to maintain healthy skin. Seed oils contain a range of fatty acids that may be beneficial upon topical application to the skin. The quantification of the fatty acids was done using two...

Palm oil obtained from the mesocarp of Elaeis guineensis contains polyunsaturated fatty acids which are essential for normal human growth and development. Five samples of palm oil obtained from Cameroon (n = 3), Nigeria (n = 1) and Ghana (n = 1) and two palmist oil samples (commercially available and raw oils) were obtained from Cameroon. Comprehen...

Leonotis leonurus widely used by traditional healers in southern Africa for treatment of various ailments, is well known for its reported psychoactive properties. The present study was undertaken to investigate the variation in essential oil composition between geographically distinct populations of L. leonurus in South Africa using gas chromatogra...

The essential oil composition and headspace volatiles from the aerial parts of the genera Notobubon and Nanobubon are reported for the first time. Eleven of the thirteen Notobubon and two of the three Nanobubon species were studied. Oil yields obtained by hydro-distillation ranged from 0.1 to 3.6% of dry weight. Forty-four compounds representing 63...

A hitherto unidentified medicinal plant is here identified for the first time as Pteronia camphorata (L.) L., an aromatic shrub of the Asteraceae family endemic to the western and southern coastal region of South Africa. The plant was described in this journal by Laidler1 in 1928 as ‘D/nhora buchu’, and is one of the important types of buchu used b...

Recently there has been a renewed impetus in the search for novel ingredients to be used in the cosmetic industry and Baobab (Adansonia digitata L., Malvaceae) seed oil has received high interest. In this study, a commercial Baobab seed oil sample was characterised (fatty acid content) using GCxGC-ToF-MS and a pilot study on the safety and efficacy...

This study reports on the inhibitory concentration of 59 commercial essential oils recommended for dermatological conditions, and identifies putative compounds responsible for antimicrobial activity. Essential oils were investigated for antimicrobial activity using minimum inhibitory concentration assays (MICs). Ten essential oils were identified a...

This study investigated the seasonal variation of the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Eucalyptus radiata leaf essential oil. Young and mature Eucalyptus radiata leaf material was collected monthly (January 2014 to December 2014), hydrodistilled and analyzed using GC-MS. Essential oil yields ranged from 0.14% to 4.31% (w/w). The m...

Context: Xysmalobium undulatum (L.) Aiton f var. (Asclepiadaceae), commonly known as uzara, is an ethnomedicinally important plant from southern Africa used to treat a variety of ailments. In addition to local use in African Traditional Medicine (ATM), formulations containing uzara have been successfully marketed by a number of pharmaceutical comp...

Three southern African endemic species of the genus Teucrium, T. africanum, T. kraussii and T. trifidum (Lamiaceae) are used in traditional medicine to treat digestive and respiratory ailments. These three species are poorly studied with regard to their anatomy, essential oil composition and the scientific validation of their traditional medicinal...

Aloe ferox is an important medicinal plant indigenous to South Africa where it has primarily been used as a purgative and also to treat skin disorders. Modern day uses include; health (tonic) drinks, flavourant in alcoholic beverages, treatment of digestive disorders and inclusion in cosmetic formulations. Due to increased commercialization of aloe...

Lavandula species (Lamiaceae), commonly known as lavender, ranks among the top 10 medicinal plants used worldwide and is used and traded extensively in the flavor and fragrance, cosmetic, and aromatherapy industries. Many studies continue to confirm the phytotherapeutic potential of lavender oil in the treatment of wounds, rheumatism, muscular pain...

The essential oil composition of three Myrtaceous species (Leptospermum petersonii, Leptospermum scoparium and Kunzea ericoides) belonging to the tea tree group were analysed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The major compounds determined from the mean ± SD of the monthly samples collected for one calendar year in L. p...

Tea tree oil (TTO) is an important commercial oil which has found application in the flavour, fragrance and cosmetic industries. The quality is determined by the relative concentration of its major constituents: 1,8-cineole, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, α-terpinene, terpinolene, γ-terpinene and limonene. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectromet...

Lippia species are widely used as traditional remedies by many South African communities. The identification of Lippia spp. indigenous to South Africa is currently based on the morphology and geographical origin of the specimen. However, morphological similarities are evident and due to sympatric distributions, different species may co-occur in the...

The antimicrobial activity of Lavandula angustifolia essential oil was assessed in combination with 45 other oils to establish possible interactive properties. The composition of the selected essential oils was confirmed using GC-MS with a flame ionization detector. The microdilution minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay was undertaken, wher...

Eugenol is a major volatile constituent of clove essential oil obtained through hydrodistillation of mainly Eugenia caryophyllata (=Syzygium aromaticum) buds and leaves. It is a remarkably versatile molecule incorporated as a functional ingredient in numerous products and has found application in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, fragrance, flavour...

Anecdotal evidence indicates that Sceletium tortuosum has been used as a psychoactive preparation for several centuries. The psychological activity is attributed to the production of mesembrine-type alkaloids (mesembrenol, mesembranol, mesembrenone and mesembrine) by the plant. This investigation was aimed at developing validated reversed phase ult...

The genus Salvia (Lamiaceae) encompasses about 900 species worldwide of which 26 are found in southern Africa. Salvia spp have several medicinal uses in South Africa such as antimicrobial, anti-cancer, antimalarial, and antituberculosis properties. Rosmarinic acid (RA) has been identified as one of the major molecules respon-sible for these various...

The in vitro antimicrobial activity of three essential oil samples of frankincense (Boswellia rivae, Boswellia neglecta and Boswellia papyrifera) and two essential oil samples of myrrh and sweet myrrh (Commiphora guidotti and Commiphora myrrha), collected from different regions of Ethiopia, was investigated independently and in combination to deter...

Rose-scented geranium, a commercially important cultivar originating from Pelargonium graveolens L’Her. ex Ait., is a high value essential oil extensively used in flavour and fragrance formulations. The oil is variable in composition with ‘Bourbon geranium’ (from Reunion Island) regarded as the highest quality geranium oil. Quality assessment of ge...

Adansonia digitata L. (Malvaceae) is a majestic tree revered in Africa for its medicinal and nutritional value. The plant parts are used to treat various ailments such as diarrhoea, malaria and microbial infections. It is reported that it is an excellent anti-oxidant due to the vitamin C content which is seven to ten times higher than the vitamin C...

The distinct blue essential oil obtained from Eriocephalus sp. (Asteraceae) is known in commerce as Cape chamomile and has become an important ingredient in flavour and fragrance formulations. To date, it is commonly accepted that Cape chamomile oil is obtained from Eriocephalus punctulatus. Samples of E. tenuifolius DC (n = 35) and E. punctulatus...

Agathosma species (Rutaceae) are medicinal shrubs used traditionally to treat renal and chest ailments1. In addition, 'Buchu oil' from two South African species; Agathosma betulina (P.J. Bergius) Pillans and Agathosma crenulata (L.) Pillans is an important ingredient in flavour and fragrance formulations2,3. The use of vibrational spectroscopy as p...

Seed oils have been used for centuries by rural communities as food, medicine, for cosmetic applications and as fuel. Recently there has been a renewed interest in these non-timber forest products (NTFPs) specifically for use in cosmetic formulations. The cosmetic industry remains under immense consumer pressure to produce innovative products for t...

The development of natural crop protective products as alternatives to synthetic fungicides is currently in the spotlight. In vitro experiments are valuable precursors to more costly in vivo trials, allowing the identification of effective essential oils and establishing the concentrations required for inhibition of a specific, or spectrum of decay...

Industrial Crops and Products j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / i n d c r o p In vitro activity of eighteen essential oils and some major components against common postharvest fungal pathogens of fruit a b s t r a c t The development of natural crop protective products as alternatives to synthetic fungi...

Widdringtonia is the only genus of the 16 genera of Cupressaceae present in South Africa This genus is represented by three species in South Africa, W nodiflora, W schwarzu and W cedarbergensis (= W juniperoides) and the latter listed as critically endangered Cedarwood oil (generally obtained from Jumper-us species) is widely used as a fragrance ma...

Trees from the genus Boswellia (Burseraceae) are traditionally used as a medicine, a fumigant, in various cosmetic formulations and in aromatherapy in several countries around the world. This plant produces a commercial oil known as frankincense which has a woody, spicy and haunting smell. Frankincense oil has several pharmacological properties, of...

Quality assessment of natural raw materials and derived consumer products is often done using conventional analytical techniques such as liquid and gas chromatography which are expensive and time consuming. This paper reports on the use of vibrational spectroscopy techniques as possible alternatives for the rapid and inexpensive assessment of the q...

The only available ethnobotanical information on Pteronia incana has been recorded by the Montagu Museum in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It was reported that the plant is used to treat influenza, fever, kidney ailments and backache. In common with other species of Pteronia, the plant contains an essential oil reminiscent of pine turpe...

The first ethnobotanical data on Pteronia divaricata is presented, which shows that the plant is an important traditional Cape medicine, especially in the Cederberg region (Western Cape Province) and in the Middelpos and Nieuwoudtville districts of the Northern Cape Province. Surprisingly, not a single publication could be found that records any us...

Cinnamon bark ( CINNAMOMUM ZEYLANICUM) is used extensively as an antimicrobial material and currently is being increasingly used in Europe by people with type II diabetes to control their glucose levels. In this paper we describe the action of cinnamon oil, its major component, TRANS-cinnamaldehyde, and an analogue, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy- TRANS-cinna...

The antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities of the methanol:chloroform (1:1) extracts of 16 Salvia species indigenous to South Africa were evaluated. Antioxidant activity was measured using the 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assays and compared to the contro...

Available ethnobotanical information on Pteronia onobromoides (first recorded in 1685) indicates that the plant was once of considerable cultural and commercial importance and that it was powdered, mixed with fat, and applied to the skin for cosmetic and/or medicinal purposes. Sâb, as well as Son or San, are considered to be the original Nama names...

The genus Pteronia consists of approximately 80 species which are widely distributed in southern Africa. The essential oils isolated from the aerial parts of eleven species, analyzed by GC-MS varied both qualitatively and quantitatively. In Pteronia pallens, Pteronia empetrifolia and Pteronia flexicaulis uncommon sesquiterpenes such as presilphiper...

α-Bisabolol is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene alcohol which was first isolated from Matricaria chamomilla (Asteraceae) in the twentieth century and has since been identified in other aromatic plants such as Eremanthus erythropappus, Smyrniopsis aucheri and Vanillosmopsis species. Recently, α-bisabolol was identified as a major constituent of S...

The head-space volatiles of Gethyllis afra and G. ciliaris fruits collected in the South Western Cape Province of South Africa were analysed by solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Twenty-nine compounds were characterized in the fruit of G. ciliaris representing 96.5% of the total...

Since the earliest times fragrant materials have been used in rituals. Today, a lucrative industry has developed to produce and deliver fragrances and aromatic chemicals with various applications in modern society. Linalool, a much sought after compound in the flavor and fragrance industry is a monoterpene alcohol which occurs naturally in many aro...

The solvent extracts of aromatic plants contain both volatile (e.g. essential oils) and non-volatile compounds. The biological activities (antibacterial, anti-oxidant, antiplasmodial and anticancer) of the solvent extracts of three South African Salvia species (Salvia africana-caerulea, S. africana-lutea and S. lanceolata) were evaluated in the pre...

Aromatic plants contain both volatile and non-volatile fractions and the chemical composition of these two fractions may be influenced by seasonal changes. The essential oil and solvent extracts of S. africana-caerulea, S. africana-lutea and S. lanceolata, collected at the same locality throughout the 2005 growing season, were compared in terms of...

Extracts of seventeen Salvia species used in traditional medicine in South Africa were subjected to biological testing. The potential ability to inhibit the in vitro growth/proliferation of Plasmodium falciparum (FCR-3 strain) and the cytotoxic effects on three human cancer cells [breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), colon adenocarcinoma (HT-29) and glio...

Head-space volatiles of the fruit pulp and the whole fruits (skin volatiles) were investigated using solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) and GC–MS. The two major compounds in the fruit pulp were β-caryophyllene (91.3%) and α-humulene (8.3%). Thirty volatiles representing 88.7% of the total composition were identified in the head-space of the whole...

Extracts of 16 South African Salvia species commonly used in traditional medicine to treat various microbial infections were investigated for in vitro antibacterial and antimycobacterial activities using the micro-dilution and respiratory BACTEC method, respectively. The micro-organisms tested include two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Ba...

An investigation of leaf indumentum, the identification of the essential oil components and assessment of various biological activities of Salvia albicaulis and S. dolomitica essential oils were carried out. Non-glandular and both peltate and capitate glandular trichomes were identified using scanning electron microscopy. The essential oil of S. al...

Extracts of the aerial parts of Salvia chamelaeagnea and L. leonurus were evaluated for the in vitro antibacterial activity when tested in combination against two Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) and two Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) using the microdilution method. The minimum...

The essential oils from fresh aerial parts of four Salvia species indigenous to southern Africa were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Quantitative rather than qualitative differences in oil composition were observed. Forty-three compounds in each species accounting for 78% (S. africana-caerulea), 78% (S. africana-lutea),...

Salvia stenophylla Burch. ex Benth. (Lamiaceae) is a perennial aromatic herb, which is widespread in the high altitude areas of the central and eastern parts of South Africa. It is closely related to Salvia runcinata L. f. and Salvia repens Burch. ex Benth. with which it forms a species complex. Taxonomically, distinction between the three taxa is...

The essential oils from fresh aerial parts of four Salvia species indigenous to southern Africa were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Quantitative rather than qualitative differences in oil composition were observed. Forty-three compounds in each species accounting for 78% (S. africana-caerulea), 78% (S. africana-lutea),...

The essential oil of Salvia muirii L. Bol., a species indigenous to southern Africa was obtained by hydrodistillation (0.5%, v/f.w.) from the aerial parts and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Thirty-nine components representing 98% of the oil were identified. The oil was dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons (53%) and oxygen-containing monoterpenes (36%),...

Salvia species (sage) are well known in folk medicine throughout the world. In South Africa sage is used against fever and digestive disorders. Three closely related South African species (Salvia stenophylla, Salvia repens and Salvia runcinata) were investigated for their anti-oxidant (DPPH assay); anti-inflammatory (5-lipoxygenase and cyclo-oxygen...

The head-space volatiles of Gethyllis afra and G. ciliaris fruits collected in the South Western Cape Province of South Africa were analysed by solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Twenty-nine compounds were characterized in the fruit of G. ciliaris representing 96.5% of the total...