Himansu Baijnath

University of KwaZulu-Natal | ukzn · School of Life Sciences

This review paper highlights and updates the recent robust extraction methods for phytocannabinoids, hydrodynamic extraction technology and use of vegetable oil as the solvent system. Hydrodynamic cannabis extraction is a recent development within the cannabis industry that can be used to produce full-spectrum cannabis extracts with high bioavailab...

This review paper of literature survey highlights medicinal importance of Bilwapathri or Bael (Aegle marmelos: Family-Rutaceae) and updates on therapeutic studies. The demand for bael fruits is increasing owing to nutraceutical, therapeutical, post-harvest values, and its usages in various Indian Ayurvedic system of medicines. Bael is available as...

This review paper of literature highlights the factors governing hydroponics and carbon foot print of vertical farming. Hydroponics is the art of growing plants without a soil but with using nutrient solution under hi-tech greenhouse controlled conditions in urban area. Because of the precise regulation of watering and feeding the plant, this metho...

This review paper of literature highlights the importance of greenhouse urban farming technology, hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics, vertical farming and applications of Internet of Things (IOT) technologies. The greenhouse farming is a well known modern agriculture technology for optimal plant growth. Hydroponics, a soilless cultivation techniqu...

This review paper of literature highlights the role of accumulation of aluminum in tea leaves and its toxic effects on human health. Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world after water and contains heavy metals and trace elements that may cause potential negative effects on health. Tea is known to be a metal accumulator. However, drinking ev...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global health burden that is characterized by the loss or dysfunction of pancreatic β-cells. In pancreatic β-cells, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a fact of life that contributes to β-cell loss or dysfunction. Despite recent advances in research, the existing treatment approaches such as lifestyle modification and...

This review paper highlights and updates the role of plant based inhibitors in controlling the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) via blocking the TNBC signalling pathways. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. There are several identified types, among which the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most fatal for patients. Conv...

This review paper highlights the role of phytocannabinoids in controlling triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a specific subtype of breast cancer that does not express estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), which has clinical features that in...

This review paper highlights the therapeutic properties of Tinospora cordifolia (Amruthballi), Giloy' or 'Guduchi' particularly anticancer activity. Nine species of Tinospora are naturalized in the different states of India. Tinospora cordifolia is one such plant and has shown to exhibit anti-carcinogenic properties. Tinospora cordifolia herbal sup...

Cancer is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cancer is a disease characterized by abnormal cell division and proliferation that result from disruption of molecular signals that control these processes. Cancer is the abnormal, uncontrolled division of cells in the body. The cancer cells when malignant, invade various part...

This review paper has highlighted a list of plants containing active phytochemicals with anticancer potential, as well as data supporting their use in cancer therapy, animal models, and their pharmacological properties. Cancer is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cancer is a disease characterized by abnormal cell divisi...

This review paper has highlighted a list of plants containing active phytochemicals with anticancer potential, as well as data supporting their use in cancer therapy, animal models, and their pharmacological properties. Cancer is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cancer is a disease characterized by abnormal cell divisi...

This paper reviewed the importance of Cannabis sativa and highlights difference between Medical Cannabis (Marijuana or drug type) and Industrial hemp. Cannabis has been used for thousands of years for recreational, medicinal, or religious purposes. Industrial hemp and marijuana share the same species, Cannabis sativa L, but represent different vari...

This paper reviewed the importance of Cannabis sativa and highlights difference between Medical Cannabis (Marijuana or drug type) and Industrial hemp. Cannabis has been used for thousands of years for recreational, medicinal, or religious purposes. Industrial hemp and marijuana share the same species, Cannabis sativa L, but represent different vari...

This paper reviewed the importance of Cannabis sativa and highlights difference between Medical Cannabis (Maijuana or drug type) and Industrial hemp. Cannabis has been used for thousands of years for recreational, medicinal, or religious purposes. Industrial hemp and marijuana share the same species, Cannabis sativa L, but represent different varie...

Ethnopharmacological relevance Psidium guajava L. leaves are used to treat diabetes in South African folkloric medicine and in other parts of the world. Psidium x durbanensis Baijnath & Ramcharun ined. (PD) is a natural sterile hybrid and congener of Psidium guajava that is expected to share the medicinal properties of the genus Psidium and is wide...

This study interprets the structure and provides insights on the phyto-compounds of the leaves and calyces of Plumbago auriculata and evaluates its potential as a medicinal plant based on the presence of these compounds. Structure and possession of phyto-compounds were determined using light and electron microscopy and various histochemical tests....

Ficus glumosa is reputed for the treatment and management of various health conditions, including diarrhoea, dysentery, oedema, headache, stomach ailments and ulcers. Three phenolic acids (1–3), two coumarins (4 and 5), three flavonoid glycosides (6, 7a, 7b) and five triterpenoids (8–12) were isolated from the aerial parts of F. glumosa. Gastroprot...

The discovery of the only human pigment bilirubin in the arils of Strelitzia nicolai, has opened up a new avenue in medical sciences. Previously, bilirubin was regarded as a toxic compound. Conversely, current case studies show somewhat pre-eminent levels of bilirubin in the body can act as a powerful antioxidant. This study attempted to provide a...

The use of plants in the biosynthesis of nanoparticles is a fast-growing technique and has gained much interest from researchers over the years. This study reports the utilization of leaf and calyx extracts of Plumbago auriculata for the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The formation of AgNPs which was confirmed by the colour change in...

Agapanthus campanulatus F.M. Leighton, an endemic from southern Africa is illustrated and described. Its relationship to closely related species is depicted in a key to the Section Lilacinipollini Zonn. Notes on the history, contemporary changes in taxonomy and cultivation of the genus are included.

Ficus burtt-davyi (Moraceae) is a medicinal plant species indigenous to Southern Africa. In this study, a phytochemical and cytotoxic investigation on F. burtt-davyi was conducted to evaluate its ethno-medicinal use. The phytochemical study of the fruits yielded triterpenoids (lupeol and α-amyrin). The cytotoxic evaluation was done on the methanoli...

Background: The genus Plumbago distributed in warm tropical regions throughout the world is the largest genus in Plumbaginaceae. Medicinal plants are characteristic to the genus Plumbago and are cultivated and utilized worldwide. Plumbago auriculata Lam. is common in South Africa and is often cultivated for its ornamental and medicinal uses through...

A phytochemical investigation of the leaf, stem bark and fruit extracts of Ficus bizanae resulted in the isolation of 14 compounds, 7-methoxy coumarin 1, psoralen 2, tectoquinone 3, quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside 4, vomifoliol (blumenol A) 5, (+)-dehydrovomifoliol 6, dihydroferulic acid 7, 4-methoxy catechol 8, protocatechuic acid 9, taraxerol 1...

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is commonly used in the analysis of seeds and seed arils. However, so far a specific methodology to prepare the seed arils of Strelitzia nicolai has not been evaluated. This study assessed six different sample preparation methods for the imaging of seed arils of S. nicolai. These methods include (a) fresh, and unc...

Four triterpenoids, ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraene-3-one 1, stigma-4-ene-3-one 2, 3β-hydroxy-21β-H-hop-22(29)-ene 3, sitosterol and a quinone, tectoquinone 4, were isolated from the leaf, stem bark and fruit extracts of Ficus natalensis subsp. natalensis, Moraceae, a medicinal fig found in Africa. The pure compounds 1–4 and crude extracts were teste...

Background The discovery of the only animal pigment, bilirubin, in the plant Strelitzia nicolai has triggered a vast number of questions regarding bilirubin’s formation and its role in the human body. Recent studies have confirmed that bilirubin at certain levels have many medical benefits. Various case studies have revealed that bilirubin is a pot...

Background: The fortuitous discovery of an animal pigment bilirubin found in the plant Strelitzia nicolai has opened an enormous number of questions regarding bilirubin’s formation and its ultimate function in the human body. Materials and Methods: A methodical review of bilirubin in humans and animals was carried out, information was gathered usin...

Aims: This study investigates the effect that aqueous extracts of T. violacea Harv. harbouring plant saponins, phenolics and tannins have on Aspergillus flavus β-(1,3) glucan and chitin synthesis. Materials and methods: A. flavus was treated with various sub-inhibitory concentrations of an aqueous T. violacea plant extract and the β-(1,3) glucan...

Background The fortuitous discovery of an animal pigment bilirubin found in the plant Strelitzia nicolai has opened an enormous number of questions regarding bilirubin’s formation and its ultimate function in the human body. Materials and Methods A methodical review of bilirubin in humans and animals was carried out, information was gathered using...

Ficus burtt-davyi, (Moraceae), is an endemic species of South Africa. In this study, a phytochemical analysis of the leaves and stem bark of F. burtt-davyi resulted in the isolation of five triterpenes (lupeol, lupeol acetate, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol), one carotenoid (lutein), a pheophytin (phytyl-7-ethyl-25-(methoxycarbonyl)-3,8...

Ficussur (Moraceae) is an indigenous medicinal plant with a wide distribution in Africa. In this study, the nutritional potential fruit of this indigenous plant to meet domestic food demands and reduce food insecurity in KwaZulu-Natal. South Africa, was investigated. The proximate composition and concentrations of metals in the edible fruits collec...

The stem anatomy of Passiflora edulis, P. foetida, P. suberosa, P. subpeltata, and P. vesicaria was studied in samples collected in Durban (KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa) and Baroda (Vadodara, Gujarat State, India). Radial stem growth in all the species is realized by a single, bidirectional vascular cambium. However, unequal activity in sma...

Background: The traditional African herbal medicinal system has many reports of anti-diabetic food plants with no known side effects. Such plants and their products have been widely prescribed for diabetic treatment with little known mechanistic basis of their functioning. Therefore, these natural products need to be evaluated scientifically in ord...

Vascular epiphytes live non-parasitically on other plants and are a distinctive and intergral component of tropical forests. There is a general lack of studies examining epiphyte diversity in urban settings. The aim of this study was to document the diversity of epiphytes on host trees in the eThekwini Metropolitan Area (EMA). In addition, the numb...

The leaf oils of Psidium guajava (white fruit) and Psidium guajava (pink fruit) collected in KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa has been examined by Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the apparent concentrations were determined by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector. A total of twenty compounds of 88.9 % from whit...

The essential oil components of arils from seeds of Strelitzia nicolai were investigated by GC and GC-MS. The oil yields of dried arils obtained by hydrodistillation were 0.86 %. Twenty-five compounds representing 94.2 % of the S. nicolai aril oil were identified. The main chemical constituents belongs to alcohols (1.24 %), amides (3.14 %), amine (...

Abstract Traditional leafy vegetables, apart from being a staple in the diet of most of sub-Saharan Africa, are an essential part of traditional medicine and are used daily by traditional healers in the region to treat a wide variety of ailments. In this study, a batch culture technique was used to investigate whether 25 infusions from 22 tradition...

Background: Ficus species are used in African traditional medicine in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments and diseases such as convulsive disorder, wound healing, gonorrhea, tuberculosis, diabetes, diarrhoeal infections, dysentery, malaria and HIV. The aim of this study was to isolate the phytochemical constituents in the plant and test th...

Relatively few studies have investigated mistletoe infestation of tree species in urban settings, and even fewer considered infestation of alien tree species. Here, mistletoe infestation incidence and intensity were studied in Durban, South Africa. The relationship of infestation to tree CBH and height was examined in detail for the mistletoe speci...

Background: Problems amongst the syntypes and duplicates were noted for the critically endangered Kniphofia pauciflora Baker. Objective: To resolve the typification of K. pauciflora. Method: Literature and specimens (including type material) were examined from relevant herbaria. Results: Lectotypification was necessary in this case. The lectotype d...

Traditionally, leaf infusions of Brachylaena discolor are used for the treatment of diabetes and renal conditions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a methanolic leaf extract of B. discolor in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model. Diabetes was induced in Wistar rats by an intraperitoneal injection of STZ; b...

Extracts of selected flowering plants, which are considered eco-friendly, are used for the treatment of numerous ailments and vector control worldwide. This has resulted in approximately 25 per cent of currently used drugs being derived from herbal sources. The aqueous and methanolic extracts of twelve plant species, Psidium guajava (pink fruit), P...

The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of dried leaves of Psidium cattleianum var. cattleianum was analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of seventy six compounds, representing 97.5% of the oil were identified. The major constituents of the essential oil were caryophyllene oxi...

The aim of this study was to investigate the essential oil composition of Psidium cattleianum var. lucidum from South Africa. The essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation and the components were identified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine the chemical composition of the essential oil. A total of 53 c...

Amaranthus dubius is a nutritious leafy vegetable that is widely distributed in Africa, Asia and South America. The rapid growth and biomass makes them one of the highest yielding leafy crops, which may be valuable for phytoremediation. Thus, this study investigates the potential of A. dubius for the hyperaccumulation and distribution of chromiu...

Results of light and electron microscopy and preliminary ultracytochemical studies of the staminal hairs of Bulbine inflata at different stages of development are reported here. The staminal filaments are covered with yellow, unicellular, linear, erecto-patent hairs. These staminal hairs arise directly as single cell outgrowths from epidermal cells...

Essential oil was extracted from dried leaves of Syzygium cordatum by hydrodistillation. The components were identified by gas chromatography (GC/FID) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Sixty compounds representing 79% of the S. cordatum oil were identified. The main constituents were 6,10,14-trimethylpentadecane-2-one (...

Aspergillus flavus is a cosmopolitan fungal pathogen that is often implicated in food spoilage and in aspergillosis infections in immunocompromised individuals. The current study was undertaken to assess the effect of aqueous bulb extracts of Tulbaghia violacea on A. flavus spore survival. The broth dilution assay was used to determine that the min...

Diabetes is a syndrome of disordered metabolism resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). The one possibility of lowering postprandial glucose levels is by the inhibition of -amylase activity. In this study, aqueous extracts from leaves, fruits and flowers, stems and roots of twenty African traditional vegetable plants were t...

Phytoremediation is an emerging technology where specially selected and engineered metal-accumulating plants are used for bioremediation. This study was undertaken to evaluate the potential of Amaranthus dubius for phytoremediation of chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni). Locally gathered soil and plants...

An account is given of pseudo-vivipary (vegetative apomixis) in South African Cyperaceae. Taxa exhibiting this reproductive strategy are tabled. Stress that effects plant population deterioration and eventual non-survival is attributed as causative; in particular water stress, either as maintained inundation or undue depletion. Habitat conditions a...

Aim The genus Kniphofia contains 71 species with an African–Malagasy distribution, including one species from Yemen. The genus has a general Afromontane distribution. Here we explore whether Kniphofia is a floristic indicator of the Afromontane centre of endemism and diversity. The South Africa Centre of diversity and endemism was explored in great...

Traditional herbal remedies still form an integral part of South African culture, hence necessitating reports on the scientific rationale for their uses. Organic and aqueous extracts from 16 nutritive plants found in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa were screened for angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity using a fluorometric enzyme a...

BULBINE TRIEBNERI. AN EARLIER NAME FOR BULBINE ALBA. AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL AND NEW LOCALITIES IN EASTERN AND NORTHERN CAPE. SOUTH AFRICA 10.4102/abc.v38i1.263

The in vivo effects of Tulbhagia violacea on systemic arterial blood pressure and on the renin-angiotensin system in a Dahl salt-sensitive rat model were investigated. Animals were treated for 14 days intraperitoneally as follows: Tulbhagia violacea (Tvl) (50mg/kg b.w.), captopril (Cap) (10mg/kg b.w.) or DMSO (Con). Baseline blood pressures were re...

Wastewater from a sewage treatment works is channelled through a series of inter-connected settling ponds into a stream. Furthermore, leachates from a domestic and industrial landfill site are disposed into the first pond. From the variety of plants growing in the ponds, A. sessilis, P. stratiotes, R. steudelii and T. capensis were investigated for...

In this report, we present preliminary nutritional data for traditional leafy vegetables collected in Kwa Zulu-Natal, South Africa, including their content of mineral elements (Ca, P, Na, Zn, Mg, Mn and Fe) and antioxidant levels. Twenty vegetables were studied: Amaranthus dubius, Amaranthus hybridus, Amaranthus spinosus, Asystasia gangetica, Biden...

A taxonomic re-assessment of Zantedeschia revealed that Z. albomaculata subsp. valida is markedly distinct from Z. albomaculata subsp. albomaculata and Z. albomaculata subsp. macrocarpa. Differences in morphology proved to be sufficient to exclude it from the Z. albomaculata complex, and to recognize it at specific level as Z. valida. The history o...

Floral morphology, stages in floral development and insect visitation in Z. aethiopica are reported. Floral development can be divided into five phases: pre-female, female, male, fruit development and fruit ripening. Plants are self-incompatible and separation of sexes is achieved by marked protogyny. Z. aethiopica is the only member of the genus i...

Three new species of the African/Australian genus Bulbine Wolf are described. The new species are B, francescae G, Williamson et Baijnath from the Schakalsberg of the southern Namib Desert, B. vitrea G. Williamson et Baijnath from the Oograbies Mountains of the south-west Richtersveld and B. pendens G. Williamson et Baijnath from the Oemsberg Mount...

The Gentianales as circumscribed by Benson, Cronquist, Dahlgren, Goldberg, Hey wood et al., Melchior, Stebbins, Takhtajan, and Thorne is investigated. From these a consensus classification (not in the cladistic sense) or classificatory model for the order is proposed. This classification is discussed, as are the relationships of the taxa within it....

Investigations of the structural details of leaf surfaces (of all species) and the internal leaf structure (of seven species) of African Bulbine Wolf revealed several interesting characters. Structures of diagnostic importance include striae, papillae, stomata, chlorenchyma and vascular tissues. The information accumulated is of particular value in...

Kniphofia leucocephala Baijnath, from the Zululand region, is described. It is a white-flowered species which may be included in section 3 of Codd’s groupings within the genus. It is closely related to K. pauciflora Bak., but differs markedly in floral and vegetative characters. Some of these characters are illustrated and discussed.

Syconial development in Ficus ingens (Miq.) Miq., extends over a period of 70–80 days and displays the same basic pattern reported by earlier workers. Developmental anatomical observations of the different components of the syconium are presented. Following pollination, structural changes of gall and seed flowers differ and the implications of some...

The leaf anatomy of four species in the Colchicaceae is described. Of diagnostic value within the tribe Iphigenieae are included details of wax, cuticle, epidermis, stomata, hypodermis and the vascular bundles. Distribution of these characters isolates Hexacyrtis and lends support to the maintenance of Gloriosa, Sandersonia and Littonia as a distin...

Bulbine esterhuyseniae Baijnath, a new species from the Cedarberg Mountains and vicinity in the Cape Province of South Africa is described. The position of this new taxon within the genus is not entirely clear except that it belongs to the tuber-bearing group. It differs from the other known species in its extremely small size, being less than 50mm...

Bulbine striata Baijnath & Van Jaarsveld, a new species endemic to the mountains north of Pella in the northwestern Cape is described. It appears to belong to a group of species confined to the winter rainfall region of South Africa, especially western and north-western Cape. Taxa belonging to this group include succulent geophytes with tubers whic...

Kniphofia albomontana Baijnath, a new species from the Drakensberg region and vicinity is described. It is a caulescent species which, according to Codd’s groupings within the genus, belongs to Section 5. The new species is related to K. caulescens Bak., and K. northiae Bak., and differs from these by displaying fibrous leaf bases, larger bracts an...

A unique obligatory symbiosis exists between Ficus capensis Thunb., and its pollinator, Ceratosolen capensis Grandi. Flowers from both aerial and geocarpic syconia may be pollinated and produce seeds. Females of C. capensis possess specialized mesothoracic pockets in which pollen is transferred from ripening syconia to receptive ones. A second prim...

Jodrellia, a new genus separated from Bulbine, is described together with its recognized species. The important differences between Jodrellia and Bulbine are discussed. In addition to effecting new combinations and emending the existing descriptions, a new species, J. macrocarpa, is described. Illustrations and a key to the species are also present...

Bulbine alata, a new species, is described together with brief comments on other Australian members of the genus. Illustrations, including scanning electron micrographs of seed surfaces, are presented. A key to the species is provided.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Reading University, 1977.

C. involucratus Rottb., prior name for C. flabelliformis Rottb., is established, together with comments on the type of C. alternifolius L. Differences between the two taxa are recorded and the identity of the cultivated plant noted. Illustrations and a key are presented.