Learnmore Kambizi

• PhD
• Professor (Full) at Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Increasing soil salinity is already having a significant effect on production losses of commercial vegetables around the globe. Thus, the implementation of innovative techniques is crucial to cultivate these vegetables amidst these unfavourable conditions. Halophytes are potential plants for resilient agricultural systems, such as intercropping wit...

Climate change, drought, and soil salinization present huge limitations to global agricultural output, which threatens food security. This necessitates the cultivation and domestication of wild edible halophytes as alternatives to mainstream food crops, especially in arid and semi‐arid regions. Trachyandra ciliata is one of the under‐researched and...

Global agriculture feeds over seven billion people and alarmingly, this number is expected to increase by a further 50% by 2050. To meet the additional food demand, the world development report has estimated that crop production should increase by 70–100% by 2050. However, climate change, expanding soil salinization, and the developing shortages of...

Biostimulants such as seaweed extracts are emerging as crop management products that can enhance crop productivity and nutritional quality under abiotic stress conditions. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a seaweed-derived biostimulant (Kelpak®) in alleviating salinity stress in spinach. A greenhouse experiment which consi...

Water scarcity and high salinity in agricultural lands pose serious threats to food security amid exponential population growth. This then necessitates the cultivation of salt- and drought-tolerant plant species as alternatives to mainstream vegetable crops. Previous studies have identified Trachyandra ciliata (wild cabbage) and other wild edible h...

Tetragonia decumbens is an edible halophyte that grows naturally in saline environment; however, its tolerance mechanisms are poorly understood for bio-saline agriculture. So, this research was designed to look into how salinity affects vegetative growth, leaf succulence, chlorophyll content, cation accumulation, oxidative stress indicators, and an...

Environmental conditions affect polyphenolic compounds in plants, and yet little is known about the response of Schinus molle peppercorns to geographical location. S molle is a folkloric pseudospice of Andean origin possessing multiple culinary and medicinal functions. This globally invasive species presents an immense multidimensional potential. P...

Tetragonia decumbens is a neglected edible halophyte that grows naturally in coastal areas of South Africa. Its underutilisation is due to the limited literature on its nutraceutical potential. So, this research was designed to assess the nutritional value, secondary metabolites, and anti-microbial potential of wild and greenhouse cultivated T. dec...

Sclerocarya birrea kernel volatile compounds and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) from the Bubi district in Matabeleland North province of Zimbabwe were characterised by GC–MS. The volatile compounds of the oil include 65 different compounds from 24 distinct classes, dominated by 13 alcohols and 14 aldehydes (42%). Other classes include carboxylic...

The need to explore the abundance of natural products cannot be overemphasized particularly in the management of various disease conditions. In traditional medical practice, Vernonia amygdalina has been widely adopted in the management of various inflammatory disorders. The objective of this investigation was to isolate the bioactive principles fro...

Background: Aquaponics and hydroponics are potential alternative techniques for sustainable cultivating of medicinal plants. Setting: The experiments were carried out on the Bellville campus of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate crop yield, secondary metabolite contents,...

This study investigated the ethnobotanical uses of Afzelia africana Sm. ex Pers., a threatened tree species in Nigeria to determine the impact of uses of this species on the risk of its extinction. Ethnobotanical surveys were conducted by means of semi-structured questionnaires with the local community called Ijebu Igbo in Ogun state of Nigeria and...

Background: Aquaponics and hydroponics are potential alternative techniques for sustainable cultivating of medicinal plants. Setting: The experiments were carried out on the Bellville campus of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate crop yield, secondary metabolite contents,...

Tetragonia decumbens Mill. has recently been reported to withstand the adverse effect of salinity. However, its leaf anatomical responses are poorly understood since previous studies were focused on basic physiological and biochemical parameters. This study was designed to examine leaf micromorphological traits and internal leaf elemental compartme...

The chemical analysis of vineyards is an essential tool for the early detection of risks, such as excessive fertilization and heavy metal and pesticide contamination in farm management. Soil and plant samples were collected in summer and winter from six different vineyards with varying agricultural practices in the Cape Winelands of the Western Cap...

Heavy metal toxicity is a major threat to the health of both humans and ecosystems. Toxic levels of heavy metals in food crops, such as grapes, can have devastating effects on plant health and the market value of the produce. Two important factors that may influence the prevalence of heavy metals in grapevines are seasonal change and farming practi...

Pelargonium reniforme Curtis and Pelargonium sidoides DC are medicinally important plants of the large family Geraniaceae and indigenous to the southern areas of Africa. Both species are small shrublets or sub-shrubs whose tuberous roots contain essential metabolites used for the treatment of several diseases. The efficacy of these two species has...

Justicia secunda Vahl belongs to the family Acanthaceae. The plant was primarily cultivated for ornamental purposes before the discovery of its medicinal uses for the treatment of chronic diseases threatening public health. In the present study, extraction of the leaves of the plant was carried out using organic solvents (acetone, chloroform and et...

Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit the oxidation of other molecules and protect the body from the effects of free radicals, produced either by normal cell metabolism or as an effect of pollution and exposure to other external factors and are responsible for premature aging and play a role in cardiovascular disease. degenerative diseases such a...

Tetragonia decumbens is a neglected wild vegetable in South Africa. The dearth of literature on its propagation and cultivation methods has led to its underutilization. This prompted an investigation on the vegetative propagation of T. decumbens as influenced by rooting media and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) treatment to formulate a viable propagati...

The Schinus molle tree is notoriously invasive in most parts of the world, and yet as a pseudospice, its berries potentially possess some significant health benefits which need to be explored. Therefore, polar metabolome of seed + husks (SH), husks (H), and de-hulled (DH) berries were profiled and quantified by untargeted metabolomics approach usin...

Although there are over 4000 potato cultivars in the world, only a few have been commercialized due to their marketability and shelf-life. Most noncommercialized cultivars are pigmented and found in remote regions of the world. White-fleshed potatoes are well known for their energy-enhancing complex carbohydrates; however, pigmented cultivars are p...

Climate change has had devastating effects on agriculture, industry, and food security. The recent outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated this situation as tons of crops have had to be destroyed due to the global closure of retail outlets. This raises questions on the world’s preparedness to deal with pandemics without ceasing food produ...

Malaria, a parasitic disease of the tropics, is one of the major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in the tropics. Following the increased resistance of the primary causative parasites, Plasmodium sp, to the mainstream drug, artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs), combating malaria incidences, morbidity and mortality have remained el...

security and nutrition and promote sustainable crop production by 2050. However, climate change, increasing soil salinization and the inadequate availability of fresh water have negatively affected crop production around the world including South Africa, making it difficult to meet the required target. This necessitates the use of wild edible plant...

Background: The increasing prevalence of cancer is placing enormous pressure on health infrastructure globally. The ever rising cancer burden is not unique to South Africa but also to many low- and middle-income countries. Natural plant-based products have for long have been used traditionally for treating cancer. Approximately 7% – 48% of cancer d...

This study evaluated the effect of salinity and soilless media on the vegetative growth, phytochemicals, and antioxidant capacity of Trachyandra ciliata (wild cabbage) to develop its growth protocol and explore its potential as a natural source of secondary metabolites. Treatments consisted of different concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl), con...

Without a doubt, potatoes play a vital food and nutrition security role in the world as more than a billion people consume this vegetable. Furthermore, the polyphenolic constituents of pigmented potato cultivars and their associated health benefits have been reported. However, the antioxidant, anticancer, and antimycobacterial activity of pigmented...

Climate change, expanding soil salinization, and the developing shortages of freshwater have negatively affected crop production around the world. Seawater and salinized lands represent potentially cultivable areas for edible salt-tolerant plants. In the present study, the effect of salinity stress on plant growth, mineral composition (macro-and mi...

Diabetes, an emerging major public health problem when untreated may lead to chronic complications. This, study aimed to evaluate the Hibiscus sabdariffa, effects on renal dysfunction and cardiovascular disease risk associated with streptozocin induced diabetes. The study used 42 rats randomized to six groups: 2 diabetic groups (treated each with 2...

A greenhouse study was conducted to evaluate the effects of three root zone temperatures (20, 24 and 28°C) on growth and chemical compositions in seed mini tubers of four pigmented Solanum tuberosum cultivars (Non-pigmented control (BP1), Salad Blue (SB), Pink Fir Apple (PFA) and Highland Burgundy Red (HBR)). The results indicate that RZT 24°C sign...

Food security in South Africa ranks as one of the top ten priorities in the country. Potato is a fundamental staple food crop in South Africa, providing essential nutrition. While there are several cultivars currently in production for the potato market, there is a need to explore cultivars that are available, but not utilised within the country. P...

Background: Food and herbal usage of Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) is attaining improved global relevance and acceptance without recourse to its potential toxic effects. This study investigated the safety profile of acute, sub-acute, sub-chronic administrations and diuretic potential of aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces (AEHSC). Method:...

There are growing concerns about the chronic and acute effects of synthetic additives such as antibacterial, fragrances, colourants and stabilizing agents used in the production of various household products. Many household products and materials including cosmetic products are reportedly suspected to be carcinogenic with some acting as endocrine d...

Nitrogen may regulate transpiration and consequently the delivery of nutrients to root surfaces. It remains unclear whether both NO3- and NH4+ regulate transpiration and nutrient acquisition. In this study we investigated the functional role of NO3- or NH4+ in regulating both day- and night-time transpiration for potential 'mass-flow' delivery of n...

This work investigates the chemical compositions of Polyalthia longifolia Thw. seed oil with the associated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasite and cytotoxicity potentials. The oil of P. longifolia seed obtained by soxhlet extraction was trans-esterified and the fatty acid profile characterized using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (...

Context: Cola gigantea A. Chev. (Sterculiaceae) is an important medicinal tropical flora. Objective: The seed oil of C. gigantea, an underutilized tropical plant was investigated for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-Toxoplasma, and cytotoxicity activities as well as the chemical composition. Materials and methods: The physicochemical parame...

Background: Gnidia capitata L. F. belongs to the family Thymelaeaceae, and has been widely reported for its ethnobotanical uses, especially for the treatment of several human ailments which include skin conditions. However, there is limited information about the pharmacological properties of this plant as a potential cosmetic agent or pharmaceutica...

The aqueous extracts of the edible parts of four common medicinal plants (Hibiscus sabdariffa, Telfairia occidentalis, Moringa oleifera and Ocimum gratissimum) readily consumed as food or supplements in many African settings are examined for some of their acclaimed pharmacological activities and possible potential associated risks. The classes of p...

Background Production of medicinal plants in controlled environments, particularly hydroponic technology, provides opportunities for high quality biomass accumulation and optimizes production of secondary metabolites. Applying special watering regimes in combination with efficient soil draining is an encouraging new tool for the production of pharm...

The global demand for medicinal plant products has increased in the last two decades leading to over exploitation and sometimes extinction of indigenous medicinal plants. Plant biotechnology offers an efficient approach to enhanced biosynthesis of essential and/or bioactive compounds in plants. This study was aimed at developing a micropropagation...

Worldwide, tuberculosis (TB) is a major human killer claiming about 1.5 million lives per annum. Medicinal plants are believed to serve as a source for products that can serve as anti-TB agents. Despite the importance of plants for human health and subsistence in both developed and developing countries, loss of biodiversity-based cultural knowledge...

Background: Traditional medicine plays a major role in the primary health care of many people living in rural areas. South Africa is a home to over 30,000 species of higher plants and 3,000 of these species have been found to be used in traditional medicine across the country. South African medicinal plants are decreasing at an alarming rate as a r...

Background: Traditional medicine plays a major role in the primary health care of many people living in rural areas. South Africa is a home to over 30,000 species of higher plants and 3,000 of these species have been found to be used in traditional medicine across the country. South African medicinal plants are decreasing at an alarming rate as a r...

Background: Traditional medicine plays a major role in the primary health care of many people living in rural areas. South Africa is a home to over 30,000 species of higher plants and 3,000 of these species have been found to be used in traditional medicine across the country. South African medicinal plants are decreasing at an alarming rate as a r...

Background: In South African traditional medicine, some are plants known to combat pediatric diseases and are commonly used by traditional healers. The aim was to evaluate cytotoxicity effects of plants. Materials and methods: The ground plant material was exhaustively extracted using methanol, acetone and water separately for 72 hrs. These orga...

The chemical composition of aquatic habitat, environmental conditions and trend monitoring could reflect changes in species composition over time. Vegetation plays an important role in decontamination and waste treatment water inlet and received by wetlands. They provide carbon substrate for microbes which are important in processing wastewater con...

Antibacterial activity of four different extracts from the stem bark of Acacia mearnsii was measured against five Gram-positive and five Gram-negative bacterial strains: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus kristinae, Streptococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella flexneri, Kleb...

Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala (leaf cabbage) commonly known as 'chomoullier' and Brassica napus L. (leaf 'rape') are traditional leafy vegetables widely grown in Kenya (East Africa) and Zimbabwe (southern Africa). Urtica urens on the other hand, is a wild leafy vegetable consumed in rural communities of South Africa. A comparative study of the...

The antibacterial properties of Tetradenia riparia, the most frequently used plant by the traditional healer for the treatment of chest and cough related infections was reported in this study. The plant was investigated to evaluate claims made by the users as a remedy for chest and cough related infections. Ten bacterial strains (five gram-positive...

Plant derived antimicrobial co mpounds that have no or minimal to xicity to host cells are considered candidates for developing new antimicrobial drugs. Safety is therefore critical in the formulation of antimicrobials. The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic effects of some South African med icinal plant extracts. The methanolic and...

Wild medicinal leafy vegetables are consumed by many rural villagers of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. These vegetables are easily accessible at no cost. This paper presents findings of a survey of plants used as vegetables and for medicinal purposes in the Eastern Cape Province. Regular consumers of these plants interviewed revealed that four out...

Heteromorpha arborescens belongs to the family Apiaceae. It is commonly known as the parsley tree. One of its uses in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa is for the treatment of abdominal pains. The therapeutic effects of the methanolic and aqueous root extracts of H. arborescens were investigated at two dose levels respectively on experiment...

Several herbs are traditionally used in the treatment of a variety of ailments particularly in the rural areas of South Africa where herbal medicine is mainly the source of health care system. Many of these herbs have not been assessed for safety or toxicity to tissue or organs of the mammalian recipients. This study evaluated the cytotoxicity of s...

Gunnera perpensa, which belongs to the Gunneraceae family, is used in folk medicine to relieve rheumatoid pain, facilitate childbirth and for healing wounds. In this study, the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of this plant extracts were evaluated using the abdominal constriction, hot-plate, formalin, hyperalgesia and fresh egg albu...

Indigenous health system and the use of herbal plants have been recognized as pivotal in primary health care and a system to reckon with in achieving one of the targets of the millennial goals on health. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted to identify indigenous herbal remedies for diarrhoea and associated stomach ailments in rural areas of the...

Methanol and water extracts from Gunnera perpensa rhizomes and Heteromorpha arborescens roots were investigated for their in vitro antimicrobial activities. These plants are implicated in the treatment of dysmenorrhoea in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Ten bacterial strains (5 Gram positive and 5 Gram negative) and four fungal strains were selecte...

The wild leafy vegetable, Corchorus olitorius L, has a potential for development as a crop. Self propagation of this species is by seed. In an attempt to improve the length of time of its availability, the effects of pre-chilling and temperature on germination of its seeds were investigated. Although it had a seed viability of 90.1% (using the tetr...

Aloe ferox. Mill. is one of the plants used for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Different extracts of the plant were investigated for their antimicrobial constituents. This led to the isolation of three known compounds, namely, 1,8-dihydroxy-3-hydroxymethyl-9,10-anthracenedione (...

Herbal medicines play a vital role in the treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially in the remote areas of South Africa where clinics and hospitals are sparsely located. Aloe ferox and Withania somnifera are among the southern African plants commonly used for the treatment of (STIs). This paper reports on the in vitro antimicr...

Aloe ferox and withania somnifera are among southern African plants commonly used for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Aqueous extracts from both species, together with aloin, isolated from A. ferox, were evaluated for antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in vitro. The aqueous extracts showed detect...

Withania somnifera is under intensive utilization because of its wide ranging medicinal potential. Self-propagation of this species is by seed. In an effort to improve and promote the cultivation of this over-exploited medicinal herb, the effects of temperature and light on the germination of its seeds were investigated. Germination was found to be...

The acetone extracts of 12 plants used in folkloric medicine in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, were investigated for their in vitro antimycotic activity against five fungi using the agar dilution method. The extracts showed significant inhibition of growth of the test organisms at varying concentrations. Extracts from Arctotis arctotoides showed...

The acetone extracts of 12 plants used in folkloric medicine in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, were investigated for their in vitro antimycotic activity against five fungi using the agar dilution method. The extracts showed significant inhibition of growth of the test organisms at varying concentrations. Extracts from Arctotis arctotoides showed...