Namrita Lall

• PhD
• Professor (Full) at University of Pretoria

Background/Objectives: Loading of natural products into poly-(lactide-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles as drug delivery systems for the treatment of diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB), has been widely explored. The current study investigated the use of PLGA nanoparticles with 7-methyljuglone (7-MJ), an active pure compound, isolated from the...

Background Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or cavity formation, is one of the world’s most widespread dental conditions. It is a plaque-related infection caused mainly by Streptococcus mutans. People have relied on several plant species to treat oral infections; Heteropyxis natalensis, for example, has been used to treat toothache and gum...

Salvia aurea, more commonly known as the “golden sage”, is a resilient aromatic shrub that has been used for centuries in the fight against communicable and non-communicable diseases. Decoctions produced from S. aurea have been used to promote longevity in China, whilst in ancient Rome, the medicinal properties and usage of S. aurea were classified...

Purpose Breast cancer metastasis relies on cellular invasion and angiogenesis facilitated by the downregulation of metastatic suppressor proteins like Cluster of Differentiation 82 (CD82). Currently, no medicines target multiple systems to prevent metastatic progression through CD82 upregulation. This study screened for plant extracts displaying ef...

Background Metabolism is an important component of the kinetic characteristics of herbal constituents, and it often determines the internal dose and concentration of these effective constituents at the target site. The metabolic profile of plant extracts and pure compounds need to be determined for any possible herb-drug metabolic interactions that...

Background Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is an inflammatory skin condition with synthetic treatments that induce adverse effects and are ineffective. One of the proposed causes for the development of the condition is the outside-in hypothesis, which states that eczema is caused by a disruption in the skin barrier. These disruptions include developing...

This research paper explores the field of nanobiotechnology, focusing on the design, characterisation, and potential dermal applications of metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs). ZnO and FeO NPs exhibit distinctive properties that are valuable in dermato‐cosmetic applications and transdermal drug delivery. This study investigates Cannabidiol (CBD) as a...

Human malignant melanoma and other solid cancers are largely driven by the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes and angiogenesis. Conventional treatments for cancer (surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy) are employed as first-line treatments for solid cancers but are often ineffective as monotherapies due to resistance and toxicity. Thus,...

7-Methyljuglone (7-MJ) is a pure compound isolated from the roots of Euclea natalensis A. DC., a shrub indigenous to South Africa. It exhibits significant promise as a potential treatment for the highly communicable disease tuberculosis (TB), owing to its effective antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Despite its potential...

Cotyledon orbiculata L. var. oblonga (Haw.) DC., which is a succulent shrub distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, gives rise to fleshy leaves and its flowers are typically red, orange and yellow. Cotyledon orbiculata gives rise to various varieties that may be distinguished based on leaf and flower shape and geographical distribution. The leav...

Carpobrotus dimidiatus is a sturdy, trailing plant characterised by succulent, green, three-sided leaves. It can spread across extensive areas, forming a resilient ground cover that can withstand drought and salt exposure. Its large, glossy, mauve flowers emerge individually on more or less upright flowering branches. The genus, Carpobrotus, is ass...

Tylosema esculentum is an underutilised leguminous plant native to the Kalahari Desert and neighbouring sandy regions of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. The seed forms part of the diet of the indigenous population in these countries due to being an excellent source of excellent quality protein (29–39%) and oil content (24–48%), which contains n...

Barleria obtusa is a fast-growing shrub known for its rounded, bushy appearance. It features mid-green leaves covered in fine translucent hairs with upturned edges. It produces an impressive profusion of small violet flowers in autumn, at the top of its branches. As the seed capsules mature, they become woody and release their seeds explosively. Th...

Pelargonium graveolens is a resilient, perennial shrub with sizable, velvety leaves that emit a potent rose-scented fragrance. It highlights eye-catching umbels of pinkish-white flowers. The aromatic leaves of this plant produce geranium oil. This essential oil is extensively used in cosmetics for its abilities such as removing dead skin cells, fir...

There are numerous limitations faced when investigating underexplored medicinal plants for prospective drug discovery, which the previous chapters of this book discuss. The main limitations confronted include a lack of accessibility to the plant material and a lack of accessibility to reputable published literature on the plant species and its isol...

Bulbine frutescens is an evergreen perennial that is native to Southern Africa, but can be found in Eastern, Western and Northern Cape. B. frutescens is known for its ethnobotanical use and has been used by traditional healers for years. The jelly-like juice found in the leaves has been discovered to alleviate burns, blisters, insect bites and crac...

Geranium incanum is a low, spreading, branched perennial herb growing as a ground cover with long, slender stems and a thickened tap root. Masses of eye-catching flowers are borne from September to January in shades of white to pale pink with darker veins (var. incanum) or deep magenta-pink (var. multifidum). They are commonly found in traditional...

Helichrysum kraussii is a fragrant shrublet with a wide distribution throughout Southern Africa. Helichrysum kraussii is one of the many species in the genus Helichrysum with several traditional usages and biological activities. While there are numerous studies on the traditional uses and ethnopharmacological activities of this species, there is li...

This monograph describes Leucosidea sericea Eckl. and Zeyh and its use in Southern Africa. This chapter is a comprehensive summary of its vernacular names, botanical description, geographical distribution, ethnobotanical medicinal uses and all scientific data published on its pharmacological and biological bioactivity. In addition, the major chemic...

Barleria repens, commonly known as creeping barleria or creeping phoenix, is a perennial herb belonging to the Acanthaceae family. Originally found in tropical Africa particularly Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. It has since been introduced and spread throughout various regions within the tropics and subtropics. This plant is...

Heteropyxis natalensis is a hardy semi-deciduous tree that lacks thorns and is located along the eastern coastline and central regions of South Africa. Characteristics of the tree are that it has a mottled and flaking bark and can grow up to 15 m. The leaves of the tree are waxy and shiny with a pale green colour and a strong lavender fragrance whe...

Hypoestes aristata (Vahl) Roem. & Schult., native to sub-Saharan Africa, grows to 1.5 m tall and gives rise to flowers that are typically white or purple which occur on spike-like inflorescences. The leaves, root bark and decoctions have traditionally been used for several ailments. Therefore, the phytochemistry of H. aristata was explored and lign...

Juncus lomatophyllus Spreng. is a perennial grass-like sedge belonging to the Juncaceae family. Currently, not much has been done with regard to the biological potential of J. lomatophyllus; however, one paper has reported that J. effusus possesses anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, no compounds have been isolated from J. lomatophyllus; how...

Portulacaria afra, also known as elephant bush or dwarf jade plant, is a succulent plant native to South Africa which is commonly used as a houseplant due to its small leaves, plump stems and ease of care. The plant prefers bright, indirect light and well-draining soil and should be allowed to dry out slightly between watering. It is drought tolera...

Aloe arborescens Miller is a tree-forming aloe species, which is native to Southern Africa, appearing throughout the costal and mountainous regions. This species is highly variable and boasts multiple morphological phenotypes, some of which have been established as naturally occurring varieties that are regarded as synonymous with this species. Des...

Buddleja salviifolia (L.) Lam. is a common semi-evergreen shrub, which is widespread throughout mainly the subtropical and tropical regions of Africa. It is used by several ethnic groups for its medicinal properties and has been extensively evaluated for its in vitro antimicrobial activity and its phytochemical content; however, only three compound...

Cussonia spicata Thunb., distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, is an evergreen tree that grows up to 17 m tall and gives rise to green flowers. The bark and roots have been traditionally used for several ailments, leading to the investigation of the phytochemistry of C. spicata. Several phytochemicals have been identified and the pharmacologic...

Elegia tectorum, commonly known as the Cape thatching reed, is located in the fynbos regions of the Western Cape and the marshes of Western and Eastern Cape. Though no medicinal properties have been reported, E. tectorum is used for thatching roofs and weaving baskets and brooms. Previous studies have suggested that Elegia tectorum may possess anti...

Hypoestes forskaolii (Vahl) R.Br. is an annual herb that gives rise to pale-pink or white flowers arranged unidirectionally in a spike formation. It is widely distributed throughout Southern Africa, Saharan highlands, Arabia and Madagascar. The fresh leaves and juice of H. forskaolii boast several ethnobotanical uses, subsequently leading to the id...

Pelargonium citronellum is an evergreen plant that can grow up to 2 m tall and produce flowers in the spring and summer. It is commonly used as a lemon-scented ingredient or flavour for multiple cuisines. The dried leaves are also used in various forms of potpourri. There is a limited amount of scientific literature on the specific plant species, a...

Approximately 45,000 plant species have been identified in Africa, of which 5000 are used traditionally. This indicates that little is known about Africa’s flora and their link to traditional usage, leaving a gap that needs to be filled. This chapter is an introduction to the book titled “Medicinal Plants from Sub-Saharan Africa: Undiscovered Thera...

Cyperus sexangularis (CS) is a plant in the sedges family (Cyperaceae) that grows abundantly in swampy areas. The leaf sheath of plants in the Cyperus genus are mostly used domestically for mat making, while they are implicated for skin treatment in traditional medicine. The plant was investigated for its phytochemical contents as well as its antio...

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a major problem internationally, with approximately one million new infections recorded daily. Antibiotic resistance of STD pathogens is a cause for concern hence there is a need to develop new drugs for the treatment of STDs. There has thus been an increased interest in evaluating medicinal plants as a pote...

In this study, 10 essential oils (EOs), from nine plants (Cinnamomum camphora, Curcuma longa, Citrus aurantium, Morinda citrifolia, Petroselinum crispum, Plectranthus amboinicus, Pittosporum senacia, Syzygium coriaceum, and Syzygium samarangense) were assessed for their antimicrobial, antiaging and antiproliferative properties. While only S. coriac...

Tropical forests of the islands of the West Indian Ocean region, have a rich and diverse collection of unique plants containing a multitude of chemical scaffolds that can potentially be developed into medicinal agents. Till date, endemic plants from the Mascarene Archipelago have been undervalued but they hold significant economic and biomedical po...

Melanoma cells secrete pro-angiogenic factors, which stimulates growth, proliferation and metastasis, and therefore are key therapeutic targets. Buddleja saligna (BS), and an isolated triterpenoid mixture (DT-BS-01) showed a fifty percent inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 33.80 ± 1.02 and 5.45 ± 0.19 µg/mL, respectively, against melanoma cells (UC...

Gold nanoparticles from plant extracts and their bioactive compounds to treat various maladies have become an area of interest to many researchers. Acne vulgaris is an inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit caused by the opportunistic bacteria Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermis. These bacteria are not only associated with infl...

Background Phytochemicals and their derivatives/analogues represent over 50% of the current medicines in worldwide clinical use. Despite a significant contribution to the total bioactive natural plant products, the aquatic plants are underestimated, and several species are extinct and in endangered list. Objective The aim of this review article is...

Switchgrass is a bioenergy feedstock that potentially possesses multiple health benefits. However, the biological properties and associated bioactive compounds of switchgrass have not been adequately investigated. In the current study, we assessed the anti-inflammatory properties of switchgrass. Results from in vitro bioassays indicated that the me...

Polyphenols are one of the most abundant classes of secondary metabolites in plants and particularly relevant in leafy vegetables, fruits, berries, tea, and other beverages, with a wide range of health-promoting activities reported. They are also among the most widely studied natural products regarding their biosynthesis, chemical properties, and p...

Angiogenesis is an essential mechanism in both physiological and pathological functions, such as wound healing and cancer metastasis. Several growth factors mediate angiogenesis, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF). This study evaluated the potential wound healing activity of Greyia radlkofe...

Mupirocin has been reported for its role in the treatment of infected wounds through its antibacterial activity, however the role of mupirocin in promoting wound healing via alternative mechanisms has not been extensively evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the potential effect of mupirocin to promote wound healing, not only through its antibac...

Various Aloe L. species have been used worldwide to soothe and treat dermal wounds and burns. However, there is a lack of substantiative research on the efficacy of Aloe L. species for wound healing. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in biological activities of the gel and ethanolic (EtOH) leaf extracts of seven Aloe arboresc...

Objectives Liver illnesses are a major public health issue all over the world. Medicinal plants constituents a viable alternative for the development of phytopharmaceuticals with hepatoprotective activity in order to solve some of these health-related problems. The present study is focused on the phytochemical and biological investigation on Indian...

Eczema is considered a worldwide concern as more people, particularly children, are affected each year. Side effects of eczema include hyperpigmentation and wrinkle formation. Due to the overexpression of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6, large quantities of the tyrosinase enzyme are released causing hyperpigmentation, whereas during wrinkle formation...

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a major problem worldwide, which threatens health and negatively affects the livelihood of millions of people. The prevalence of STDs, such as gonorrhea, and the resultant antimicrobial resistance make it imperative to develop novel therapies for the treatment of the diseases. Since medicinal plants have bee...

Wound prevalence in South Africa is a major burden on the healthcare system. A large percentage of South Africans still rely on traditional medicine to treat various diseases, which includes the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of various dermatological disorders. Numerous plants are traditionally used in South Africa for the treatment of...

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a serious global health threat with over one-quarter of the world’s population infected with TB. A small proportion will develop active, progressive TB whilst the remaining individuals will be victims of bacterial persistence and latent infection. Inefficient healthcare practices and the development of antimicrobial drug r...

In South Africa, plants belonging to the Restionaceae family possess an ecological dominance. As a result, they have been the subject of numerous morphological, anatomical, and evolutionary studies. However, few studies have focused on their phytochemical profile and their potential pharmacological activities. The genus Elegia L. is the second larg...

This study investigated a unique one-pot microwave-assisted green synthesis method of gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) using cannabidiol (CBD) as a capping and reducing agent. Furthermore, Au and Ag NPs were also chemically synthesized using poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), which functioned as reference materials when comparing the size, shape...

The human skin is home to millions of bacteria, fungi, and viruses which form part of a unique microbiome. Commensal microbes, including Cutibacterium acnes can occasionally become opportunistic resulting in the onset of dermatological diseases such as acne. Acne is defined as a chronic inflammatory disorder based on its ability to persist for long...

The aim of this study was to determine the antiproliferative effect of an ethanolic leaf extract of Combretum apiculatum (CA) against human epidermoid carcinoma (A431) and human malignant melanoma (UCT-MEL1) cells, the toxic potential of CA on non-cancerous human keratinocytes (HaCat) and to evaluate the inhibitory activity against the phosphatidyl...

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 antioxi-dant, anticancer, and antimycobacterial activity of pigmente...

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), still remains one of the leading causes of death from a single infectious agent worldwide. The high prevalence of this disease is mostly ascribed to the rapid development of drug resistance to the current anti-TB drugs, exacerbated by lack of patient adherence due to drug toxicity. The...

As the global desire for natural remedies derived from botanicals increases, the pressure on plant populations and biodiversity intensifies. Therefore, to conserve biodiversity as a valuable genetic and biochemical resource, sustainable utilisation and commercial production should be prioritised. Myrsine africana L. (MA), has recently been found to...

Introduction The study investigated a natural solution for the hypopigmentary disorder, progressive macular hypomelanosis (PMH). The aim was to determine whether gold nanoparticles synthesized from Aspalathus linearis (Burm.f.) R.Dahlgren could be effective for PMH. Methods Gold nanoparticles (ALAuNPs) were synthesized using the ethanolic extract o...

In the interest of developing more effective and safer anti-tuberculosis drugs, we used a GCxGC-TOF-MS metabolomics research approach to investigate and compare the metabolic profiles of Mtb in the presence and absence of ciprofloxacin. The metabolites that best describe the differences between the compared groups were identified as markers charact...

Eight prenylated xanthones including four new analogues were extracted and purified from the leaves of Garcinia xipshuanbannaensis. Multiple techniques including UV, 1D and 2D NMR, and HRESIMS were used to determine the structures of the isolated xanthones. These xanthones were evaluated for their cytotoxicity toward human cancer cells, and compoun...

In the interest of developing more effective and safer anti-Tuberculosis treatment, we aimed for a better understanding of the antimycobacterial action of ciprofloxacin against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). We used GCxGC-TOF-MS and well described metabolomics statistical approaches, to investigate and compare the metabolic profiles of Mtb in th...

Keratinocyte carcinoma (KC) is a form of skin cancer that develops in keratinocytes, which are the predominant cells present in the epidermis layer of the skin. Keratinocyte carcinoma comprises two sub-types, namely basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This review provides a holistic literature assessment of the origin, dia...

Pigmentation, a process controlled by melanogenesis, plays a vital role in protecting the skin against harmful ultraviolet rays. The level of protection is compromised in case of hypopigmentation. This study aimed to evaluate an Aspalathus linearis extract, fractions and phytoconstituents, for their efficacy on melanogenesis stimulation. Fifteen co...

Exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major contributing factor to the increasing number of skin cancer cases. Interest has grown to use plant extracts as natural ingredients in cosmetic formulations due to their photoprotective effect, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, as well as other biological activities. The aim of this s...

Plants belonging to Withania genus are well-known medicinal plants and are commonly used as herbal medicine in the Ayurvedic health system. These plants belong to the family Solanaceae and comprise of 23 known species distributed in North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean, and the Canary Islands. However, only six species, namely, Wi...

Ethnopharmacological relevance Plectranthus madagascariensis (Pers.) Benth. is an indigenous aromatic South African plant species that are traditionally used to treat various dermatological and respiratory ailments. Aim of the study Three varieties of P. madagascariensis exist in South Africa, namely, Plectranthus aliciae (Codd) van Jaarsv. & T.J....

In the present study, an immunological arabinan, LCP70-2A, was isolated from Ligusticum chuanxiong for the first time. The absolute molecular weight of LCP70-2A was determined to be 6.46 × 10⁴ g/mol using the HPSEC-MALLS-RID method. The absolute configuration of arabinose in LCP70-2A was determined to be L-configuration. Physicochemical characteriz...

Ten new ent-kaurane diterpenoids, including two pairs of epimers 1/2 and 4/5 and a 6,7-seco-ent-kauranoid 10, were obtained from the aerial parts of Isodon serra. The structures of the new compounds were confirmed by extensive spectroscopic methods and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data analysis. An anti-inflammatory assay was applied to eval...

Never before has the biosphere, the thin layer of life we call home, been under such intensive and urgent threat. Deforestation rates have soared as we have cleared land to feed ever-more people, global emissions are disrupting the climate system, new pathogens threaten our crops and our health, illegal trade has eradicated entire plant populations...