Sandy Van vuuren

University of the Witwatersrand | wits · Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology

Viola odorata L. oil is frequently recommended in the aromatherapeutic literature for treating respiratory, urinary, and skin infections; however, antimicrobial evidence is lacking. In addition, in aromatherapy, combinations of essential oils are predominantly utilized with the goal of achieving therapeutic synergy, yet no studies investigating the...

Antimicrobial research into the use of Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil has demonstrated broad-spectrum activity; however, much of the research published focuses on identifying the potential of this essential oil individually, rather than in combination for an enhanced antimicrobial effect. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activi...

Essential oil compounds have been identified as alternative antimicrobials; however, their use is limited due to their toxicity on human lymphocytes, skin, and reproduction. Carrier oils can reduce the toxicity of essential oils, which raises the question as to whether such activity would extend to the essential oil compounds. Thus, this study aime...

Ophthalmic infections are common and can cause substantial loss of eyesight. It is estimated that nearly 45% of the South African population has suffered from partial or total loss of eyesight with a substantial portion of this being due to infections. However, in approximately 80% of cases, this loss of eyesight could have been easily prevented or...

Introduction: Many species within Combretaceae are traditionally used for the treatment of bacterial infections. The similarity in chemistry and antimicrobial activities within the family pose a challenge in selecting suitable species for herbal drug development. Objective: This study aimed at rapidly identifying antimicrobial compounds using bi...

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...

Salvia africana-lutea L., S. lanceolata L., and S. chamelaeagnea L. are used in South Africa as traditional medicines to treat infections. This paper describes an in-depth investigation into their antibacterial activities to identify bioactive compounds. Methanol extracts from 81 samples were screened against seven bacterial pathogens, using the mi...

Culinary herbs and spices are known to be good sources of natural antioxidants. Although the antioxidant effects of individual culinary herbs and spices are widely reported, little is known about their effects when used in combination. The current study was therefore undertaken to compare the antioxidant effects of crude extracts and essential oils...

Acne is a skin condition arising from excess sebum production and microbial overgrowth within the pilosebaceous unit. Several commercial essential oils have shown promising activity against acne-related pathogens. Due to their volatility and thermal instability, the formulation of essential oils into commercial products remains a pharmaceutical cha...

This study investigated the potential efficacy of 369 commercial essential oil combinations for antimicrobial, anti-toxic and anti-inflammatory activity with the aim of identifying synergy among essential oils commonly used in combination by aromatherapists for respiratory purposes. Essential oil combinations were assessed for their antimicrobial a...

Treatment of diseases is a major challenge in Lesotho due to several factors, such as limited availability and affordability of western medicine, as well as accessibility to healthcare facilities. As a result, traditional medicine plays a vital role in the well-being of the population in the country. Many studies conducted on medicinal plants in Le...

Historically, essential oils and their lead molecules have been extensively recognised for their anti-infective properties. In this context, certain volatile phenolics (VPs) have emerged as important antimicrobial compounds with excellent inhibitory activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi, which further extends to drug-resistant and biofilm-...

The antimicrobial effects of essential oils are commonly cited within aromatherapeutic texts for use in respiratory tract infections. These essential oils are inhaled or applied to the skin to treat infections and manage symptoms associated with these conditions. A limited number of these essential oils have been scientifically studied to support t...

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are amongst the most common bacterial infections globally, with ∼11% of the world’s population contracting at least one infection annually. Several South African plants are used in traditional healing systems to treat UTIs, yet the therapeutic potential of these plants against bacteria that cause UTI remains poorly e...

The current study introduces two novel, smart polymer three-dimensional (3D)-printable interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogel biomaterials with favorable chemical, mechanical, and morphological properties for potential applications in traumatic brain injury (TBI) such as potentially assisting in the restoration of neurological function thr...

Indigenous trade of medicinal plants in South Africa is a multi-million-rand industry and is still highly relevant in terms of primary health care. The purpose of this study was to identify today's most traded medicinal barks, traditionally and contemporaneously used for dermatological, gastrointestinal, and respiratory tract infections; then, to i...

Rapanea melanophloeos is traditionally used in South Africa in the treatment of ailments of the skin, pulmonary and gastro intestinal tract. This study was aimed at giving an overview of these traditional uses and comparing the phytochemicals and antibacterial activities of various crude extracts of the leaves, fruits and bark in order to validate...

Helichrysum petiolare and Helichrysum odoratissimum, collectively known as ‘Imphepho’, are popular medicinal herbs that are indigenous to South Africa. The species are used interchangeably to relieve gastrointestinal and respiratory conditions, fever and urinary tract infections, implying that they produce antibacterial compounds. Although these he...

Aims: The inhibitory and bactericidal effect of a wide range of essential oils, and their selected combinations against two pathogens (Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium septicum, the causative pathogens of gas gangrenous infections were investigated. Fractional inhibitory indices were also calculated to determine the interactions. Methods a...

Ethnopharmacological relevance Many species within the family Combretaceae are popular medicinal plants that are used traditionally to treat various conditions, of which many are related to bacterial infections. Global concerns regarding the increasing resistance of pathogens towards currently available antibiotics have encouraged researchers to fi...

Warburgia salutaris, known as ‘Pepper bark’, is an ethnomedicinally important tree found in the southern regions of Africa. A total of 75 fresh leaf specimens of W. salutaris (n=40 wild and 35 cultivated) were collected from the Limpopo (wild) and KwaZulu‐Natal provinces (cultivated), two distinct locations in South Africa. In this study, the leaf...

Edited by J Van Staden A B S T R A C T Indigenous medicinal plants have been shown to be effective in treating skin conditions in southern Africa. In the past, antimicrobial dyes have also been used to treat dermatological infections with great success. The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial properties of a combination of select...

Objective To investigate the touch-contact antimicrobial efficacy of novel cold spray surface coatings composed of copper and silver metals, regard to their rate of microbial elimination. Design Antimicrobial time-kill assay. Setting Laboratory-based study. Methods An adapted time-kill assay was conducted to characterize the antimicrobial effica...

Terminalia sericea Burch. ex. DC. (Combretaceae) is a popular remedy for the treatment of infectious diseases. It is widely prescribed by traditional healers and sold at informal markets and may be a good candidate for commercialisation. For this to be realised, a thorough phytochemical and bioactivity profile is required to identify constituents t...

Ethnopharmacological relevance Multiple plant species were used traditionally in southern Africa to treat bacterial respiratory diseases. This review summarises this usage and highlights plant species that are yet to be verified for these activities. Aim of the study : This manuscript reviews the traditional usage of southern African plant species...

Ethnopharmacological relevance Viral respiratory infections are amongst the most common infections globally, with most of the world's population contracting at least one infection annually. Numerous plant species are used in traditional southern African healing systems to treat these diseases and to alleviate the symptoms. Despite this, the therape...

Front Cover . In clinical settings, essential oils are the most common natural product being recommended for respiratory related infections. Furthermore, essential oil blends are believed to work synergistically to treat and manage symptoms associated with the respiratory tract. A review of the literature identified a number of essential oils that...

Three new compounds containing mono- and dinuclear Cu(II) complexes, [Cu(Met)2Cl2]2, Cu(H2O)(Met)2Cl]2 and [Cu(H2O)(phen)2]NO3 (Met= metronidazole; Phen= 1,10-phenathroline) have been synthesized and characterized by Infra-Red, UV-Vis, Single Crystal X-ray analyses, Thermogravimetric techniques and Scanning electron micrography. The biological acti...

Prenylated (iso)flavonoids, -flavans and pterocarpans from taxa in Erythrina are repeatedly flagged as potent antimicrobial compounds. In the current study, bark from E. lysistemon was extracted and seven isoflavone derivatives were purified: erybraedin A (1), phaseollidin (2), abyssinone V-4’ methyl ether (3), eryzerin C (4), alpumisoflavone (5),...

This review explores the body of scientific information on the antimicrobial properties of essential oils against pathogens responsible for respiratory infections and critically compares this to what is recommended in the layman’s aroma‐therapeutic literature. Essential oils are predominantly indicated for the treatment of respiratory infections ca...

Ethnopharmalogical relevance: Blood purification practices, also referred to as blood cleansing or detoxification, is an ancient concept which is widespread amongst African traditional medicine, but for which no modern scientific basis exists. There prevails considerable ambiguity in defining what a blood purifier is. Aim of the study: The purpo...

Anaerobes outnumber aerobic bacteria in the human gut. The most commonly isolated microorganisms in intra-abdominal infections include Escherichia coli, Peptostreptococcus micros as well as Bacteroides and Clostridium species. Several studies have been undertaken on southern African medicinal plant species and their antimicrobial efficacy against p...

Wounds are a common medical infliction. With the increase in microbial resistance and a shift of interest towards complementary medicines, essential oils have been shown to be beneficial in suppressing microbial growth. However, in practice, essential oils are more often diluted into a base due to the risk of topical adverse effects, such as dermat...

We describe here the synthesis of libraries of novel 1-subtituted-5-aryl-1H-imidazole, 5-aryl-4-tosyl-4,5-dihydro-1,3-oxazole and 5-aryl-1,3-oxazole fragments via microwave (MW)-assisted cycloaddition of para-toluenesulfonylmethyl isocyanide (TosMIC) to imines and aldehydes. The compounds obtained were biologically evaluated in an AlphaScreen HIV-1...

Non-distorted visible light-absorbing thiol-PEGylated gold-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles–porphyrin conjugates and their inhibitory effects against nosocomial pathogens - Bamidele M. Amos-Tautua, Olayemi J. Fakayode, Sandy van Vuuren, Sandile P. Songca, Oluwatobi S. Oluwafemi

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...

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Propolis, a resinous substance produced by the Apis mellifera bee, contains a number of flavonoids sourced from plants found in the surrounding region. Whilst bees use this substance to seal off and protect the beehive, humans have used propolis therapeutically for centuries, making use of its antibacterial, antisep...

Increasing bacterial resistance and a corresponding decrease in antibiotic discovery has made the development of new antibiotic therapies a high priority. Combinational approaches may be effective in overcoming resistance and potentiating the activity of conventional antibiotics that are otherwise ineffective against resistant bacteria. Moringa ole...

The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of endophytes isolated from the root of Pelargonium sidoides DC., and to explore the antimicrobial interactions between endophytic fungi and the host plant. The hypothesis explored is that medicinal plants used as an anti-infective may not only rely on the properties of the medicin...

Although medicinal plants are used extensively in Lesotho to treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the antimicrobial efficacy of the majority of these plants has hitherto not been evaluated against pathogens implicated in STIs. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity, provide basic phytochemical compos...

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...

Essential oils are amongst the most popular natural products recommended for the treatment of topical fungal infections. This study investigated the antifungal activity of 128 essential oil combinations against fungal pathogen reference strains using the broth microdilution technique to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The esse...

Ethnobotanical surveys showed that medicinal plants play a major role in the health-care of people residing in the rural areas of northern KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). Because of the long-term usage, these medicinal plants are often assumed to be safe. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of 26 medicinal plants and 19 plant combination...

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...

Cover Picture. Essential oil combinations were investigated against pathogens most frequently found in wounds. From this study, the importance of scientific validation is emphasised, especially considering that the recommended aroma‐therapeutic combinations did not always result in the predicted efficacy. Furthermore, only a slight variation in ant...

This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of 247 essential oil combinations against the reference strains of wound pathogens. Essential oil combinations were investigated for antimicrobial activity against five pathogens relevant to wounds. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay was used and the fractional inhibitory concen...

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Worldwide, more than three billion cases of parasitic disease are reported yearly and it is likely that this figure is substantially under-estimated. Approximately one in six people globally are estimated to be infected with at least one parasite species annually. In South Africa, the prevalence of Schistosoma haema...

Foot odour (bromodosis) is an embarrassing and perplexing condition mostly caused by bacteria of the Brevibacterium species. Essential oils are a credible option as an affordable treatment of odour and contribute towards antimicrobial efficacy. Therefore, this study sets out to investigate the antimicrobial activity of essential oil combinations ag...

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...

Background: Colistin is an old antibiotic that has been reintroduced as salvage therapy in hospitalised patients because it is frequently the only agent active against Gram-negative bacteria. Various guidelines for colistin administration have led to confusion in establishing the appropriate dose, which has potential for adverse consequences inclu...

Background. Colistin is an old antibiotic that has been reintroduced as salvage therapy in hospitalised patients because it is frequently the only agent active against Gram-negative bacteria. Various guidelines for colistin administration have led to confusion in establishing the appropriate dose, which has potential for adverse consequences includ...

Currently antimicrobial resistance is increasing at an alarming rate. Exposure to resistant strains hinders treatment outcomes both in rural and hospital settings. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate five frequently used South African medicinal plants (Artemisia afra, Lippia javanica, Osmitopsis asteriscoides, Croton gratissimus and Tetr...

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Over a 120 South African medicinal plants are used for the treatment of oral diseases. Despite the vast collection of antimicrobial studies being done on South African plants, there is still limited research on pathogens associated with oral infections. In consultation with the available ethnobotanical literature, t...

The one-pot synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the medium-polar extract of Desmodium adscendens (Sw.) DC. is presented here as an alternative synthesis of metal NPs. Characterisation of the formed NPs showed polydispersed AgNPs ranging from 15 to 100 nm where the concentration of metal ions was found to play a role in the size and shap...

Parasitic diseases inflict significant suffering globally and place enormous pressure on medical resources. The CDC estimates that more than 3 billion cases of parasitic disease are reported yearly and acknowledge that this figure is likely to substantially under-estimate the prevalence of these diseases. Approximately 1 in 6 people globally are es...

Ethnopharmacological relevance: This review provides information on the antimicrobial research which has taken place on South African natural products for the last eight years (2009-2016). This important field is the backbone of all studies involving the use of medicinal plants against infectious diseases and hence can form the mainstay for future...

Background. The delivery of aerosolised medication, as performed by nurses and physiotherapists in intensive care units (ICUs), forms an important component of patient care. Objectives. To determine the presence of contamination of nebulisers used within a ventilator circuit; to describe the protocol and clinical practice regarding decontamination...

Essential oils are one of the most notorious natural products used for medical purposes. Combined with their popular use in dermatology, their availability, and the development of antimicrobial resistance, commercial essential oils are often an option for therapy. At least 90 essential oils can be identified as being recommended for dermatological...

The stem bark sample of Erythrina lysistemon was collected from the Faraday muthi market in Johannesburg. The ethnobotanical uses of the stem bark mentioned from this market are an infusion of the bark taken orally for stomach ulcers, stomach ache, internal and external wound healing. The chemistry of the stem bark was acquired through the use of c...

Terminalia sericea Burch. ex. DC (Combretaceae) is used in traditional South African medicine to treat a wide variety of diseases. Several other Terminalia spp. have been reported to have anti-proliferative and apoptotic activities. Despite this, the anticancer properties of T. sericea remain to be rigorously tested. The current study was undertake...

Purpose A delayed release bio-polymeric Dual-Biotic system has been extensively evaluated in this study to overcome the therapeutic issue of probiotic killing due to incorrect administration with the antibiotic. Methods In vitro and ex vivo release and characterization studies have been undertaken on the Dual-Biotic system. In vivo analyses utiliz...

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...

Aim: A delayed-release dual delivery system for amoxicillin and the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus was developed and evaluated. Materials & methods: Statistical optimization of a cross-linked denatured ovalbumin protective matrix was first synthesized using a Box-Behnken experimental design prior to encapsulation with glyceryl monostereate....

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...

The volatile constituents of nine liverworts species (Asterella marginata, Dumortiera hirsuta, Fossombronia swaziensis, Marchantia pappeana, Marchantia polymorpha subsp. ruderalis, Pallavicinia lyellii, Plagiochasma rupestre, Riccia albolimbata and Symphyogyna podophylla) from South Africa were determined by gas chromatography. Where possible the v...

Context: Ethnobotanical claims of medicinal plants used in northern Maputaland are limited. Objectives To establish scientific validity for a selection of the plants used in Maputaland to treat skin diseases. Materials and methods: Aqueous and dichloromethane-methanol extracts were prepared from 37 plant species which were collected from four ru...