Viola Maphosa

Ethnoveterinary uses of medicinal plants: A survey of plants used in the ethnoveterinary control of gastro-intestinal parasites of goats in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Conventional drugs have become expensive and therefore unaffordable to resource-limited farmers, causing farmers to seek low cost alternatives, such as use of medicinal plants. In this study, a survey was conducted in order to document information on medicinal plants used by farmers in the control of internal parasites in goats in the Eastern Cape Province. Structured questionnaires and general conversation were used to collect the information from farmers and herbalists. The survey revealed 28 plant species from 20 families that are commonly used in the treatment of gastro-intestinal parasites in goats. The plant family Asphodelaceae was frequent in usage, comprising 21.4% of the plants, and the Aloe was the most utilized species (50%). Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts (45.9%), and decoctions constituted the majority of medicinal preparations (70%). Medicinal plants are generally used in combination with other plants, and/or non-plant substances, but a few plants are used on their own. These medicinal plant remedies are administered orally, mainly by use of bottles and this is done twice in summer at intervals of one month, only once in winter and when need arises thereafter. Some of the mentioned plants have been reported in literature to possess anthelmintic properties, while others possess activities ranging from anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, purgative, anti-edema to immuno-regulation. If their safety and efficacy could be confirmed, these plants could form an alternative cost effective strategy in managing helminthiasis in the province.

Safety evaluation of the aqueous extract of Leonotis leonurus shoots in rats

The aqueous extract from Leonotis leonurus (L) R.Br. (Lamiaceae) shoots was evaluated in female rats for its acute, sub acute, and chronic toxicity together with hematological, biochemical, and histopathological changes. In the acute toxicity test, the extract caused death in animals receiving 3200 mg/kg dose. The extract also caused significant (P < 0.05) changes in red blood cells, packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, platelets, white blood cells and its differentials at doses of 1600 mg/kg in sub-acute toxicity and in as low as 200 mg/kg in chronic toxicity. In biochemical parameters, the extract caused a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the levels of urea and creatinine at 1600 mg/kg dose and a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in urea, total bilirubin, total protein, albumin, globulin, glutamine transference gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and alanine transminase in the 400 mg/kg dose in chronic toxicity. Changes were also noted in body weights, but no significant changes were observed in the levels of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride). Clinico-pathologically, starry hair coat, respiratory distress, and mortality were recorded. The extract also caused various histopathological changes in the organs. The study concluded that farmers need to exercise caution in the use of the plant for medicinal purposes.

An in-vivo study of the efficacy and safety of ethno-veterinary remedies used to control cattle ticks by rural farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Ticks feed on blood, are vectors of tick-borne diseases and cause considerable skin damage to livestock. They are commonly controlled using commercial acaricides, which are expensive to the rural farmers, causing them to resort to alternative tick control methods. The objective of this study was to assess the acaricidal properties and safety of some materials (Ptaeroxylon obliquum, Aloe ferox, Lantana camara, Tagetes minuta, Used engine oil and Jeyes fluid, used by rural farmers to control cattle ticks in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. A total of 52 cattle were divided into 13 experimental groups with 4 cattle in each. Jeyes fluid at 76.8% concentration and Used engine oil had an efficacy that was almost similar to that of the positive control Ektoban® (Cymiazol 17.5 and cypermethrin 2.5%). Extracts of L. camara at 40% concentration had an efficacy of 57% while A. ferox, P. obliquum and T. minuta were not effective. The test materials had no irritation effect on rats. The study revealed that the materials rural farmers use as acaricides vary in their efficacy in controlling ticks.

Toxicity evaluation of the aqueous extract of the rhizome of Elephantorrhiza elephantina (Burch.) Skeels. (Fabaceae), in rats.

Elephantorrhiza elephantina root extract has been used as a traditional remedy for a wide range of ailments both in humans and livestock. As part of the safety assessment of the extract, acute, sub-acute and chronic toxicity tests were conducted by the oral route in rats. Male and female rats were divided into four groups consisting of five rats each and given doses of 200-1600 mg/kg bwt, 200-800 mg/kg bwt and 50-400mg/kg bwt in acute (1 day), sub-acute (14 days) and chronic toxicity (35 days), respectively. During the experiment, no deaths were observed in any groups and there were no remarkable changes in general appearance, as well as in food and water consumption. Significant (P<0.05) changes were however noted in body weights, haematological and serum biochemical parameters between the control and treated groups. Histopathological changes were also noted in kidneys, lungs, liver and spleen of rats receiving high doses. Based on these findings, it can be inferred that the plant has some potential toxicity at certain dose levels; therefore caution has to be taken when using E. elephantina for medicinal purposes.

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of the aqueous extract of Leonotis leonurus leaves in rats

Leonotis leonurus (L.) R. BR. Lamiaceae is extensively for the treatment of various ailments and in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, it is used for the treatment of effects of gastrointestinal parasites in animals. There is, however, scanty information on the pharmacological activities of this plant. The aqueous extract from the leaf of L. leonurus was investigated for its analgesic and antiinflammatory properties. Carrageenan and histamine-induced rat paw oedema were conducted to evaluate anti-inflammatory activity, while acetic acid-induced writhing test was conducted to assess the analgesic activity of the plant. The extract was administered intraperitoneally (i.p) to rats at graded doses of 50, 100, 200 mg/kg body weight (BWt). Indomethacin (10 mg/kg BWt) was used as reference drug, whereas the vehicle (2 mg/kg BWt of 0.9% normal saline in Tween-80) was used as negative control. Acute toxicity was tested in rats at doses of 200, 400, 800 and 1600 mg/kg BWt. Compared with the control, the plant extract at 100 and 200 mg/kg BWt significantly (P 0.05). In the acetic acid-induced writhing model, the plant extract produced a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the number of writhes with all test doses and at 100 and 200 mg/kg BWt, the extract produced results that were similar to those of Indomethacin. This study revealed the potential of L. leonurus leaf aqueous extract in reducing pain and inflammation, suggesting that it has some antiinflammatory and analgesic activities, hence, justifying its ethno-veterinary uses. The acute toxicity test showed that the plant is relatively safe to use. Key words: Analgesic, anti-inflammation, indomethacin, Leonotis leonurus, rats.

Medicinal plants used to control internal and external parasites in goats

The use of medicinal plants plays a major role in the primary health care of animals in South Africa. A survey was conducted to document medicinal plants used to control parasites in goats in Kwezi and Ntambethemba villages in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Information from 50 farmers and 3 herbalists was obtained through the use of a structured questionnaire, and a snowball sampling technique was used to identify key informants. The obtained data were analysed using PROC FREQ of SAS (2003), and fidelity level values were determined to estimate the healing potential of the mentioned plants. The survey revealed nine plant species belonging to eight families that were used to control parasites in goats. Asphodelaceae (22.22%) was the most frequently used plant family. Leaves were the most used plant parts, constituting 60.38%. They were prepared either as infusions or decoctions of single plants or in mixtures. Aloe ferox, Acokanthera oppositifolia and Elephantorrhiza elephantina were the plants having the highest fidelity level for their use to control parasites, each scoring 100%, followed by Albuca setosa (83.33%). The study revealed low knowledge about ethno-veterinary medicine in the study area. It also revealed that information on ethno-veterinary medicine in this area is mostly confined to older people and there is danger that this knowledge can be lost before being passed on to other generations. Therefore, there is an urgent need to document information on these plant species so that the future generation can benefit. Further investigation should be carried out to validate the efficacy and safety of the above-mentioned plants so as to provide cheap alternative ways of controlling parasites.