ReuseUnless indicated otherwise, fulltext items are protected by copyright with all rights reserved. The copyright exception in section 29 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 allows the making of a single copy solely for the purpose of non-commercial research or private study within the limits of fair dealing. The publisher or other rights-holder may allow further reproduction and re-use of this version -refer to the White Rose Research Online record for this item. Where records identify the publisher as the copyright holder, users can verify any specific terms of use on the publisher's website. TakedownIf you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing eprints@whiterose.ac.uk including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. Accepted ManuscriptTitle: Effect of thermal treatment and storage on bioactive compounds, organic acids and antioxidant activity of baobab fruit (Adansonia digitata) pulp from Malawi Author: David T. Tembo Melvin J. Holmes Lisa J. This is a PDF Þle of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its Þnal form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. were measured by spectrophotometry. Malawi baobab pulp contains high levels of procyanidin B 2 (533 ± 22.6 mg/100 g FW), vitamin C (AA + DHA) (466 ± 2.5 mg/100 g FW), gallic acid (68.5 ± 12.4 mg/100 g FW) and (-)-epicatechin (43.0 ± 3.0 mg/100 g FW) and showed a maximum TPC of 1.89 x 10 3 ± 1.61 mg GAE/100 g FW.The maximum antioxidant activity was 2.81 x 10 3 ± 92.8 mg TEAC/100 g FW for FRAP, 1.52 x 10 3 ± 17.1 mg TEAC/100 g FW for ABTS and 50.9 ± 0.43% DPPH for DPPH. Thermal pasteurisation (72 C, 15 s) retained vitamin C which further showed extended half-life under refrigeration temperature (6 C). Procyanidin B 2 , (-)-epicatechin, TPC and antioxidant activity fluctuated during storage. Antioxidant activity was significantly correlated (p ≤ 0.05) with bioactive compounds and TPC.

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Maize is one of the most diverse cereal crops that contribute highly in calorie supply to human diet. Pigmented maize secondary metabolites which are phytochemicals of healthy importance include carotenoids and phenolics which act as precursors of vitamin A and antioxidants respectively. Pigmented landrace maize is cultivated by smallholder farmers in their localities. Three different pigmented maize varieties from different growing districts were analysed for total carotenoids content (TCC) and total phenolic content (TPC), using spectrophotometer. The districts experience a warm temperate climate and higher rainfall in summer than in winter but they differ in that Ntcheu has highest average annual temperature of 20.3°C while Dedza receives the highest annual precipitation of about 1010 mm. Mzimba has an average annual temperature of 20.1°C and receives about 915 mm of precipitation annually. Individual carotenoids were analysed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). TCC were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in Ntcheu and Mzimba provenances compared to Dedza. Lutein (22.84 ± 1.25 µg/g) and Zeaxanthin (23.16 ± 2.44 µg/g) were highest in landrace orange maize from Ntcheu. Mzimba provenance showed highest beta-cryptoxanthin (8.60 ± 2.15 µg/g). TPC were not significantly different between Dedza (204.29 ± 0.35 mg/Kg) and Mzimba (207.65 ± 0.22 mg /kg) red maize. Ntcheu provenance showed the least TPC (184.06 ± 0.61 mg/Kg). It seems provenance influenced phytochemical attributes of pigmented landrace maize varieties in some instances. This study also revealed that post-harvest handling of pigmented landrace maize affects phytochemical content. Care should, therefore, be taken in handling pigmented landrace maize to avoid phytochemical loses. Farmers and all other stakeholders in Malawi are encouraged to produce and include pigmented landrace maize varieties in their diets in order to gain the associated health benefits. Further studies are needed for complete characterisation of phenolic compounds of pigmented landrace maize of Malawi.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has triggered an international pandemic that has led to significant public health problems. To date, limited evidence exists to suggest that drugs are effective against the disease. As possible treatments are being investigated, herbal medicines have shown potential for producing novel antiviral agents for the COVID-19 disease. Aim This review explored the potential of Malawi’s traditional medicinal plants for the management of COVID-19. MethodsThe authors searched on PubMed and Google scholar for medicinal plants that are used in Malawi and published in openly available peer reviewed journals. Plants linked with antiviral treatment, anti-COVID-19 activity or COVID-19 symptoms management were targeted. These included activity against pneumonia, inflammation, cough, difficulty in breathing, pain/aches, fever, diarrhoea, rheumatism, fatigue, asthma, immunocompromised and cardiovascular diseases.Results11 studies were found with 306 plant species. 127 plant species had at least one COVID-19 related pharmacological activity. Of these plant species, the number of herbal entities used for each indication was: pain/aches (87), fever (2), pneumonia (9), breathing/asthma problems (5), coughing (11), diarrhoea (1), immunosuppression (8), blood issues (10), fatigue (2), heart problems (11), inflammation (8), rheumatism (10) and viral diseases (12). Thirty (30) species were used for more than one disease and Azedarachta indica topped the list (6 of the 13 COVID-19 related diseases). The majority of the species had phytochemicals known to have antiviral activity or mechanisms of actions linked to COVID-19 and consequent diseases’ treatment pathways.ConclusionMedicinal plants are a promising source of compounds that can be used for drug development of COVID-19 related diseases. This review highlights potential targets for the World Health Organization and other research entities to explore in order to assist in controlling the pandemic.

Background:The study aimed at assessing total alkaloids content (TAC), total flavonoids content (TFC), total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA) and predominant individual phenolic compounds in methanol extracts of M. oleifera, S.singueana, M.azedarach leaves and stem barks of L. discolor collected during different seasons of the year. Materials and Methods: TPC, TFC and TAC were analyzed using the Folin Ciocalteau assay, aluminum chloride assay and bromocresol green assay, respectively. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) techniques were used to analyse AA. Phenolic compounds; Vanillic acid, (+)-catechin, quercetin, rutin, sinapic acid, 2,4-hydroxybenzoic acid and ferulic acid were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography diode array detector (HPLC -DAD). Results: Barks of L. discolour exhibited high levels of TPC, TFC, TAC and AA during hot-dry season (summer) as compared to S. singueana, M. oleifera and M. azedarach leaves which showed significantly (p< 0.05) higher levels in hot-wet season (rainy). Levels of TPC, TFC and TAC were significantly (p< 0.05) influenced by seasonal variations and correlated with levels of AA. Profiles of all phenolic compounds analyzed were not similar in terms of chemical composition and concentration during different seasons. Sinapic acid and 2,4-hydroxybenzoic acid were predominant in S. singueana while sinapic acid and ferulic acid were predominant in M. oleifera. Vanillic acid and 2,4-hydroxybenzoic acid were predominant in L. discolor and M. azedarach respectively. Conclusion: The phytochemical constituents in medicinal plants are subject to seasonal variations which in turn influence the optimum season of harvesting.