Background: An ethno-medical survey of plants was conducted at Mashishimale village near Phalaborwa, in Limpopo Province (South Africa). Owing to high level of poverty and lack of proper daily operational healthcare facilities in certain parts of Mashishimale village, the use of plants as medicine persists. The aim of the study was to compile a list of medicinal plants used by traditional health practitioners for treatment of diabetes mellitus and other ailments. Materials and methods: Traditional health practitioners were identified using the snowballing sampling technique. Structured interviews were conducted and a list of medicinal plants compiled. Data collection included local names of the plants, the plant parts used in the traditional medicine, the disease treated by the plant-based remedies and the method of preparation of the medicines. Results and discussion: A total of 49 plants species belonging to 20 different families we identified. Plant parts used in preparation of remedies by practitioners are roots (51%), stem barks (30%) and leaves (19%). The most preferred methods of administration were boiling (74%) and infusion (12%). About 14 plants species were indicated for treatment of diabetes mellitus, while most plant species were indicated for sexually transmitted diseases, fertility and erectile dysfunction. Conclusion:The results of the survey indicate that plants play a significant role in primary healthcare of the community of Mashishimale Village. It would seem that a number of major diseases/ailments are treated by traditional methods. Scientific investigation is therefore needed to isolate active compounds and to determine safe dosages for treatment. These studies may guide the regulation of herbal medicine industry in South Africa.

Plants collected from Limpopo province of South Africa were investigated for their antioxidative potential using the DPPH radical scavenging assay. Acetone extracts of Flueggea virosa had the highest antioxidant activity with an IC 50 value of 30 μg/ml, closely matching the ascorbic acid with an IC 50 value of 25 μg/ml. The lowest antioxidant readings were observed with extracts of Rhynchosia venulosa (root extract) and Ficus ingens (leaf extract). Acetone extract of Bridelia virosa leaves had the highest phenolic content (156 mg GAE/g extract), while the lowest content was recorded for R. venulosa root extract and leaf extract of F. ingens (8.3 and 17.7 mg GAE/g extract, respectively). There was a linear correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolic content. Extracts with high phenolic content had low IC 50 values, while extracts with low phenolic concentrations had high IC 50 values. Keywords: antioxidant activity; medicinal plants; DPPH; phenolicsAbbreviations: GAE, gallic acid equivalent; EC 50 , effective concentration 50; DPPH, diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl IntroductionMan is continually exposed to situations that increase the level of risk of exposure to oxidative stress, a phenomenon strongly linked with the onset and progression of several diseases (Sun et al., 2002). Oxidative stress is implicated in the development of diseases such as malaria, acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (AIDS), heart diseases and diabetes mellitus (Hertog et al., 1993not found in references; Alho and Leinonen, 1999 not found in references). These diseases may develop as a result of direct damage to molecules such as membrane lipids, DNA or proteins (Tippani et al., 2010) not found in references. In many rural areas of South Africa, plants form the core of primary health care and dietary supply. The plants consumed as fruits, teas, wines, vegetables and medicines may contain a large quantity of antioxidant compounds which scavenge free radicals. Consumption of these plant-derived materials as well as synthetic antioxidant is alleged to reduce the risks of heart diseases, diabetes and cancer (Ames et al., 1993;Knekt et al., 1997;Willett, 2002;Halliwell, 1978), possibly due to presence of antioxidants in these materials (Kalt and Kushad, 2000). Extracts of several medicinal plants possess antioxidant activity (Hinneburg et al., 2006; Shai et al., 2010;Cui et al., 2005). Many of the plants that have a high concentration of phenolics have good antioxidant activity (Rice-Evans et al., 1996;Zheng and Wang, 2001). However, little attention has been directed at the determination of antioxidant potential of plants (Tilak et al., 2004). The main aim of the study was to determine the antioxidant activity in some edible wild fruit-bearing plants that are also used as components of traditional medicine preparations. Materials and Methods ExtractionPlant material (leaves or roots) were collected in April 2011 at Mashishimale village in Phalaborwa, South Africa. Ficus ingens was collected from the Lowveld National Botanical ...

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Background: The search for bioactive organic products for the treatment of various diseases is a growing concern worldwide, because these bioactive natural products are associated with fewer side effects and are easily accessible.Aim: The present study analysed the phytochemical constituents and cytotoxic effects of the leaf, bark and fruit extracts of Cordia grandicalyx Oberm.Setting: Plant samples were collected from Ga-Mashishimale village in Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, South Africa.Methods: Antioxidant activity was determined through 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging method, whilst cytotoxic assay was assessed using the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide method. Plant extracts were subjected to phytochemical profiling using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The extracts were also subjected to fractionation using column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography, and the sub-fractions with considerable yields were identified using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).Results: The aqueous extracts of the bark and leaves had significant (p 0.001) antioxidant activity as compared to negative controls and ascorbic acid. Additionally, appreciable amounts of total phenolic and alkaloid contents were recorded on polar extracts, notably 200 mg/GAE and 140 mg/quercetin equivalents for leaf cold water and leaf hot water extracts, respectively. All extracts were not toxic to cells, whilst the positive control (H2O2) led to almost 100% demise of cells. Two compounds were isolated from the leaf acetone extracts collected from fraction 20 to 30 and fraction 101 to 120 and identified as α˗amyrin and β-amyrin by NMR spectral analysis.Conclusion: The study provided evidence supporting the screening of plants for the discovery of therapeutic compounds. The study also revealed that all the different C. grandicalyx extracts were less toxic to cells and may provide scientific backing for continued use of the plant in mixtures for the treatment of diseases.