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Diabetes and Medicinal Plants: a Literature Review
ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF ANTIDIABETIC COMPOUNDS FROM BRACHYLAENA DISCOLOR DC Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science By Sabeen Abdalbagi Elameen Adam School of Chemistry and Physics University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg Supervisor: Professor Fanie R. van Heerden August 2017 ABSTRACT Diabetes mellitus, which is a metabolic disease resulting from insulin deficiency or diminished effectiveness of the action of insulin or their combination, is recognized as a major threat to human life. Using drugs on a long term to control glucose can increase the hazards of cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover new, safe, and effective antidiabetic drugs. Traditionally, there are several plants that are used to treat/control diabetes by South African traditional healers such as Brachylaena discolor. This study aimed to isolate and identify antidiabetic compounds from B. discolor. The plant materials of B. discolor was collected from University of KwaZulu-Natal botanical garden. Plant materials were dried under the fume hood for two weeks and ground to a fine powder. The powder was extracted with a mixture of dichloromethane and methanol (1:1). To investigate the antidiabetic activity, the prepared extract was tested in vitro for glucose utilization in a muscle cell line. The results revealed that blood glucose levels greater than 20 mmol/L, which measured after 24 and 48 hours of the experimental period, three fractions had positive (*p<0.05) antidiabetic activity compared to the control. The DCM:MeOH (1:1) extract of B. discolor leaves was subjected to column chromatography, yielding five fractions (A, B, C, D, and E). -
Humans Are Not Off the Hook for Extinctions of Large Herbivores – Then Or Now 8 April 2019, by René Bobe and Susana Carvalho
Humans are not off the hook for extinctions of large herbivores – then or now 8 April 2019, by René Bobe And Susana Carvalho pattern today. Ancient hominins in a land of giants The genus Australopithecus is among the best known hominins from the Pliocene. Dating as far back as 4.2m years, they shared food and water- rich woodland and grassland environments with a dozen species of large herbivores, including three giraffids, two hippos, two species of rhinoceros and five species of proboscideans – a trunked and tusked group of animals that includes modern Hippos at Gorongosa National Park. Credit: Brett elephants and extinct mammoths and mastodons. Kuxhausen, Author provided, Author provided What triggered the decline and eventual extinction of many megaherbivores, the giant plant-eating mammals that roamed the Earth millions of years ago, has long been a mystery. These animals, which weighed 1,000kg or more and included the ancient relatives of modern elephants, rhinos, hippos and giraffes, reached a peak of diversity in Africa some 4.5m years ago during the Pliocene epoch (between 5.3m and 2.6m years ago). After this, their numbers slowly declined, in a trend that continued into the Pleistocene (2.6m years ago to roughly 11,000 years ago). Both the Earth's climate and hominins – our early human ancestors – have in the past been blamed Kanapoi, Kenya, where 4.2m year old Australopithecus for this change. However, a recent paper argued was found. Credit: René Bobe, Author provided, Author that the gradual extinction of megaherbivores provided occurred because of long-term environmental changes and that developments in hominin behaviour – such as wielding tools and using fire – did not impact megaherbivore decline. -
Brachylaena Elliptica and B. Ilicifolia (Asteraceae): a Comparative Analysis of Their Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry and Biological Activities
Journal of Pharmacy and Nutrition Sciences, 2020, 10, 223-229 223 Brachylaena elliptica and B. ilicifolia (Asteraceae): A Comparative Analysis of their Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry and Biological Activities Alfred Maroyi* Department of Botany, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa Abstract: Brachylaena elliptica and B. ilicifolia are shrubs or small trees widely used as traditional medicines in southern Africa. There is need to evaluate the existence of any correlation between the medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of the two species. Therefore, in this review, analyses of the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and biological activities of B. elliptica and B. ilicifolia are presented. Results of the current study are based on data derived from several online databases such as Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed and Science Direct, and pre-electronic sources such as scientific publications, books, dissertations, book chapters and journal articles. The articles published between 1941 and 2020 were used in this study. The leaves and roots of B. elliptica and B. ilicifolia are mainly used as a mouthwash and ethnoveterinary medicines, and traditional medicines for backache, hysteria, ulcers of the mouth, diabetes, gastro-intestinal and respiratory problems. This study showed that sesquiterpene lactones, alkaloids, essential oils, flavonoids, flavonols, phenols, proanthocyanidins, saponins and tannins have been identified from aerial parts and leaves of B. elliptica and B. ilicifolia. The leaf extracts and compounds isolated from the species exhibited antibacterial, antidiabetic, antioxidant and cytotoxicity activities. There is a need for extensive phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological studies of crude extracts and compounds isolated from B. elliptica and B. ilicifolia. -
A Classification of the Subtropical Transitional Thicket in the Eastern Cape, Based on Syntaxonomic and Structural Attributes
S. Afr. J. Bot., 1987, 53(5): 329 - 340 329 A classification of the subtropical transitional thicket in the eastern Cape, based on syntaxonomic and structural attributes D.A. Everard Department of Plant Sciences, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140 Republic of South Africa Accepted 11 June 1987 Subtropical transitional thicket, traditionally known as valley bushveld, covers a significant proportion of the eastern Cape. This paper attempts to classify the subtropical transitional thicket into syntaxonomic and structural units and relate it to other thicket types on a continental basis. Twelve sites along a rainfall gradient were sampled for floristic and structural attributes. The floristic data were classified using TWINSPAN. Results indicate that the class subtropical transitional thicket has at least two orders of vegetation, namely kaffrarian thicket and kaffrarian succulent thicket. Two forms of thicket were recognized for both these orders viz. mesic kaffrarian thicket and xeric kaffrarian thicket for the kaffrarian thicket and mesic succulent thicket and xeric succulent thicket for the kaffrarian succulent thicket. Ordination of site data by DECORANA grouped sites according to these vegetation categories and in a sequence along axis 1 to which the rainfall gradient can be clearly related. Variation within the mesic kaffrarian thicket was however greater than between some of the other thicket types, indicating that more data are required before these forms of thicket can be formalized. Composition, endemism, diversity and the environmental controls on the distribution of the thicket types are discussed. 'n Aansienlike gedeelte van die Oos-Kaap word beslaan deur subtropiese oorgangsruigte, wat tradisioneel as valleibosveld bekend is. Hierdie studie is 'n poging om subtropiese oorgangsruigte in sintaksonomiese en strukturele eenhede te klassifiseer en dit op 'n kontinentale basis in verband met ander ruigtetipes te bring. -
Read a Handout About the Restoration of Gorongosa National Park That Will
GORONGOSA: RESTORING MOZAMBIQUE’S NATIONAL TREASURE A partnership between a nonprofit organization and the Mozambican government is aiming to restore a national park to its former glory as an iconic African floodplain teeming with elephants, lions, zebras, wildebeests, and a myriad of smaller critters. The success of the project will depend not only on the ability to restore and protect the animal species in the park but also on meeting the challenges of overpopulation and poverty in the area. The lessons learned from this sustainable development endeavor could help reshape and restore wild places everywhere. War Destroys an African Eden for their ivory, a major source of funding for weapons and ammu- nition. Today, Gorongosa National Park comprises 1,570 square miles of wilderness at the southern tip of the African Great Rift Valley In the decade after the war, civilian hunters continued killing in Mozambique, a country on the southeastern coast of Africa. most of the remaining large animals for food. In just 20 years, the It began life in the early 20th century, when Mozambique was a decline in the number of herbivores in Gorongosa was staggering Portuguese colony, as a reserve for wealthy hunters to come and and, as the prey disappeared, so did the predators. Before the war, shoot “big game,” such as elephants and lions. In the 1960s, while Gorongosa had over 200 lions, 2,500 elephants, 14,000 African still under Portuguese control, Gorongosa became a protected park buffaloes, 6,500 wildebeests, and 3,500 zebras. By 1994, you could where tourists, mainly from Portugal, could come and stay at Chit- count the number of lions on one hand, there were no buffaloes and engo camp and see the wild herds. -
Comparative Wood Anatomy of Afromontane and Bushveld Species from Swaziland, Southern Africa
IAWA Bulletin n.s., Vol. 11 (4), 1990: 319-336 COMPARATIVE WOOD ANATOMY OF AFROMONTANE AND BUSHVELD SPECIES FROM SWAZILAND, SOUTHERN AFRICA by J. A. B. Prior 1 and P. E. Gasson 2 1 Department of Biology, Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine, London SW7 2BB, U.K. and 2Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3DS, U.K. Summary The habit, specific gravity and wood anat of the archaeological research, uses all the omy of 43 Afromontane and 50 Bushveld well preserved, qualitative anatomical charac species from Swaziland are compared, using ters apparent in the charred modem samples qualitative features from SEM photographs in an anatomical comparison between the of charred samples. Woods with solitary ves two selected assemblages of trees and shrubs sels, scalariform perforation plates and fibres growing in areas of contrasting floristic com with distinctly bordered pits are more com position. Some of the woods are described in mon in the Afromontane species, whereas Kromhout (1975), others are of little com homocellular rays and prismatic crystals of mercial importance and have not previously calcium oxalate are more common in woods been investigated. Few ecological trends in from the Bushveld. wood anatomical features have previously Key words: Swaziland, Afromontane, Bush been published for southern Africa. veld, archaeological charcoal, SEM, eco The site of Sibebe Hill in northwest Swazi logical anatomy. land (26° 15' S, 31° 10' E) (Price Williams 1981), lies at an altitude of 1400 m, amidst a Introduction dramatic series of granite domes in the Afro Swaziland, one of the smallest African montane forest belt (White 1978). -
THE GUIDE a Biologist in Gorongosa
THE GUIDE ATHE Biologist GUIDE in Gorongosa TEACHERTEACHER MATERIALS MATERIALS A Biologist in Gorongosa IN-DEPTH FILM GUIDE OVERVIEW The Guide is set in Gorongosa, an iconic African Safari Park devastated during Mozambique’s civil war in the 1990s. The film invites students to consider important themes in ecology and conservation biology through the story of Tonga Torcida, a young man coming of age on Mount Gorongosa and in the newly revitalized Gorongosa National Park. Mozambique’s government and the nonprofit Gorongosa Restoration Project are working together to bring the park back into a natural balance and give members of the community like Tonga a livelihood and a new perspective on the biodiversity of their homeland. The film also captures the transforming power of mentorship; after Tonga gets the chance to work with biologist and biodiversity champion Dr. Edward O. Wilson, who visited Gorongosa in 2011, Tonga decides to pursue a career in science. KEY CONCEPTS A. A person interested in nature and science may pursue many possible career paths, from lab technician to park ranger to field researcher. B. Mentors can be very important as a source of inspiration, experience, and information; as role models; and as a connection to a professional community. Mentors can also be critical in influencing training and career choices that fit an individual’s needs, interests, and talents. C. Methods for protecting habitats, species, and biological communities include designating and protecting nature reserves, maintaining genetic diversity in small endangered populations, and, importantly, reconciling conservation concerns with the needs of local people. D. Community-based conservation is an approach to conservation biology that takes into account the needs of people living in and near natural areas and involves them directly in aspects of the planning and management of these areas, including economic activities that depend on or affect a wildland. -
Geology and Geomorphology of the Urema Graben with Emphasis on the Evolution of Lake Urema
Journal of African Earth Sciences 58 (2010) 272–284 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of African Earth Sciences journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jafrearsci Geology and geomorphology of the Urema Graben with emphasis on the evolution of Lake Urema Franziska Steinbruch * Scientific Services of Gorongosa National Park, Avenida do Poder Popular 264, Beira, Mozambique article info abstract Article history: The Lake Urema floodplain belongs to the Urema Catchment and is located in the downstream area of the Received 19 December 2008 Pungwe River basin in Central Mozambique. The floodplain is situated in the Urema Graben, which is the Received in revised form 8 February 2010 southern part of the East African Rift System. Little geological information exists about this area. The cir- Accepted 12 March 2010 culated information is not readily available, and is often controversial and incomplete. In this paper the Available online 20 March 2010 state of knowledge about the geology and tectonic evolution of the Lake Urema wetland area and the Urema Catchment is compiled, reviewed and updated. This review is intended to be a starting point Keywords: for approaching practical questions such as: How deep is the Urema Graben? What controls the hydrol- East African Rift System ogy of Lake Urema? Where are the hydrogeological boundaries? Where are the recharge areas of the Lake Floodplain Hydrogeology Urema floodplain? From there information gaps and needs for further research are identified. Lake Urema Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Mozambique 1. Introduction 2. Regional geology and tectonic evolution The Lake Urema floodplain belongs to the Urema Catchment 2.1. -
Vegetation and Habitat Types of the Umkhanyakude Node
South African Journal of Botany 72 (2006) 1 – 10 www.elsevier.com/locate/sajb Vegetation and habitat types of the Umkhanyakude Node T.L. Morgenthal a,*, K. Kellner a, L. van Rensburg a, T.S. Newby b, J.P.A. van der Merwe b a School of Environmental Sciences and Development, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South African b Agricultural Research Council - Institute for Soil, Climate and Water, Private Bag X79, Pretoria 0001, South Africa Received 12 October 2004; accepted 11 March 2005 Abstract The aim of the study was to identify and classify the woodlands, bushland and grasslands of the Umkhanyakude Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Node (also known as Maputaland) into homogenous management units to assist with the natural resource audit and monitoring program initiated by the Department of Agriculture. The Node is situated in KwaZulu-Natal Province at the extreme northern border between South Africa and Mozambique. Two hundred and twenty-five surveys were conducted during March–July 2002 within 400 random plots created within ARCVIEW 3.2. Ecological data were analysed using multivariate ordination and classification techniques. Four broad plant communities within two geographically separated vegetation types were described. The Coastal Sandveld occurs on the coastal plain on recent arenaceous sediments. The Clay Thornveld occurs in the interior and is associated with a variety of terrain types and geological formations but predominantly rhyolite, basalt, shale and mudstones. Communities within the major vegetation types were differentiated based on climate (temperature and precipitation differences associated with differences in elevation and topography) and anthropogenic disturbances such as old fields, settlements and deforested plantations. -
Assorted Variety of Genuine Mangrove and Their Partners in East Drift Locale
International Journal of Botany Studies International Journal of Botany Studies ISSN: 2455-541X Impact Factor: RJIF 5.12 www.botanyjournals.com Volume 3; Issue 5; September 2018; Page No. 20-24 Assorted variety of genuine mangrove and their partners in east drift locale of Pichavaram Tamil Nadu India and improve to change of mangrove plants, and its remedial properties with a mangrove knowledgebase Kumaravel S1, Vinoth R2, Ranganathan R3* 1-3 Division of mangrove physiology lab, Department of Botany, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India Abstract Mangroves are embraced with exceptional adjustment to outrageous conditions in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. It has a rich wellspring of auxiliary metabolites. The present investigation centres the assorted variety status examination of genuine mangroves and their partners in pichavaram and its environment. By guide field perception and examining to adjacent occupants. From the perception the decent variety level fluctuates starting with one place then onto the next, because of some natural factors, for example, atmospheres, tidal variables, shortage of learning about mangroves to the informed and town people groups and anthropogenic weights and so on it can instigate mangrove assorted variety harm and misfortune, decrease the human important items which is gotten from mangrove timberland. Must know the exact information from past examines, researchers, logical fields like morphology, life structures, physiology, Scientific classification, Biology, development stages, proliferation levels, and so on. Comprehend between the living space factors and propensity nature can help to dispersing by species required situations, it can normally incite self-insurance level high in plants itself. -
Wildcam Gorongosa STUDENT WORKSHEET
WildCam Gorongosa STUDENT WORKSHEET OBSERVATIONS ACROSS SPACE INTRODUCTION Gorongosa National Park’s diverse habitats support a variety of species. Using an extensive database of images collected by trail cameras placed at different locations throughout the park, scientists can compare these different habitats and the species they support. In this activity, you will make observations of trail camera photos from two different locations in the park. Based on these observations, you will then formulate questions for further investigation. PROCEDURES AND QUESTIONS 1. Read the descriptions of different habitats in Gorongosa National Park provided in Appendix 1. 2. Choose two sites you would like to compare. Select the folders within the zip file that correspond to these two habitats and view the set of 10 photos provided. 3. In the table below, write down observations about each photo set (such as types of animals, vegetation, amount of sunlight, presence or absence of water, and so on) and then compare the two sites. Note any similarities or differences. Site #1 _____________________________________ (10 Photos) Published September 2015 www.BioInteractive.org Page 1 of 5 WildCam Gorongosa STUDENT WORKSHEET Site #2_____________________________________ (10 Photos) Comparison Published September 2015 www.BioInteractive.org Page 2 of 5 WildCam Gorongosa STUDENT WORKSHEET 4. Write down some questions inspired by your observations. 5. How would you go about answering one of these questions? Published September 2015 www.BioInteractive.org Page 3 of 5 WildCam Gorongosa STUDENT WORKSHEET APPENDIX: SITE DESCRIPTIONS C19: Cheringoma Plateau The Cheringoma Plateau, on the east side of Gorongosa National Park, is the eastern plateau of the Great African Rift Valley. -
Postwar Wildlife Recovery in an African Savanna: Evaluating Patterns and Drivers of Species Occupancy and Richness K
Animal Conservation. Print ISSN 1367-9430 Postwar wildlife recovery in an African savanna: evaluating patterns and drivers of species occupancy and richness K. M. Gaynor1,2 , J. H. Daskin3, L. N. Rich1,4 & J. S. Brashares1 1 Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA,USA 2 National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA,USA 3 Division of Conservation and Classification, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Falls Church, Virginia,USA 4 California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Nongame Wildlife Program, Sacramento, California,USA Keywords Abstract camera traps; monitoring; Mozambique; multi-species modeling; Africa; wildlife As local and global disturbances reshape African savannas, an understanding of recovery; species richness; restoration. how animal communities recover and respond to landscape features can inform conservation and restoration. Here, we explored the spatial ecology of a wildlife Correspondence community in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, where conservation efforts Kaitlyn M. Gaynor, National Center for have fostered the recovery of large mammal populations after their near-extirpation Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University during Mozambique’s civil war. We deployed a grid of 60 camera traps and used of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, a hierarchical, multi-species occupancy modeling approach to examine patterns of CA, USA. occupancy and its environmental and anthropogenic correlates for different func- Email: [email protected] tional groups and species. Our survey provides strong evidence that wildlife in Gorongosa is recovering. Throughout the study area, modeled species richness was Editor: Rahel Sollmann comparable to richness in less-disturbed savanna systems in Tanzania and Bots- Associate Editor: Jonathan Davies wana, and exceeded estimates of richness from a mixed-use landscape outside the park and from postwar (1997–2002) aerial surveys.