South African Journal of Botany 2005, 71(2): 191–196 Copyright © NISC Pty Ltd Printed in South Africa — All rights reserved SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY ISSN 1727–9321 The effect of cultivation and plant age on the pharmacological activity of Merwilla natalensis bulbs SG Sparg, AK Jäger and J van Staden* Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa * Corresponding author, e-mail:
[email protected] Received 5 March 2004, accepted in revised form 27 August 2004 Merwilla natalensis bulbs were cultivated at two thesis by COX-1, with activity decreasing as the bulbs different sites under different treatments. Bulbs were matured. The cultivation treatments had a significant harvested every six months for a period of two years effect on the antihelmintic activity of bulbs cultivated at and were tested for antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and the Fort Hare site. Results suggest that irrigation might anthelmintic activity. The cultivation treatments had no increase the antihelmintic activity of the bulbs if culti- significant effect (P ≤ 0.05) on neither the antibacterial vated in areas of low rainfall. The age of the bulbs at activity, nor the anti-inflammatory activity. However, the both sites had a significant effect on the antihelmintic age of the bulbs had a significant effect against the test activity, with activity increasing with plant maturity. bacteria and on the inhibition of prostaglandin syn- Introduction Merwilla natalensis (Planchon) Speta (synonym Scilla varied when the plants were grown in different geographical natalensis) is ranked as one of the more commonly-sold regions.