RESUMO
South Africa is blessed with vast plant resources and unique vegetation types. Indigenous South African medicinal plants have been well-harnessed to generate income in rural communities. Many of these plants have been processed into natural products to heal a variety of diseases, making them valuable export commodities. South Africa has one of the most effective bio-conservation policies in Africa, which has protected the South African indigenous medicinal vegetation. However, there is a strong link between government policies for biodiversity conservation, the propagation of medicinal plants as a source of livelihood, and the development of propagation techniques by research scientists. Tertiary institutions nationwide have played a crucial role in the development of effective propagation protocols for valuable South African medicinal plants. The government-restricted harvest policies have also helped to nudge natural product companies and medicinal plant marketers to embrace the cultivated plants for their medicinal uses, and thus have helped support the South African economy and biodiversity conservation. Propagation methods used for the cultivation of the relevant medicinal plants vary according to plant family and vegetation type, among others. Plants from the Cape areas, such as the Karoo, are often resuscitated after bushfires, and propagation protocols mimicking these events have been established through seed propagation protocols with controlled temperatures and other conditions, to establish seedlings of such plants. Thus, this review highlights the role of the propagation of highly utilized and traded medicinal plants in the South African traditional medicinal system. Some valuable medicinal plants that sustain livelihoods and are highly sought-after as export raw materials are discussed. The effect of South African bio-conservation registration on the propagation of these plants and the roles of the communities and other stakeholders in the development of propagation protocols for highly utilized and endangered medicinal plants are also covered. The role of various propagation methods on the bioactive compounds' composition of medicinal plants and issues of quality assurance are addressed. The available literature, media online news, newspapers, and other resources, such as published books and manuals, were scrutinized for information.
RESUMO
CONTEXT: Coleonema album (Thunb) Bart. & H. L. Wendl (Rutaceae) has been used in the formulation of skincare products, and the Khoisan people rub it on their skin to add luster. Coleonema pulchellum I. Williams has received less attention in the South African traditional medicine. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the antifungal and antioxidant activities of C. album and C. pulchellum essential oil (EO) and leaf extracts; and analyzes the chemical components of their EOs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Antifungal activity of leaf extracts was determined using the microdilution method with griseofulvin and ketoconazole as controls. Antifungal capacity of EO was investigated using the 'Volatile release plate method'. Trichophyton rubrum (ATCC 28188) and T. mentagrophytes (ATCC 9533) mycelia (0.3 cm diameter) were placed on fresh yeast malt agar in Petri dishes with filter paper (impregnated with 20 µL of EO) on the lid for direct exposure to EO volatiles while plates without EO were used as controls. The incubation time was seven days. Antioxidant activities of the leaf extracts were determined. RESULTS: Methanol leaf extract of C. pulchellum inhibited the growth of three fungi tested with MIC values of 195, 391 and 49 µg/mL for Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum gypseum, respectively. Terpenes formed the major components of the EO. The EO from both plants inhibited the growth of T. rubrum in vitro. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study revealed the therapeutic value of C. pulchellum. Coleonema album and C. pulchellum should be considered as potential plants for skin ointment from natural origin.