What is in a name? Scientific name changes of potentially poisonous plants and fungi in South Africa.

Changes over the past five decades in the scientific names of some potentially poisonous plants and toxigenic fungi in South Africa are briefly reviewed. Some of the reasons why taxonomists change names are highlighted. In recent years, DNA sequencing data have contributed considerably towards establishing phylogenetic relationships among plants, often resulting in changes in generic circumscription and, consequently, the names of species. Philosophical differences between the phylogenetic and the evolutionary schools of plant classification are briefly explained as these may manifest as different classifications for the same group of plants. Although choice of classification remains the prerogative of the end-user of plant names, in this review, the classifications for plants currently adopted by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) in its online database, Plants of Southern Africa (POSA), were followed. Noteworthy generic changes include Pachystigma to Vangueria, Homeria to Moraea, and Urginia to Drimia. Following much controversy, the species native to southern Africa that were formerly treated as Acacia are now classified in either Vachellia or Senegalia, with the genus name Acacia being retained for the mainly Australian members of the group, the latter commonly known as wattles. Former southern African members of Acacia implicated in poisoning include Vachellia erioloba(camel thorn), Vachellia sieberiana var. woodii (paperbark thorn), and Senegalia caffra (common hook thorn).

Therapeutic uses of Aloe L. (Asphodelaceae) in southern Africa.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The African-Arabian succulent genus Aloe L. (Aloaceae/Asphodelaceae) is represented by approximately 120 infrageneric taxa in southern Africa, including A. ferox Mill., a species long used in commercial natural products. AIMS OF THE STUDY: To assess the documented ethnobotanical knowledge and biocultural value of utility in the genus in southern Africa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey of over 350 multidisciplinary publications was undertaken. RESULTS: Local uses for medicine and wellbeing were identified for over half the species of Aloe occurring in the Flora of Southern Africa region. The most frequently cited medicinal uses were the treatment of infections and internal parasites, digestive ailments and injuries. Numerous species were recorded for their social uses, notably as ingredients in tobacco snuff. CONCLUSION: The exceptional infrageneric diversity of Aloe, and extensive therapeutic uses in southern Africa, indicate its cultural importance in the subcontinent. These factors highlight the need for the conservation of the species as well as their potential as a source of natural products.

Assessment of effectiveness of traditional herbal medicine in managing HIV/AIDS patients in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Very few clinical studies have been conducted in South Africa to assess the value and efficacy of traditional herbal medicines that are commonly used by traditional healers for the treatment of HIV-positive patients. OBJECTIVE: To assess efficacy of a South African traditional herbal medicine in reducing viral load and increasing CD4+T cell counts of HIV/AIDS patients. DESIGN: A descriptive, prospective, follow-up study of 33 HIV-positive volunteers over a one year period. Viral load and CD4 counts were taken three times from each participant. SETTING: From November 2001 to October 2002, patients were treated at the Rustenburg Community Based Centre for traditional therapy. Clinical and paraclinical treatments and screening of patients were done at Pretoria Gynaecological Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Seven men and 26 women aged between 22 and 43 years took part in a 12-month long follow-up study. HIV monitoring was done at the beginning and after 4 and 8 months in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with CD4 counts below 200 cells/mm3 or viral load counts above 10,000 copies. INTERVENTION AND ASSESSMENT: ab mitio and after 4-months, viral load, CD4+T cell count, FBC, LFT, glycaemia, U/E, cholesterol, pap smear, clinical and subjective assessment, modern drugs plus hospitalisation for opportunistic infections and resuscitation where needed, powder or suspension of herbal medicine followed by meals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Improvement in overall health condition and immune system, increase in CD4+T cell count and decrease in viral load count. The two sample paired t-test was used to compare initial and final counts at the 5% level of significance and power of 80%. Ninety five per cent confidence intervals were obtained for differences between mean values. RESULTS: After four and/or eight months of therapy, significant health improvement was achieved: better physical appearance (80% of patients), increased appetite (65%), feeling of well-being (60%), disappearance of skin marks (70%) and urogenital lesions (100%), resumption of workplace duties (60%), weight gain (80%), significant reduction in viral loads (85.4%, p = 0.0015) and significant increase in CD4+ T cell counts (226%, p = 0.0000). CONCLUSION: Achievement of health improvement within eight months indicates that herbal medicine can be used as supplementary or alternative treatment for HIV/AIDS patients, and that it is an obvious immune system booster and probable "virus-cidal" factor. The apparent safety and efficacy of herbal medication warrants further research with a larger sample size of study.