Papers by Professor Roger M Coopoosamy
Journal of medicinal plants for economic development, Jun 28, 2024
Journal of medicinal plants for economic development, Jan 15, 2024
African journal of inter-multidisciplinary studies, Dec 31, 2022
Little information is known of skin diseases within rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Afr... more Little information is known of skin diseases within rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. There is an urgent need to identify plants with antimicrobial activity as there is an increase in the incidence of new and reemerging infectious diseases. The present study compares species from two different localities used to treat common skin diseases, the parts used, and the method used to prepare traditional cures. The prevalence of skin disease compared to other ailments were also compared. Traditional healers from northern (seven main districts) and mid-KwaZulu-Natal (three main districts) muthi markets were randomly selected and interviewed after obtaining consent. Data collected included the specific plants used to treat skin diseases, common names, parts of the plant used, the collection locality, and the conditions treated by the traditional healers. Fourteen plant species were collected and traded in northern KwaZulu-Natal based on their curative properties and their use to treat wounds, skin lesions, rashes, burns, and scratches compared to only six in mid-KwaZulu-Natal. Approximately 43 percent of species were common to all districts, possibly due to their wide distribution. People with skin diseases formed the majority of traditional healer consults. Most conditions were very similar, possibly due to rural communities following a similar lifestyle. Skin infections and eczema were commonly treated conditions, followed by acne, hair disorders, and bruises. Skin diseases are common amongst rural community dwellers in KwaZulu-Natal regardless of location, possibly due to their association with HIV infection. The plants used by traditional healers to treat various conditions are related to geographical distribution and abundance patterns.
Journal of medicinal plants for economic development, Jul 9, 2024
Journal of eco-friendly agriculture, Dec 31, 2022
The experiment conducted with lettuce, tomato and maize seeds pre-soaked in 5, 10, 20 per cent ve... more The experiment conducted with lettuce, tomato and maize seeds pre-soaked in 5, 10, 20 per cent vermicompost concentrations and NPK fertilizer for 10 hrs. Result obtained showed that vermicompost at 10 per cent concentration produced maximum seed germination in lettuce and tomato, while maximum germination in maize seeds was obtained with 20 per cent vermicompost concentration. There was a significant difference in the number of leaves, length of shoot, length of root, wet and dry weight of plants tested at (P<0.01) across treatments. It was concluded that pre-soaking seeds in vermicompost leachate was beneficial in maximising plant growth.
Journal of Herbmed Pharmacology
Introduction: Due to the numerous potentials discovered from biologically synthesized silver nano... more Introduction: Due to the numerous potentials discovered from biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles (SNPs), the interest of many researchers has been stirred up. Tamarindus indica fruit has many therapeutic potentials attributed to fruit. Hence, the objective of this study was to synthesize, characterize, and evaluate the in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activities of SNPs mediated from T. indica fruit pulp extract. Methods: The bioreduction of silver nitrate was performed using methanol extract of T. indica fruit pulp. UV–vis spectrophotometry studies at 480 nm confirmed the synthesis of SNPs. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The antioxidant properties were assessed using methods of ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The antibacterial potential w...
Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 2008
The chemical composition of the essential oil of S. repens contain the following major constituen... more The chemical composition of the essential oil of S. repens contain the following major constituents: 1 ‐ camphor (0.4%) para‐cymene (34.1%), sabinene (23.9%), 1‐β‐pinene (16.9%),, myrcene (3.9%), � terpinene (1.8%), trans- β β β β‐Ocimene (1.3%), terpinene-4-ol (0.7%), nopol (0.4%), α-terpinolene (15.89%), β - caryophllene (0.6%). The antibacterial activity of the aerial parts of Salvia repens has shown that the acetone extract inhibited the growth of Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pyrogens and Escherichia coli bacteria tested at minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0, 5 mg/ml. The methanol extracts effectively inhibited the growth of both Staphylococcus epidermidus and Micrococcus kristinae at minimum concentration of 0, 5 mg/ml. At 0. 1 mg/ml the methanol extract inhibited the following B. cereus, S. pyrogens and E. coli bacteria whose inhibition concentration was below 0. 5 mg/l. The activity of the water extracts of the plants against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteri...
African Health Sciences, 2017
Backgrounds: Staphylococcus aureus has emerged as a major public health concern because of the oc... more Backgrounds: Staphylococcus aureus has emerged as a major public health concern because of the occurrence of multi-drug resistant strains. This study aimed at investigating the multi-drug and vancomycin resistance profile of S. aureus from different infection sites in some teaching hospitals in Nigeria. Methods: Swabs were collected from different infection sites from outpatients in three teaching hospitals from October 2015 to May, 2016. The antibiotic-susceptibility test was carried out with selected antibiotics usually administered anti-microbials in the treatment of infections in these hospitals. The prevalence of multi-drug and vancomycin resistance strains of S. aureus from clinical samples was determined using disk diffusion and agar dilution methods respectively. Results: The result showed (165)82.5% of the isolates were resistant to ≥3 antibiotics tested. They were highly resistant to ceftazidime 180(90%), cloxacillin 171(85.6%) and augmentin 167(83.3%), but susceptible to ofloxacin 150(75%), gentamicin 142(71.7%), erythromycin 122(61.1%), ceftriaxone 111(55.6%) and cefuroxime 103(51.7%). All the isolates from the HVS were all multidrug resistant strains. While (56)90.16% were multidrug resistant (MDR) in urine samples, followed by (8)88.89% MDR strains in sputum, (37)88.81% MDR strains in semen, (49)71.64% MDR strains in wounds and (6)60% MDR strains in ear swabs samples. Although (147)73.5% of the isolates were vancomycin susceptible S. aureus (VSSA), (30)15% were vancomycin intermediate resistant S. aureus (VISA) and (89)44.5% of the isolates were considered vancomycin resistant S. aureus (VRSA). Conclusions: The high percentage of the VRSA could have resulted from compromising treatment options and inadequate antimicrobial therapy. The implication, infections caused by VRSA would be difficult to treat with vancomycin and other effective antibiotics of clinical importance. Ensuring proper monitoring of drug administration will, therefore, enhance the legitimate role of vancomycin as an empiric choice for both prophylaxis against and treatment of staphylococcal infections.
South African Journal of Botany, 2016
Rosa canina (RC, the Dog Rose) is used in European folk medicine for the treatment of various hum... more Rosa canina (RC, the Dog Rose) is used in European folk medicine for the treatment of various human ailments. The crude methanol extract of this botanical was tested against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus SA1199B, EMRSA-16 and XU212 harbouring NorA, PBP2a and TetK resistance mechanisms, respectively, as well as S. aureus ATCC25923, a standard antimicrobialsusceptible laboratory strain. Inhibition of the conjugal transfer of plasmids PKM101 and TP114 by the RC extract was also evaluated. The RC extract demonstrated a mild to poor antibacterial activity against the panel of bacteria having MIC values ranging from 256 to >512 mg/L, but strongly potentiated tetracycline activity (64-fold) against XU212, a tetracycline-effluxing and resistant strain. Furthermore, the extract showed moderate capacity to inhibit the conjugal transfer of TP114 and PKM101; transfer frequencies were between 40% and 45%. Cytotoxicity analysis of the RC extract against HepG2 cells line showed the IC50 >500µg/mL and thus was considered non-toxic toward human cells. Phytochemical characterisation of the extracts was performed by the assessment of total phenolic content (RC: 60.86 mg TAE/g) and by HPLC fingerprint determination. The results from this study provide new mechanistic evidence justifying, at least in part, the traditional use of this extract. However, the inhibition of bacterial plasmid conjugation opens the possibility of combination therapies to overcome antibiotic-resistance.
Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 1998
To describe further details about the third reported case of vancomycin intermediate-resistant St... more To describe further details about the third reported case of vancomycin intermediate-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VISA). A patient with a history of recurrent methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) bacteremia was treated with several courses of vancomycin for 18 of 23 possible weeks on an inpatient/outpatient basis. After 6 months of repeated courses, an isolate of MRSA showed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 8 micrograms/mL, indicating intermediate resistance to vancomycin. The patient continued to receive a vancomycin/aminoglycoside/rifampin regimen and, when he was hospitalized several weeks later, no further MRSA or VISA was detected. Prolonged, intermittent vancomycin use (18 of 23 possible weeks) for MRSA bacteremia on an inpatient/outpatient basis most likely contributed to the development of VISA. Infection control measures prevented the spread of VISA among patients and healthcare workers. Infection control measures and evaluation of antimicrobial prescribing need to be strongly enforced to further prevent the spread and development of resistant organisms.
South African Journal of Botany, Nov 1, 2019
Abstract Medicinal plants used for wound healing and skin diseases are key to unlocking the doors... more Abstract Medicinal plants used for wound healing and skin diseases are key to unlocking the doors to combating resistance of pathogens to pharmaceuticals and allopathic management. This study was aimed at screening the antioxidant effects, the anti-inflammatory activity and wound healing capacity of traditional medicinal plants used in the treatment of skin conditions and wound healing in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Eleven plant species were selected and separated into different plant parts (bulbs, roots and leaves) and extracted using 50% aqueous methanol. The extracts were assessed for their anti-inflammatory activity using the nitric oxide release and lipoxygenase inhibition assays. Almost all plant species exhibited some degree of anti-inflammatory activity. The observed antioxidant results (DPPH, FRAP, CLAMS) were significant for many of the extracts. The LOX revealed that five of the medicinal plant extracts, Bulbine natalensis, Eucomis autumnalis, Hypericum aethiopicum, Tetradenia riparia and Zantedeschia aethiopica were effective as anti-inflammatory agents with IC50 values below the quercetin control and ranged from 3.55 ± 0.11 to 9.52 ± 0.11 μg/mL. The results of the wound healing assay/protein precipitating activity were significantly excellent for the three Aloe species, two Bulbine species and support scientific evidence from previous research. The protein-precipitating capacity as a wound healing model was significant for Haworthia limifolia 82.71 ± 0.74% while the rest of the plant extracts had moderate to low values. In addition, medicinal plant extracts from E. autumnalis, H. limifolia, H. aethiopicum, T. riparia, and Z. aethiopica demonstrated promising and beneficial results for potential use in the treatment of skin diseases and wound healing. Antioxidant assays as well as anti-inflammatory assays (nitric oxide release and lipoxygenase inhibition assays) and wound healing assays support the dermatological and wound healing usage of these traditional medicinal plants and warrants further investigations and possible isolation of bioactive principles. Overall, the results from this multi-dimensional medicinal plant study provide extensive information on the 11 plant species and their various plant parts.
Journal of medicinal plants for economic development, May 25, 2023
Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics, Aug 15, 2019
Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal, Jun 30, 2023
In Nigeria, urinary tract infections (UTIs) are amid the most prevalent bacterial contagions, wit... more In Nigeria, urinary tract infections (UTIs) are amid the most prevalent bacterial contagions, with a higher incidence rate in women. Depending on the severity of the infection, different antibiotics are used to treat UTIs. Herbal remedies have, on the other hand, been seen as the paranormal means of treating UTIs while antibiotic resistance has emerged as a problem for medics. This study examined the methanol extract of Rhaphiostylis beninensis (MRB) for its phytochemical and bioactive components, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities. From the study, the methanol extract's antioxidant activities grew stronger as concentration increased. Alkaloids, saponin, tannins, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, and reducing sugar—giving the extract its pharmacological potential—were among the phytochemicals identified from the phytochemical screening. The GC-MS Chromatogram showed that there are 42 bioactive compounds in the MRB with the most prominent compounds being (Z,Z)-9,12-Octadecadienoic acid 19.96%, Lupeol 18.96%, cis-13-Octadecenoic acid 9.96%, n-Hexadecanoic acid 9.87%, 3',5'-Dimethoxyacetophenone 6.67%, 4-((1E)-3-Hydroxy-1-propenyl)-2-methoxyphenol 3.21%, Octadecanoic acid 2.98%, Capsaicin 2.58%, α-Amyrin 2.53%, 9-Octadecenoic acid (Z)-, 2,3-dihydroxypropyl ester 2.49%, and Vitamin E 2.45%. The MRB showed significant minimum inhibitory concentration values against Pseudomonas putida PA25T, Escherichia coli EC3AT, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA129AT and Serratia marcescens and a significant MBC value against Escherichia coli EC3AT. This study emphasizes the medicinal efficacy of R. beninensis root and indicated that the plant could make a promising candidate for the isolation of bioactive compounds that could be synthesized as medications for the treatment of bacteria in uropathogenic disorders.
Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology, Jun 30, 2018
To investigate the in vitro effects of interactions between ciprofloxacin (CP) and magnesium-alum... more To investigate the in vitro effects of interactions between ciprofloxacin (CP) and magnesium-aluminium hydroxide (MA) combined against selected Gram-positive and Gramnegative bacteria. The interaction between CP and MA was accessed by agar diffusion method. Comparing the susceptibility of the isolates to CP alone with those of Ciprofloxacin-Magnesiumaluminum hydroxide (CPMA) combined showed that there were significant antagonistic and synergistic interactions in vitro. Antibacterial activities of ciprofloxacin were increased with 4.5-6.0 µg/ml of the MA but were drastically decreased with concentrations lower and higher than 4.5-6.0 µg/ml while development of resistant colonies within these zones of inhibitions was recorded. The susceptibility of the isolated resistant colonies was lesser than those obtained from the original isolates. The combination of ciprofloxacin (CP) and magnesium-aluminum hydroxide (Maalox) (MA) against bacterial isolates could result in development of resistant colonies. The roles of aluminum and magnesium in resistance development at the molecular level require further studies.
African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Nov 8, 2011
The Zulu community of Umlazi, Durban makes extensive use of Ziziphus mucronata (Buffalo thorn) fo... more The Zulu community of Umlazi, Durban makes extensive use of Ziziphus mucronata (Buffalo thorn) for predominantly cultural purposes. There are many superstitions and beliefs associated with the tree. A validation of its antimicrobial properties from leaf, bark and root extracts were attempted against three Gram positive and three Gram negative bacteria. In addition, an antifungal assay was attempted, using ethanol, aqueous and boiled aqueous extracts on six fungal species. Acetone and ethyl acetate samples showed greater inhibition of mostly Gram positive bacteria. Extracts from the leaves showed the greatest inhibition, while root extracts showed the least inhibition. Ethanol extracts were found to possess greater antifungal activity than aqueous and boiled aqueous extracts. Extracts were most effective against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus glaucus with little effect on Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis. It was evident that the bark and leaves of Z. mucronata possess greater antimicrobial properties than the root and can be used as a substitute for other extensively harvested species demonstrating similar properties.
Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
A massive amount of dust estimated at a million tons is released from the Sahara Desert each year... more A massive amount of dust estimated at a million tons is released from the Sahara Desert each year into the atmosphere and travels over the North Atlantic Ocean, commonly referred to as the Saharan dust plume (SDP). With its ability to travel over very long distances across the sea, the SDP is of enormous global importance, affecting climatic processes, and playing a significant role in nutrient cycles, sedimentary cycles, and soil development. On the other hand, from an environmental health perspective, the SDP degrades air quality, posing serious health threats to humans, especially to people with lung conditions. Recent literature documents health issues, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and even death in extreme cases. Despite this knowledge, large uncertainties exist in our ability to predict future trends in Saharan dust emissions and model-projected atmospheric circulation patterns. Employing a comprehensive search of the recent literature, this study reviews ...
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Papers by Professor Roger M Coopoosamy