Traditional herbal medicines: potential degradation of sterols and sterolins by microbial contaminants

Traditional herbal medicines: potential degradation of sterols and sterolins by microbial contaminants

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Medicinal plants with a high content of sterols and sterolins, such as Bulbine natalensis (rooiwortel) and Hypoxis hemerocallidea (African potato), are commonly and inappropriately used in South Africa for the treatment of HIV/AIDS due to the inaccessibility of antiretroviral drugs. This study inves...

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Main Authors: D. du Plessis-Stoman, T. G. Downing, M. van de Venter, S. Govender
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Academy of Science of South Africa 2010-01-01
Series:South African Journal of Science
Online Access:http://archive.sajs.co.za/index.php/SAJS/article/view/67
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spelling doaj-9d3da254e15649d6b1282392fca066772020-11-25T00:13:41ZengAcademy of Science of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Science0038-23531996-74892010-01-011053/410.4102/sajs.v105i3/4.6767Traditional herbal medicines: potential degradation of sterols and sterolins by microbial contaminantsD. du Plessis-Stoman0T. G. Downing1M. van de Venter2S. Govender3Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Summerstrand South Campus, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa.Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Summerstrand South Campus, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa.Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Summerstrand South Campus, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa.Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Summerstrand South Campus, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa.Medicinal plants with a high content of sterols and sterolins, such as Bulbine natalensis (rooiwortel) and Hypoxis hemerocallidea (African potato), are commonly and inappropriately used in South Africa for the treatment of HIV/AIDS due to the inaccessibility of antiretroviral drugs. This study investigated the presence of active compounds, such as sterols and sterolins, in the herbal medicines. The research was carried out in the Nelson Mandela Metropole area. The effect of microbial contaminants isolated from the medicines on sterols and sterolins of rooiwortel extracts was assessed. Sterols and sterolins were detected in rooiwortel, raw African potatoes and one ready-made mixture. Co-incubation of rooiwortel with bacteria (Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas putida) and fungi (Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp. and Mucor spp.) that were isolated from these samples increased the rate of degradation of sterols and sterolins over time, with slower degradation at 4°C than at 28°C.http://archive.sajs.co.za/index.php/SAJS/article/view/67
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author D. du Plessis-Stoman
T. G. Downing
M. van de Venter
S. Govender
spellingShingle D. du Plessis-Stoman
T. G. Downing
M. van de Venter
S. Govender
Traditional herbal medicines: potential degradation of sterols and sterolins by microbial contaminants
South African Journal of Science
author_facet D. du Plessis-Stoman
T. G. Downing
M. van de Venter
S. Govender
author_sort D. du Plessis-Stoman
title Traditional herbal medicines: potential degradation of sterols and sterolins by microbial contaminants
title_short Traditional herbal medicines: potential degradation of sterols and sterolins by microbial contaminants
title_full Traditional herbal medicines: potential degradation of sterols and sterolins by microbial contaminants
title_fullStr Traditional herbal medicines: potential degradation of sterols and sterolins by microbial contaminants
title_full_unstemmed Traditional herbal medicines: potential degradation of sterols and sterolins by microbial contaminants
title_sort traditional herbal medicines: potential degradation of sterols and sterolins by microbial contaminants
publisher Academy of Science of South Africa
series South African Journal of Science
issn 0038-2353
1996-7489
publishDate 2010-01-01
description Medicinal plants with a high content of sterols and sterolins, such as Bulbine natalensis (rooiwortel) and Hypoxis hemerocallidea (African potato), are commonly and inappropriately used in South Africa for the treatment of HIV/AIDS due to the inaccessibility of antiretroviral drugs. This study investigated the presence of active compounds, such as sterols and sterolins, in the herbal medicines. The research was carried out in the Nelson Mandela Metropole area. The effect of microbial contaminants isolated from the medicines on sterols and sterolins of rooiwortel extracts was assessed. Sterols and sterolins were detected in rooiwortel, raw African potatoes and one ready-made mixture. Co-incubation of rooiwortel with bacteria (Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas putida) and fungi (Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp. and Mucor spp.) that were isolated from these samples increased the rate of degradation of sterols and sterolins over time, with slower degradation at 4°C than at 28°C.
url http://archive.sajs.co.za/index.php/SAJS/article/view/67
work_keys_str_mv AT dduplessisstoman traditionalherbalmedicinespotentialdegradationofsterolsandsterolinsbymicrobialcontaminants
AT tgdowning traditionalherbalmedicinespotentialdegradationofsterolsandsterolinsbymicrobialcontaminants
AT mvandeventer traditionalherbalmedicinespotentialdegradationofsterolsandsterolinsbymicrobialcontaminants
AT sgovender traditionalherbalmedicinespotentialdegradationofsterolsandsterolinsbymicrobialcontaminants
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