Cymbopogon genus is a member of the family of Gramineae which are herbs known worldwide for their high essential oil content. They are widely distributed across all continents where they are used for various purposes. The commercial and medicinal uses of the various species of Cymbopogon are well documented. Ethnopharmacology evidence shows that they possess a wide array of properties that justifies their use for pest control, in cosmetics and as anti-inflammation agents. These plants may also hold promise as potent anti-tumor and chemopreventive drugs. The chemo-types from this genus have been used as biomarkers for their identification and classification. Pharmacological applications of Cymbopogon citratus are well exploited, though studies show that other species may also useful pharmaceutically. Hence this literature review intends to discuss these species and explore their potential economic importance.

Hypertension is one of the most common risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), yet not much effort is being invested in early diagnosis and control of the condition in susceptible children. The aim of this study was to,investigate the prevalence of pre-hypertension and hypertension in peri-urban school-attending adolescents and explore the relationship between blood pressure and selected anthropometric measurements. A cross-sectional study of adolescents aged 13-17 years was performed. Data on height, weight, waist and hip circumferences as well as blood pressure were collected from all participants. Body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure percentiles were calculated. Results: The overall prevalence of obesity was 20.4% while the prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension was 21.2% and 12.3%, respectively. The prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension in males was 22.0% and 13.6% compared to 20.9% and 16.5% in females, respectively. Both conditions were associated with higher BMI in both girls and boys. While mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was positively associated with higher BMI and waist circumference (WC) in males and females, it correlated negatively with hip circumference (HC) in males. On the other hand, mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) correlated better with HC in males but only weakly in females. Adolescent learners in Mthatha had a high prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension which were associated with overweight and obesity. Results highlight the urgent need for screening in view of early detection and implementation of intervention strategies to prevent a high incidence of CVDs in this country.

Objective: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), defined as the clustering of three of five risk factors (hypertension, obesity, triglyceridemia, dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia), is being increasingly mentioned among children and adolescents despite there being no consensus on how it should be defined in this set of population. Furthermore, very few studies have focused on MetS in children and adolescents in sub-Saharan populations. This study, therefore, aimed at determining the prevalence of the MetS and contributing risk in adolescents living in Mthatha, South Africa. Research design and methods: Four hundred and ten adolescents (age range: 13–18 years, both sexes) were recruited into this cross-sectional study. In addition to a lifestyle questionnaire being administered, anthropometric measurements (weight, height and waist circumferences) were carried out for each participant. Fasting venous blood was collected for lipid profile and blood glucose assessments. Blood pressure was also measured. MetS was assessed using appropriate diagnostic criteria for children and adolescents. Results: Complete data sets were collected from 371 participants. Females showed an elevation in the risk factors for MetS. Of the 371 participants, 40.2% were overweight/obese (47.5% females; 22.5% males). MetS was diagnosed in 3.1% female participants compared with 6.0% in male participants. Conclusions: More risk factors for the MetS are seen among the overweight/obese as compared to lean adolescents. Given the fact that childhood overweight/obesity often continues into adulthood, it is important to address the causes of increased risk for MetS earlier in life to prevent the development of disease in adult life.

Oxidative stress has gained attention as one of the fundamental mechanisms responsible for the development of hypertension. The present study investigated in vitro and in vivo antioxidant effects of 70% ethanol-water (v/v) leaf and root extracts of T. officinale (TOL and TOR, respectively). Total phenolic and flavonoid content of plant extracts were assessed using Folin Ciocalteau and aluminium chloride colorimetric methods; while, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrlhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) protocols were used to determine the free radical scavenging and total antioxidant capacities (TAC), respectively. The in vivo total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde acid (MDA) levels for lipid peroxidation tests were performed on organ homogenate samples from Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME)-induced hypertensive rats treated with leaf extract, TOL (500 mg/kg/day) and TOR (500 mg/kg/day) for 21 days. Results showed that compared to TOR, TOL possessed significantly higher (p < 0.01) polyphenol (4.35 ± 0.15 compared to 1.14 ± 0.01) and flavonoid (23.17 ± 0.14 compared to 3 ± 0.05) content; free radical scavenging activity (EC₅₀ 0.37 compared to 1.34 mg/mL) and total antioxidant capacities (82.56% compared to 61.54% ABTS, and 156 ± 5.28 compared to 40 ± 0.31 FRAP) and both extracts showed no toxicity (LD₅₀ > 5000 mg/kg). TOL and TOR significantly (p < 0.01) elevated TAC and reduced MDA levels in targets organs. In conclusion, T. officinale leaf extract possesses significant anti-oxidant effects which conferred significant in vivo antioxidant protection against free radical-mediated oxidative stress in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats.

We herein report for the first time the synthesis and analgesic properties of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) using buchu plant extract. The as-synthesised Ag-NPs at different temperatures were characterised by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission transform microscopy (TEM) to confirm the formation of silver nanoparticles. Phytochemical screening of the ethanolic extract revealed the presence of glycosides, proteins, tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins. The absorption spectra showed that the synthesis is temperature and time dependent. The TEM analysis showed that the as-synthesised Ag-NPs are polydispersed and spherical in shape with average particle diameter of 19.95 ± 7.76 nm while the FTIR results confirmed the reduction and capping of the as-synthesised Ag-NPs by the phytochemicals present in the ethanolic extract. The analgesic study indicated that the combined effect of the plant extract and Ag-NPs is more effective in pain management than both the aspirin drug and the extract alone.

Echinacea is used ethnomedicinally for the treatment of various diseases such as cough, respiratory infections, and bronchitis among other uses in Eastern Cape region of South Africa. This study evaluated the volatile components of the essential oil of the plant, its toxicity, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities in rodents. Dried leaf and root of the plant were separately processed by hydrodistillation for 4 h and their essential oils (EOs) were collected. Extracted oils were subjected to GC/GC-MS analysis. The essential oil was further evaluated for acute toxicity, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. The toxicity profile of the essential oil was evaluated in mice through the oral route (p.o.), and anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated on the carrageenan-induced edema model in rats at the doses of 100-200 mg/kg, while its analgesic effect was evaluated on the acetic acid-induced writhings model in mice at doses of 100-200 mg/kg. GC/GC-MS analysis of EOs showed that a number of compounds identified in the leaf and root oils were 25 and 31 respectively. The chemical compositions of the oils varied and the major compounds identified in the oils include germacrene D, naphthalene, caryophyllene oxide, α-phellandrene and α-cadinol. The essential root oil did not cause mortality at the highest dose of 5000 mg/kg; hence, its LD50 was estimated to be ⩾5000 mg/kg, p.o. The anti-inflammatory test results showed that the essential root oil caused significant (p < 0.05-0.01) reduction in edema size compared to the negative control group on the carrageenan-induced edema and the results for the analgesic test showed that the essential root oil caused significant (p < 0.05) reduction in number of writhings at 1000 mg/kg compared to the negative control group. It is concluded that root and leaf of this Echinacea species contain volatile oils which varied in their yield and chemical compositions. The essential root oil is non-toxic orally and it demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities in laboratory animals.