Department of Medical BioSciences
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The possible effect of Hypoxis hemerocalledia (African potato) on blood glucose levels : an in vitro study
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)The plant Hypoxis hemerocallidea, also known as the African potato, is commonly used as a traditional medicine to treat diabetes in South Africa. The mechanism by which it lowers blood glucose levels is not known. The ... -
Semen characteristics of free-ranging African elephants (Loxodonta africana) and Southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) using Computer-aided sperm analysis, Electron microscopy and Genomics as diagnostic tools
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)The survival of free-ranging (in situ) African elephant and Southern white rhinoceros populations are currently being challenged on a daily basis in Africa. Reproductive health is considered a vital component of species ... -
Effects of Libyan traditional plants on the reproductive system of male and female rats
(University of the Western cape, 2015)In different parts of the world, medicinal plants have demonstrated a lot of health benefits to mankind and remains an important source for the discovery of new bio-active compounds. Libya is a typical example of a country ... -
The effect of Libyan date palm pollen and flax seed on general and specific properties of testicular and breast cancer cells
(University of the Western cape, 2016)There is increasing concern worldwide by researchers with regards to the assessing of safety and therapeutic consumption of the plants used in traditional medicine. Date palm pollen (DPP) and flax seed have been used ... -
Cloning and expression of human cyclophilin A and its interaction with human coronavirus NL63 nucleocapsid protein
(University of the Western Cape, 2011)Coronaviridae family is composed of a number of ribonucleic acid (RNA)-containing viruses currently classified into two genera, the coronavirus and torovirus. The family is classified together with the Arteviridae in the ... -
The association between environmental exposures during childhood and the subsequent development of crohn's disease in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)Background: A subtype of inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease is thought to represent a complex interaction between environmental factors, a defective immune system, the gastrointestinal microbiome and genetic ... -
Bionomics of vector-borne diseases in sites adjacent to lakes Victoria and Baringo in Kenya
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Bionomics of vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) is a complex phenomenon that involves understanding the ecology of arthropod borne pathogens and vertebrate hosts potentially involved in their transmission cycles. Investigations ... -
An in vitro investigation of the effects of camellia sinensis and aspalathus linearis on benign (RPWE 1) and malignant (LNCaP) prostate cell lines
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)The prostate is prone to three pathological processes that include inflammation, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and tumors. According to the center for Disease and Control 1999-2012 report, prostate cancer is the second ... -
Investigation of some possible mechanisms involved in the anticonvulsant activity of Tulbaghia violacea harv
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)Even though Tulbaghia violacea has been used to treat and manage epilepsy in South Africa by traditional medicine practitioners, no evidence in any literature has shown any scientific scrutiny of the effectiveness of the ... -
Investigations on the effects of Typha capensis on male reproductive functions
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Introduction: Typha capensis, commonly referred to as bulrush also called "love reed'' growing in Southern Africa's wetlands, is one of South Africa indigenous medicinal plants that are traditionally used to treat male ... -
The effects of hypoxis hemerocallidea on blood glucose levels in rats with Type 2 diabetes
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)About 180 million people have been estimated to suffer from type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in 2006 and the annual death rate due to this disease was 3 million by that time. More than 400 medicinal plants used for the treatment ... -
Modulation of colon carcinogenesis by dietary ω-6/ω-3 fatty acid ratios : a chemopreventive strategy?
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)The aim of this study was to determine whether dietary fats constituting specific ω-6/ω-3 fatty acids (FA) ratio has chemopreventive modulating effects on the development of colon cancer. Western diets intake of saturated ... -
Structural and functional characterization of human DDX5 and its interaction with NS5B of hepatitis C virus
(University of the Western Cape, 2011)Hepatitis C was first recognized as a transfusion-associated liver disease not caused by hepatitis A or hepatitis B virus after serological tests were developed to screen for their presence in the blood. The infectious ... -
The effect of maternal nicotine exposure on cellular senescence in the lungs of the offspring
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)Several studies conducted in laboratories at the University of the Western Cape has demonstrated an interference with the parenchymal lung tissue of the offspring when exposed to nicotine (smoking cigarettes and/or Nicotine ... -
The effects of ethanol and aspalathus linearis on immortalized mouse brain endothelial cells (bEnd5)
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)The blood brain barrier (BBB) is a signaling interface between the blood and the central nervous system (CNS), which prohibits the entry of harmful blood-borne substances into the brain micro-environment, thus maintaining ... -
Comparison between chemical and tissue culture methods to monitor environmental estrogens
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are exogenous compounds/chemicals in the environment that interfere with the synthesis, secretion, distribution and function or elimination of natural hormones in the body. Environmental ... -
Ursolic acid and oleanolic acid as novel therapeutic agents in breast cancer
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in South Africa and the second leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society 2015, women have a 12% chance of developing ... -
Potamanautes warreni biomarker assays to monitor silver nanomaterial contaminants in aquatic environments
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)There has been extensive growth in nanoscale technology in the last few decades to such a degree that nanomaterials (NMs) have become a constituent in a wide range of manufactured commercial and domestic products. This ... -
The effects of Ethanol and Aspalathus linearis on immortalized mouse brain endothelial cells (bEnd5)
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)The blood brain barrier (BBB) is a signaling interface between the blood and the central nervous system (CNS), which prohibits the entry of harmful blood-borne substances into the brain micro-environment, thus maintaining ... -
Comparative in vitro study of the anti-cancer effect of apricot and peach kernel extracts on human colon cancer cells
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)Amygdalin, a controversial anti-cancer agent, is a cyanogenic glycoside plant compound found in apricot and peach kernels. Both amygdalin and its patented form, Laetrile®, have been promoted and sold as "vitamin B-17", ...
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