The use and potential abuse of psychoactive plants in southern Africa: an overview of evidence and future potential.

Background: Most Bantu ethnic groups in southern Africa utilize indigenous herbal medicines, some of which have psychoactive properties. Traditional medical practitioners (TMPs) commonly use them not only for divinatory purposes but to treat and manage mental and other illnesses. Unfortunately, the research on their results, risks, and benefits do not align.

Overview of the Genetic Diversity of African (Termitidae: Macrotermitinae) and Implications for Taxonomy, Ecology and Food Science.

termites play important ecological roles and are consumed by many communities as a delicacy and dietary complement throughout Africa. However, lack of reliable morphological characters has hampered studies of diversity in a wide range of scientific fields including ecology, phylogenetics and food science. In order to place our preliminary assessment of the diversity of in South Africa in context, we analysed a comprehensive dataset of COI sequences for African species including new and publicly available data.

Socio-cultural profile of Bapedi traditional healers as indigenous knowledge custodians and conservation partners in the Blouberg area, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Background: Bapedi traditional healers of Blouberg are custodians of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants of this region. They provide primary health care to a large number of people in the Blouberg area of South Africa. There is concern that this profession is dying out, which may be detrimental to the Blouberg community and to biodiversity conservation in the area.