All in the Details: A First Assessment for the Viability of Metabarcoding in Diet Composition Analysis of African Wild Dogs ().

DNA metabarcoding is a contemporary technique in diet composition studies and stands to fill key knowledge gaps left by traditional diet analysis methods. For endangered species such as the African wild dog (), the fulfilment of these knowledge gaps presents an opportunity for improved management practices and vulnerability assessments. There are an estimated ~600 African wild dogs remaining in South Africa.

Comparing DNA yield from fish scales following different extraction protocols.

Studies on genetic diversity, adaptive potential and fitness of species have become a major tool in conservation biology. These studies require biological material containing a reliable source of DNA which can be extracted and analysed. Recently, non-invasive sampling has become the preferred sampling method of such biological material; particularly when studying endangered species.

Elucidating the Antimycobacterial Mechanism of Action of Decoquinate Derivative RMB041 Using Metabolomics.

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by (), still remains one of the leading causes of death from a single infectious agent worldwide. The high prevalence of this disease is mostly ascribed to the rapid development of drug resistance to the current anti-TB drugs, exacerbated by lack of patient adherence due to drug toxicity. The aforementioned highlights the urgent need for new anti-TB compounds with different antimycobacterial mechanisms of action to those currently being used.

Elucidating the Antimycobacterial Mechanism of Action of Ciprofloxacin Using Metabolomics.

In the interest of developing more effective and safer anti-tuberculosis drugs, we used a GCxGC-TOF-MS metabolomics research approach to investigate and compare the metabolic profiles of in the presence and absence of ciprofloxacin. The metabolites that best describe the differences between the compared groups were identified as markers characterizing the changes induced by ciprofloxacin. Malic acid was ranked as the most significantly altered metabolite marker induced by ciprofloxacin, indicative of an inhibition of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) and glyoxylate cycle of .

The effect of Aspalathus linearis (Burm.f.) R.Dahlgren and its compounds on tyrosinase and melanogenesis.

Pigmentation, a process controlled by melanogenesis, plays a vital role in protecting the skin against harmful ultraviolet rays. The level of protection is compromised in case of hypopigmentation. This study aimed to evaluate an Aspalathus linearis extract, fractions and phytoconstituents, for their efficacy on melanogenesis stimulation.

Anti-SARS-CoV Natural Products With the Potential to Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), known to cause the disease COVID-19, was declared a pandemic in early 2020. The objective of this review was to collate information regarding the potential of plants and natural products to inhibit coronavirus and targets associated with infection in humans and to highlight known drugs, which may have potential activity against SARS-CoV-2. Due to the similarity in the RNA genome, main proteases, and primary host receptor between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, a review was conducted on plants and secondary metabolites, which have shown activity against SARS-CoV.

Selection on age of female reproduction in the marula fruit fly, Ceratitis cosyra (Walker) (Diptera: Tephritidae), decreases total antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation.

The oxidative damage caused to cells by Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) is one of several factors implicated in causing ageing. Oxidative damage may also be a proximate cost of reproductive effort that mediates the trade-off often observed between reproduction and survival. However, how the balance between oxidative damage and antioxidant protection affects life-history strategies is not fully understood.

Predictive Binding Affinity of Plant-Derived Natural Products Towards the Protein Kinase G Enzyme of (PknG).

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by , is a growing public health concern worldwide, especially with the emerging challenge of drug resistance to the current drugs. Efforts to discover and develop novel, more effective, and safer anti-TB drugs are urgently needed. Products from natural sources, such as medicinal plants, have played an important role in traditional medicine and continue to provide some inspiring templates for the design of new drugs.

(Subsp. ) Nutritive Value and Its Potential Medicinal Properties.

L. subsp. is an endemic species of the Eastern Mediterranean region with several uses in traditional medicine.

Finding stories in noise: Mitochondrial portraits from RAD data.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has formed the backbone of phylogeographic research for many years; however, recent trends focus on genome-wide analyses. One method proposed for calibrating inferences from noisy next-generation data, such as RAD sequencing, is to compare these results with analyses of mitochondrial sequences. Most researchers using this approach appear to be unaware that many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified from genome-wide sequence data are themselves mitochondrial, or assume that these are too few to bias analyses.

Exploring the phylogeography of a hexaploid freshwater fish by RAD sequencing.

The KwaZulu-Natal yellowfish () is an abundant cyprinid, endemic to KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. In this study, we developed a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) dataset from double-digest restriction site-associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing of samples across the distribution. We addressed several hidden challenges, primarily focusing on proper filtering of RAD data and selecting optimal parameters for data processing in polyploid lineages.

Diallyl Polysulfides from Allium sativum as Immunomodulators, Hepatoprotectors, and Antimycobacterial Agents.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains one of the world's deadliest killers, with an annual death rate of ∼1.5 million. The medicinal effects of garlic have been well documented, and natural products have been shown to have antimycobacterial activity.

In vitro and In vivo antimycobacterial, hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory activity of Euclea natalensis and its mode of action.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The Natal gwarri or Natal ebony (Euclea natalensis A.DC.) is a deciduous tree found widespread throughout southern Africa, especially in Kwazulu-Natal and the southern cost.

Viability Reagent, PrestoBlue, in Comparison with Other Available Reagents, Utilized in Cytotoxicity and Antimicrobial Assays.

This study compared different commercially available viability reagents. The growth indicator reagents include p-iodonitrotetrazolium violet (INT), PrestoBlue, and Alamar Blue which were used for antimicrobial analysis against Streptococcus mutans, Prevotella intermedia, Propionibacterium acnes, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. PrestoBlue and Alamar Blue are resazurin based reagents that resulted in a quick and easily distinguishable colour change that allowed for visual readings.