Leaf extracts of eight selected southern African medicinal plants modulate pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.

This study investigates the anti-inflammatory properties of extracts prepared from the leaves of eight southern African medicinal plants used traditionally to treat inflammation and pain. The inhibitory effect of aqueous and ethanol extracts on the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines was determined in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated and unstimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells.

Inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines by selected southern African medicinal plants in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Bark is frequently used in southern African traditional medicine to treat inflammation, yet it remains to be rigorously examined for its immunological and anti-inflammatory activity.

Aim Of The Study: Barks obtained from ten important and popular southern Africa plants were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties against the secretion of some pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) as well as chemokines (monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2) in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Product visibility in the South African citrus cold chain: Examining the efficacy of temperature loggers.

Product visibility is a challenge for many fruit cold chains. Most challenges arise because of technological constraints, which lead to the inability to predict whether fruit temperatures are still within the stipulated requirements. To ensure that the intricately linked cold chain for citrus fruit is well coordinated and offers the visibility of fruit temperature, technologies such as temperature data loggers are used to record and communicate temperature measurements.

Exploring how outreach team leaders perceive community health workers' experiences of providing HIV services in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

In 2018, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health launched the ward-based primary health care outreach teams policy framework which sought to expand the community health worker (CHW) programme's provision of longitudinal patient support, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) services in communities. This study sought to explore the perceptions of outreach team leaders who supervise CHWs on their experiences of providing HIV services in the province. This was a qualitative, phenomenology study.

The effects of COVID-19 on the rehabilitation of persons with aphasia: A scoping review.

Background:  The impact of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was more pronounced on the well-being of persons with disabilities, especially in low- and middle-income countries. There is documented evidence of the rippling effects of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities. However, not much is known about the impact of COVID-19 on the rehabilitation of persons with aphasia.