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Investigating the cosmeceutical potential of Spirostachys africana Sond. bark extracts used traditionally for child skincare by isiXhosa communities in South Africa.
(2024) Mulaudzi, Rofhiwa.; Van Staden, Johannes.; Ndhlala, Ashwell Rungano.; Lebelo, Sogolo Lucky.
Traditional medicine derived from medicinal plants has been very critical in dealing health issues across many cultures, particularly in rural and underserved communities. In South Africa, the prevalence of skin disorders has necessitated the exploration of natural, culturally grounded remedies to complement modern dermatological practices. The study investigated the cosmeceutical potential of Spirostachys africana, an indigenous medicinal plant found in South Africa and is usually used by isiXhosa communities for curing skin conditions, particularly in children. To scientifically validate its ethnomedicinal applications, stem-bark extracts were evaluated for antibacterial activity against skin-relevant pathogens (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus) using the microdilution method. Results revealed potent efficacy, with dichloromethane and ethanol extracts exhibiting minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.19 to 1.56 µg/Ml. Petroleum ether extract showed modest inhibitory action with a MIC of 0.78 µg/mL. The aqueous extract displayed the highest MIC value of 3.12 µg/mL, indicating the least inhibitory activity against E. coli among the tested extracts. In vitro assays, including DPPH radical scavenging and β-carotene-linoleic acid model system (CLAMS), revealed significant free radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation inhibition capabilities. The DPPH assay showed a half maximal effective concentration (EC50) value of 83.26 ± 1.22 μg/mL and a maximum inhibition of 72.60 ± 0.24% at the highest tested concentrations. Additionally, anti-inflammatory assays demonstrated that ethanol and distilled water extracts exhibited strong 15-lipoxygenase inhibition (IC₅₀ values of 0.421 ± 0.079 µg/mL and 0.447 ± 0.057 µg/mL, respectively), while ethanol and petroleum ether extractsshowed moderate nitric oxide inhibition, further supporting the plant's potential therapeutic value. A rat model study demonstrated that the water extract demonstrated the least overall irritation potential, with a maximum visual score of 0.62 ± 0.05 at 72 h, indicating its suitability for topical applications. Ethanol and methanol extracts showed moderate concentration-dependent tyrosinase inhibition, reaching approximately 40-45% enzyme activity reduction at 2.5 × 10-6 mol/L, suggesting potential for skin-lightening applications. This study also evaluated the anti-tyrosinase activity of Spirostachys africana stem-bark extracts and found moderate enzyme inhibition compared to the potent effect of kojic acid. These findings suggested the potential of S. africana as a natural source of tyrosinase inhibitors for managing hyperpigmentation disorders, warranting further phytochemical investigation and compound isolation. These conclusions scientifically support the traditional application of S. africana in treating skin conditions and demonstrate its potential in addressing various dermatological concerns. The study emphasized the importance of integrating indigenous knowledge with modern scientific approaches in healthcare, particularly in resource-limited settings. Further research is recommended to extract and identify specific bioactive compounds, conduct in vivo and clinical studies, develop formulations, and ensure sustainable sourcing of this valuable medicinal plant resource. This comprehensive evaluation of S. africana contributes to the preservation of cultural heritage, biodiversity conservation, and the development of effective, accessible, and culturally appropriate therapeutic solutions for skin disorders.
Enrichment and geo-accumulation of heavy metals in superficial sediments, macrophytes and edible leafy vegetables.
(2025) Kola, Mothibi Elizabeth.; Munyai, Thinandavha Caswell.; Dalu, Tatenda.
Wetlands play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance, supporting biodiversity, and providing essential ecosystem services such as flood control, water purification, and carbon sequestration. However, increasing levels of metal contamination threaten these ecosystems and public health. This study investigated the concentration, accumulation, and translocation of trace and heavy metals in wetland sediments, aquatic macrophytes, and edible leafy vegetables, with a focus on assessing phytoremediation potential. Field samples of sediments (n = 2) were collected across three seasons (hot-dry, cool-dry, and hotwet) from urbanised riverside wetlands in Mbombela, South Africa. The m etal pollution indices, such as contamination factor, enrichment factor, geo–accumulation factor and pollution load index were used to determine the pollution of metals in the sediments across different sites among seasons. Results showed that wetland sediments were highly contaminated, particularly with Mn, Co, Cu, Pb, Zn, Al, and Fe most significantly during the cool-dry season. The four aquatic macrophytes (Typha capensis, Cyperus papyrus, Cyperus dives, and Phragmites australis) collected from same location as sediments were divided into roots, stems and leaves. The study used the bioconcentration and translocation factors to determine the accumulation and translocation of metals within macrophyte species. The study indicated that different macrophytes accumulated different metals within the roots and leaves of all species during the cool–dry followed by hot–dry and hot–wet seasons. Among the macrophytes studied, C. dives and T. capensis demonstrated strong phytoremediation potential, indicated by high bioconcentration and translocation factors. Additionally, edible vegetables (cabbage, rape, pumpkin leaves, and spinach) were obtained from local markets in Tonga town for metal analysis and human health risk assessment. Vegetables exhibited elevated metal concentrations, with several exceeding permissible intake limits, posing potential health risks as indicated by bioconcentration factors and target hazard quotients. To validate the phytoremediation of aquatic macrophytes ,Dryopteris pentheri, Penther’s wood fern was grown in water amended with metals which showed the ability to tolerate and accumulate metals, confirming its suitability for phytoremediation applications. The study hypothesise that sediments, macrophytes, edible vegetables and ferns will accumulate and translocate the contaminants. Overall, this study highlights the urgent need for stricter regulation of industrial emissions into wetland systems and the importance of using plant-based remediation strategies to mitigate metal pollution. These findings contribute valuable insights for environmental management and public health protection in peri-urban and rural communities. In conclusion, to minimise the heavy metal contamination in wetlands. The findings of this study generally reveal that the concentrations of the analysed metals exceeded the permissible limits established by the World Health Organisation and the Food and Agricultural Organisation. Furthermore, since this study showed that the four aquatic macrophyte species can accumulate metals, it is recommended to also evaluate other plant species growing around the wetlands, not just aquatic macrophytes. Policymakers from Government Departments should develop clear frameworks to improve regulations for wetland protection against metal pollution and establish safety standards for agricultural practices and environmental protection, especially to safeguard vulnerable peri-urban and rural communities.
A review of climate change impact on the education of children with disabilities in early childhood in Eswatini and South Africa.
(2025) Nkomo, Novuyo.; Holness, Willene Audri.
This study explores the impact of climate change on the education of children with disabilities in early childhood in Eswatini and South Africa, focusing on the exceptional challenges these children encounter and the consequences for practice and policy. Using a comprehensive desktop review, the research analyses international, regional, and national legal policies, conventions, frameworks, and treaties, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The study applies Critical Disability Theory to examine systemic barriers and inequities worsened by climate-induced phenomena such as extreme weather conditions, drought, and floods, which disrupt access to education. The findings reveal that children with disabilities are excessively and unequally affected by climate change because of social, economic, and infrastructural challenges, resulting in higher dropout rates, limited access to adaptive technologies, and reduced resilience in education systems. The research emphasises the great need for climate-resilient and inclusive educational policies and interventions that speak to the connection between disability and climate vulnerability. Recommendations include integrating climate change adaptation strategies into early childhood education programmes and prioritising resources for this marginalised group in disaster management frameworks. This dissertation contributes to bridging the knowledge gap on the connecting link between climate change, disability, and early childhood education in developing contexts, emphasising the critical role of rights-based approaches in fostering inclusive, sustainable solutions.
Integrated experimental and computational analyses of Klebsiella pneumoniae ClpK: metal ion modulation, vaccine targeting, and interaction networks.
(2026) Ballim, Tehrim.; Khoza, Thandeka Ntokozo.
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen which has been classified by the World Health Organization as a critical priority organism underscoring the need for the development of new therapeutics and alternative interventions. The genetic diversity and horizontal transmission of antimicrobial resistance determinants in this pathogen demonstrate its capacity for rapid adaptation and persistence thus posing a significant global health challenge. To address the challenges caused by this pathogen, this thesis focused on the structural and functional characterisation of ClpK ATPase, together with complementary vaccine-based approaches aimed at disrupting its survival and stress response pathways. ClpK is a thermotolerant caseinolytic ATPase implicated in protein quality control and stress tolerance. Biophysical and enzymatic characterization showed that ClpK is predominantly α-helical and moderately thermally stable, with ATP binding conferring conformational stabilization. Divalent cations modulated ClpK activity, with Mg²⁺ enhancing structural stability and Mn²⁺ promoting conformational flexibility and enzymatic activity. These findings provide critical insights into the metal ion-dependant regulation of ClpK and highlight its potential as a drug target. To exploit metal ion dependant regulation of this protein, and in pursuit of novel compounds and drugbinding mechanisms targeting this protein, structure-based virtual screening, ADMET analyses and molecular dynamics simulations were used to identify natural and synthetic inhibitors of ClpK. Among the screened drugs, ADEP3 and sclerotiamide derivatives exhibited the most favourable binding energetics and stable interactions under varying ionic conditions, highlighting their potential as ClpK inhibitors. Targeting ClpK alone may not be sufficient to fully disrupt the pathogen’s adaptive capacity; therefore, exploring its protein–protein interaction network provides an additional strategy for interfering with stress-regulated proteostasis mechanisms. Given the role of ClpK in bacterial stress response and protein homeostasis, identifying its interacting partners offers valuable insight into how this ATPase integrates within broader cellular survival pathways. Therefore, mapping its protein– protein interaction partners provide an additional avenue for interfering with stressregulated proteostasis mechanisms to disrupt the pathogen’s adaptive mechanisms. Computational analyses were employed to predict high-confidence ClpK interaction partners involved in chaperone and stress response pathways. This study predicted several chaperones and stress response proteins as potential interacting partners for ClpK. This was in line with the role of ClpK in protein homeostasis. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations confirmed the stability of the predicted interactions, providing a basis for understanding the role of ClpK in bacterial stress response pathways. These findings expand the understanding of ClpK’s role beyond its intrinsic ATPase activity, positioning it as part of a broader proteostasis network and reinforcing its potential as a multifaceted therapeutic target. As part of a multi-tiered strategy to combat K. pnuemoniae, a reverse vaccinology pipeline was applied to six outer membrane proteins of this pathogen, yielding seven multiepitope vaccine constructs. Five constructs demonstrated stable binding to TLR2 and TLR4 receptors, high predicted antigenicity, and global epitope coverage of ~75%. Codon optimization and high codon adaptation index values further supported the feasibility for expression in Escherichia coli. A comprehensive exploration of ClpK as a multifunctional therapeutic target was undertaken using combined computational structural and biophysical approaches. The study characterised metal ion dependent regulation of ClpK, identified several promising inhibitors, mapped its interaction network with key chaperones and stress response proteins providing a mechanistic insight into ClpK’s role in bacterial proteostasis and highlight its significance in stress adaptation and survival. Furthermore, the integration of a reverse vaccinology pipeline led to the rational design of multiepitope vaccine constructs, thereby advancing preventive intervention strategies against K. pnuemoniae. Together, these complementary approaches bridge molecular understanding with translational application, contributing to the development of next-generation therapeutic and prophylactic solutions targeting this WHO-designated critical priority pathogen.
Exploring the views of parents, early childhood development practitioners, and earner support educators on access and realisation of the right to early childhood education for children with disabilities in Ward 3, Nquthu, KwaZulu-Natal.
(2025) Mthombeni, Siphamandla Thiwe.; Clark, Brigitte Jennifer.
Access to early childhood education (ECE) for children with disabilities continues to pose a substantial issue, notwithstanding national and international commitments made by South African government to inclusive education. This study explored the views of parents, ECD practitioners, and Learner Support Educators (LSEs) concerning access and realisation of the right to early childhood education in Ward 3, Nquthu. This study aimed to investigate the degree to which children with disabilities in Ward 3 of the Nquthu area have accessed their right to early childhood education and to identify challenges, barriers, and the role to be played by relevant stakeholders in realising this right. A qualitative research method was employed, and the purposive sample was used to select the study population. The study comprised twelve participants: five parents of children with disabilities, five ECD practitioners, and two LSEs from the Umzinyathi District, Department of Basic Education (DBE). This study found that access to early childhood education for children with disabilities in Ward 3 in the Nquthu area is limited. The main obstacles hindering these children from exercising their right to attend ECE include limited resources, untrained ECD practitioners on inclusive policies, insufficient personnel, poor infrastructure, and societal stigma and prejudice. The findings of this study align with those of previous research. Children with disabilities continue to be excluded from early childhood education because of systemic barriers. Given that this constitutes a violation of their rights, some of the recommendations made suggest that the government should consider strengthening inclusive education policies, monitoring and evaluating the implementation of these policies, and further provide funding to ECD centers to ensure accessibility, and capacitate ECD practitioners with inclusive education trainings.