Health practitioners to develop safe commercial medicines

THE COUNCIL of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and six traditional health practitioners have collaborated to develop safe and quality traditional medicines for commercialisation.

Traditional health practitioners (THPs) in South Africa have a common challenge in their inability to expand their market reach due to lack of resources and the skills to develop products that conform to acceptable standards of safety and quality.

The CSIR said that in an effort to improve the safety and quality of indigenous knowledge-based products, the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI)-led consortium selected six products that have been used historically as therapeutic remedies but required improvement.

“This is the first time the CSIR has undertaken such a bold venture and we have gained a lot of experience in this exciting field. The project embedded capacity building and successfully trained two Masters students and three interns who will continue working in this sector,” said CSIR Research Group leader, Dr Blessed Okole.

The products selected for improvements were Umphetha, an iced tea used to treat internal ulcers, blood cleansing and immune boosting; Moshumasekgwa, a tea to treat high blood pressure, diabetes and urinary problems; Lenong, a tissue oil to treat wounds and arthritis; and Kgopa, a petroleum jelly to treat sores, skin problems and stomach ache.

As well as Prijap, a herbal liquid with anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties to strengthen the immune system and increase energy levels and appetite, there is Areka Ya Makgoma, a herbal sachet to facilitate the healing process of opportunistic infections.

CSIR senior researcher, Dr Greg Gordon, said that to ensure the safety and quality of these products, the CSIR came together with the University of Pretoria and used scientific expertise to identify the active ingredients.