A recent event centred on medicinal plant sciences and hosted by UP’s Prof Namrita Lall saw the launch of her latest book, the founding of a new society and the commercialisation of a complementary medicine formulated by Prof Lall.

Professor Namrita Lall of the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Department of Plant and Soil Sciences hosted an event to showcase the most recent achievements of her Medicinal Plant Sciences research group.

Prof Lall, who is the National Research Foundation-Department of Science and Innovation SARChI Chair for Plant Health Products from Indigenous Knowledge Systems, is one of the founders of the Medicinal Plant Sciences programme at UP. She heads a research team of about 20 postgraduate students and three postdoctoral researchers which focuses on the scientific validation of traditionally used medicinal plants to develop cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical products.

The event also spotlighted the recent publication of a book that Prof Lall edited, titled Medicinal Plants for Cosmetics, Health and Diseases; the founding of a new society, the African Phytomedicine Scientific Society; and the commercialisation of Limunone, a complementary medicine with liver-protecting and immune-boosting properties.

Several representatives from academic institutions as well as manufacturers and formulators in the natural product industry attended the event. Representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry, the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa and the South African National Convention Bureau were also in attendance, as were funders (the Water Research Commission and Department of Science and Innovation) and the event sponsor, the Scientific Group.

Prof Lall shared her research interests and her journey from the publication of her first book in 2018 to the publication of her most recent release, which forms part of a four-book series on medicinal plants and their uses. The book features contributions from national and international collaborators and her team of student and postdoctoral researchers. The recent publication describes how plant bio-actives can aid the prevention, treatment and management of human diseases. One of her books was recommended by Choice Reviews as course material for undergraduate and postgraduate students at Western Illinois University in the US.

A highlight at the event was the launch of the complementary medicine Limunone, which Letago Pharmaceuticals is commercialising. Limunone contains an extract of Euclea natalensis, an active ingredient patented by UP and licensed to Letago Pharmaceuticals. This plant is used traditionally to treat symptoms associated with chest problems.

“I am particularly excited to see that, in addition to the Limunone product, other active ingredients from my research are available in finished formulations and were exhibited by BioMedical Emporium and Dr PHYTO Medicinal Plants,” Prof Lall said. “I hope the event will encourage other formulators to purchase these actives, which are available from Blyde Botanics – a start-up founded by two students from my research team, Bianca Payne and Dr Isa Anina Lambrechts – and from Botanica Natural Products/Timola. Additionally, I hope the event will encourage more licensees to take the technologies and prototypes that have been developed through my research to the market. These include medicinal plant extracts or actives with finished formulations that have sun protection-boosting properties and can assist in the treatment of hyper- and hypopigmentation, acne, wrinkle reduction and skin hydration.”

The launch of the African Phytomedicine Scientific Society (APSS) was a hot topic at the event. Dr Ibukun Michael Famuyide, a postdoctoral researcher on Onderstepoort campus, highlighted the crucial role that the society will play in increasing networking, collaboration and brainstorming in Africa and offered to become its first member. The society will allow for the sharing of research, equipment and skills transfer through student exchange programmes to produce quality scientific publications and natural products with commercial potential.

Prof Lall also spoke of three future events that she is involved in: the Volkswagen Summer School in March 2023, funded by the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research and the Volkswagen Stiftung Organisation; the 23rd International Congress for the International Society for Ethnopharmacology in October 2024, an event she is organising as President-elect of the society; and the first Annual Congress for the APSS, which will take place next year in September.

The programme also featured fascinating presentations delivered by manufacturers, formulators and entrepreneurs within the natural product industry, all of whom highlighted the need for safer and more effective African ingredients to reach global markets.

Prof Lall’s books are available for purchase directly from her administrative assistant ([email protected]). If you wish to contact Prof Lall, click here.

Contact details of the African Phytomedicine Scientific Society network: @theAPSSnetwork (Twitter); The APSS Network (LinkedIn); email [email protected]