Prof. Namrita Lall

Department of Plant and Soil Sciences
Prof. Namrita Lall

Namrita Lall is a Professor and NRF rated researcher in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP) and holds the NRF/DST Chair in Plant health Products from Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). She obtained her PhD in 2001 and currently leads a research group in the Medicinal Plant Sciences Programme.

Office: Plant Sciences Complex 3-39

Tel: +27 (0)12 420 2524

Email: [email protected]

Medicinal Plant Science Programme

The main vision of Professor Lall’s research is to better use South Africa's medicinal plants for the benefit of its people. The programme investigates the medicinal plants for tuberculosis, cancer, and skin-related diseases. Hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory effects of the plants are also evaluated.

The aim therefore, is not only the isolation and purification of pharmacologically relevant phytochemicals as new lead compounds, but also the investigation of complex extracts and semi-pure fractions to use in the medicinal plant industry related to the primary health care of people.

Professor Lall works closely with industry partners as well as traditional health practitioners for the commercialisation of new plant-based herbal products. Bioprospecting, ethical issues, intellectual property rights and benefit-sharing related to this process are some of the tasks of high priority.

DST/NRF South African Research Chair

Professor Lall holds a DST/NRF South African Research Chair from Indigenous Knowledge Systems as part of the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI). The goal of the Research Chairs initiative is to strengthen the research and innovation capacity of public universities. The key objectives that Professor Lall meets as part of this initiative include:

Contributing to the expansion of the scientific research and innovation capacity of South Africa (SA);
Improving SA’s international research while responding to social and economic challenges in SA
Attracting and retaining excellent researchers and scientists;
Increasing the production of masters and doctoral graduates; and
Creating research career pathways for young and mid-career researchers, with a strong research, innovation and human capital development output trajectory.

Patents

Professor Lall has been placed in the top 1% of the Essential Science Indicators list for publication citations in the discipline of Pharmacology and Toxicology. She has led the discovery of a number of medicinal plants with valuable biological activities, many of which have been patented. Prof Lall’s innovation has resulted in about 41 patents including 9 South African patents and 6 PCT patents of which 3 have been granted in the US, 2 in the European Union, 2 in the ARIPO states, and 1 in China, South Korea, Australia, India and Japan.

Extracts/Prototypes

A total of more than 30 prototypes/ products; resulting from Professor Lall’s lab have undergone extensive research and development (including in vitro validation, pre-clinical and clinical trials). Many of these prototypes have been patented and have even been licenced out to the manufacturers. Products to reduce hyperpigmentation, for acne, ageing, periodontal diseases have been commercialised nationally and internationally, whereas a separate complementary medicine that can be used against tuberculosis, or as an immune-booster, has been commercialised nationally.

Books and publications

To date, Professor Lall has co-authored over 200 research articles in peer-reviewed journals as well as 91 book chapters. Furthermore, she has edited 5 books on medicinal plants, with a 6^th book in the pipeline.

Selected recent publications

Twilley, D., Reva, O., Meyer, D., Lall, N. (2022). Mupirocin promotes wound healing by stimulating growth factor production and proliferation of human keratinocytes. Frontiers in Pharmacology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.862112 13 (Impact factor: 5.988).

Loggerenberg, S. R., Twilley, D., De Canha, M. N., Meyer, D., Mabena, E. C., Lall, N. (2022). Evaluation of wound healing and antibacterial potential of Greyia radlkoferi Szyszyl. ethanolic leaf extract. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.806285. 13 Frontiers in Pharmacology. (Impact factor: 5.810).

Rummun, N., Payne, B., Blom van Staden, A., Twilley, D., Houghton, B., Horrocks, P., Li, W., Lall, N., Bahorun, T., Neergheen^,V. S. (2023). Pluripharmacological potential of Mascarene endemic plant leaf extracts. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology. 47, 102572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2022.102572 (Impact factor 4.259).

Jugreet, B.S.; Lall, N.; Anina Lambrechts, I.; Reid, A.-M.; Maphutha, J.; Nel, M.; Hassan, A.H.; Khalid, A.; Abdalla, A.N.; Van, B.L.; Mahomoodally, M.F (2022). In Vitro and In Silico Pharmacological and Cosmeceutical Potential of Ten Essential Oils from Aromatic Medicinal Plants from the Mascarene Islands. Molecules, 27, 8705. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27248705

Twilley, D., Thipe, V.C., Kishore, N., Bloebaum, P., Roma-Rodrigues, C., Baptista, P. V., Fernandes, A. R., Selepe, M, A., Langhansova, L., Katti, K., Lall, N. (2022). Antiproliferative activity of Buddleja saligna (Willd) against melanoma and in vivo modulation of angiogenesis. Pharmaceuticals. 15, 1497. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph15121497. (Impact factor 5.677).

Devkota, H. P., Paudel, K. R., Lall, N., Tomczyk, M., & Atanasov, A. G. (2022). Editorial: Pharmacology of Plant Polyphenols in Human Health and Diseases. Frontiers in Pharmacology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.945033

Ho, K., Efrat, N., Schreiber, K. L., Vo, P. H., De Canha, M. N., Blom Van Staden, A., Payne, B. D., Oosthuizen, C. B., Twilley, D., Lei, Z., Sumner, L. W., Brown, C. R., Lall, N., Lin, C. (2022). Assessing anti-inflammatory activities and compounds in Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). Agriculture 11, 936. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12070936. (Impact factor 2.315).

Lambrechts, Isa A., Velaphi C. Thipe, Kattesh V. Katti, Vusani Mandiwana, Michel Lonji Kalombo, Suprakas Sinha Ray, Rirhandzu Rikhotso, Arno Janse van Vuuren, Tenille Esmear, and Namrita Lall (2022). Targeting Acne Bacteria and Wound Healing In Vitro Using Plectranthus aliciae, Rosmarinic Acid, and Tetracycline Gold Nanoparticles. Pharmaceuticals 15, no. 8: 933. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph15080933. (Impact factor: 5.677)

Loggenberg, S. R., Twilley, D., De Canha, M. N., Meyer, D., Lall, N.. (2022). The activity of Aloe arborescens Miller varieties on wound-associated pathogens, wound healing and growth factor production. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2022.04.010 (Impact factor 2.315).

Marizé Nel, Analike Blom van Staden, Danielle Twilley, Carel B. Oosthuizen, Debra Meyer, Siva Kumar, Masilamani E. Sobhia, Judey Pretorius, Namrita Lall. (2022). Potential of succulents for eczema-associated symptoms. South African Journal of Botany. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2022.03.030. (Impact factor 2.315).

Lymperis, P., Tomou, E.M., De Canha, M.N., Lall, N., Skaltsa, H. (2022). Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology of Elegia Species: A Review. Scientia Pharmaceutica. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/scipharm90010004 90(1), 4 (Impact factor: 3.429).

Books edited by Prof Lall

Medicinal Plants for Holistic Health and Wellbeing 2017. (ISBN: 9780128124758).

Underexplored potentially therapeutic plants from Sub-Saharan Africa 2020. (ISBN: 9780128168141).

Aquatic Plants: Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Applications 2020. (ISBN: 9780367518462).

Medicinal Plants for Cosmetics, Health and Diseases 2022. (ISBN: 9781003108375).

Medicinal Plants from Sub-Saharan Africa - Undiscovered Therapeutic Potential 2024. (ISBN: 9783031649035)

Research Networking Societies

The African Phytomedicine Scientific Society

The African Phytomedicine Scientific Society (APSS), which was founded by Prof. Lall and a few of her students, aims to stimulate and facilitate the interaction of African researchers in the field with the intention to foster the scientific development of the continent within the area of ethnopharmacology and natural products research.

The main purpose of this group is to facilitate the communication and interaction of the network members. It is intended to share relevant information (i.e., scientific event information, call for fellowships), provide the possibility for personal and professional exchange and stimulate collaboration (laboratory and equipment sharing).

APSS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theapssnetwork/

APSS Twitter: @theAPSSnetwork

APSS email: [email protected]

The International Society for Ethnopharmacology

ISE LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13843911/

ISE Twitter: https://x.com/ISE_Ethnopharm

ISE email: [email protected] (ISE Secretary)

Short Courses

Natural Products from Plants for Medicine, Cosmetics and Agriculture :2025

The Natural Products from Plants for Medicine, Cosmetics and Agriculture short course provides practical and theoretical skills to researchers and indigenous knowledge holders who are interested in the discovery of new natural products from plants. The intention is to create a multidisciplinary and collaborative course that incorporates plant science, phytochemistry, pharmacology, plant pathology as well as formulation development to aid in the shift of medicinal plant research from bench to shelf.

Course duration: 12 May-30 November 2025 & contact sessions: 15-17 September

Course fees: R8000 (blended) and R5000 (online only)

Online Profiles

Postdoctoral Fellows

Dr Danielle Twilley

ORICD - https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6701-5547

ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Danielle_Twilley2

Google Scholar - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=6qQFp3wAAAAJ&hl=en

Dr Marco Nuno De Canha

ORICD - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9237-2279

ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marco_De_Canha

Google Scholar - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MV9vxSYAAAAJ&hl=en

Dr Anna-Mari Reid

ORICD - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4552-4022

ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anna_Mari_Reid

Google Scholar - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=g90v3ZUAAAAJ&hl=en

Postgraduate Students

Dr Bianca Payne

Project Title - “ A wrinkle in time; the effect of various extracts of Persicaria senegalensis of the maintenance of the dermal matrisome in photoageing skin”

ORCID - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9901-0932

ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bianca_Fibrich

PhD Candidates

Jacqueline Maphutha

Project Title – “Inhibition of VEGF in human malignant melanoma through the upregulation of PTEN using a bioactive compound isolated from HF-EtOH”

ORCID - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6468-630X

ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jacqueline_Maphutha

Marize' Nel

Project Title - “Potential mode of action of Juncus lomatophyllus gold nanoparticles against symptoms associated with eczema”

ORCID - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3347-6836

ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marize_Nel

Samantha Rae Loggenberg

Project Title - “Investigating the antimetastatic activity of medicinal plants against breast cancer”

ORCID - https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8521-9463

ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gugulethu_Radebe2

Brandon Alston

Project Title - “The evaluation of Medicinal plants against targets associated with COVID-19”

ORCID - https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2943-688X

ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brandon-Alston-2

Jonathan Seaman

Project Title - “The antibiofilm potential and therapeutic adjuvant properties of Salvia aurea and Sphedamnocarpus pruriens, against a model organism Mycobacterium smegmatis”

ORCID - https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5505-3773

ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jonathan_Seaman2

Bianca Diedericks

Project Title - “Antitubercular activity of 7-methyljuglone-loaded poly-(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles”

ORCID - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1707-3201

ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bianca-Diedercks

MSc Students

Rochelle de Kock

Project Title - “The feasibility of synthetic oleanolic and ursolic acid in combination for drug development against melanoma”

ORCID - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3428-8458

ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rochelle_De_Kock

Andile Marima

Project Title – “Exploring the anti-inflammatory potential of selected African orphan crops” ORICID - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5159-2419

Alexander Quinn Paulsen

Preliminary Project Title – “An exploration into the dual action of biologically active South African dye plants”

ORCID - https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5339-5589

ResearchGate - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alexander-Paulsen-3?ev=hdr_xprf

Karabelo Theledi

Project title – “The antihistamine effects of medicinal plants”

ORCID - https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4222-3803?lang=en

Elizabeth Jean Wildy

Project Title – “Investigating the anticancer activity of medicinal plants against colon cancer”

ORCID – https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0081-5612

ResearchGate – https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Elizabeth-Wildy

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Arid conditions stimulate plant trait diversity – UP part of worldwide study that offers hope for biodiversity conservation

Prof. Namrita Lall

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