Browsing by Author "Boatwright, James Stephen"

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    Chemical investigation of some species of Amaryllidaceae from the Greater Cape Region of South Africa as a source of bioactive compounds
    (University of the Western Cape, 2020) Ibrakaw, Abobaker Saleh Mohamed; Boatwright, James Stephen; Mohammed, Ahmed
    The family Amaryllidaceae is widely distributed in the southern hemisphere. Members of the family are well known for their content of pharmacologically active alkaloids and represent an important epicentre of Amaryllidaceae-alkaloid diversity. Other metabolites from Amaryllidaceae, such as phenolics including flavonoids, lignans, chromones, and acetophenones, in addition to terpenoids and ceramides have been reported. Boophone haemanthoides (BHE), Crossyne flava (CRO), Clivia miniata (CME) and Nerine humilis (NHE) are members of Amaryllidaceae that have shown biological activity. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that progresses with increasing age and some of its major symptoms include tremors, postural and movement related difficulties. To date, the treatment of PD remains a challenge because available drugs only treat the symptoms of the disease or possess serious side effects. In light of this, new treatment options are needed, hence this study investigates the neuroprotective effects of BHE and CRO along with the isolated compounds of BHE and CRO.
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    A rare new species of the genus Wiborgiella (Crotalarieae, Fabaceae)
    (Elsevier, 2014) Boatwright, James Stephen; Helme, Nicholas Alexander
    The new species Wiborgiella argentea is described. It is closely similar to Wiborgiella leipoldtiana and W. fasciculata but differs in its single-stemmed habit, densely sericeous leaves, wing petals that are longer than the keel and de- tails of the fruit. It is known from the Robertson area where it occurs in Robertson Karoo, on rocky, south facing shale slopes. The genus Wiborgiella Boatwr. & B.-E.van Wyk comprises nine species of legumes endemic to the Greater Cape Floristic Region of South Africa (Boatwright et al., 2010). It was described to accommo- date several anomalous species of the genus Lebeckia Thunb. s.l. as well as one species of Wiborgia Thunb.
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    Systematics of subtribe anthosperminae and the generic affinities of anthospermum l. and nenax gaertn. (Rubiaceae: Anthospermeae)
    (University of the Western Cape, 2021) Nemando, Rangani; Boatwright, James Stephen
    The last taxonomic treatment of the subtribe Anthosperminae Benth. (Rubiaceae, Rubioideae, Anthospermeae) was in 1986 by Puff., nevertheless, few attempts have been made to resolve the phylogeny and the inter- and infrageneric relationships within the subtribe. The genera Anthospermum L. (39 species) and Nenax Gaertn. (11 species) are considered the most difficult groups to distinguish. Anthospermum species are widely distributed in Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar with the highest concentration of taxa in southern Africa, while Nenax species are restricted to southern Africa, in the south-western Cape Floristic Region. The two genera share common morphological and anatomical characters such as the growth form, presence of hairs on the stem, leaf arrangement, presence of petioles, flowers formation, dehiscence and presence of carpophore in fruits. currently combination of characters, woody shrub, needle-like leaves, few-flowered inflorescence and dioecy are considered unique in Nenax.