Abstract
Plants have been used for medicinal purposes across the globe from time immemorial. In southern Africa, traditional healing utilizes a multitude of plants to treat an array of health or medical conditions and serves as an integral part of the primary health care system. At least 4 000 species are utilized medicinally in the region, with approximately 3 000 used in South Africa alone. Heartburn is a burning sensation in the throat and heart area, and it is often associated with acid reflux, but can also be a symptom of several other diseases such as gastritis, peptic ulcers, and stomach cancer. Furthermore, it is one of the cardinal symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and is particularly prevalent in pregnant women. Thus, the study aimed to document the medicinal plants used traditionally for the treatment of heartburn in southern Africa and to establish if such plants have been evaluated for their acid-neutralizing and antacid properties based on a comprehensive literature survey. Furthermore, the study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical properties of selected plant species using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), as well as an assessment of selected, previously unstudied plants for their acid-neutralizing and antacid potential. Published journal articles sourced from different databases such as American Chemical Society (ACS), JSTOR, ScienceDirect, Scopus, SpringerLink, and Wiley Online, and books were used to obtain the ethnobotanical information used in this study. Nine species were selected and screened for their phytochemical properties using GC-MS which is used to identify and quantify secondary metabolites from hexane extracts of the plants. Hexane solvent was used because its extraction efficacy of most nonpolar analytes is higher. The antacid of the plant species was evaluated by assessing the pH of the test samples and their neutralizing effects on artificial gastric acid in comparison with marketed antacid Rennie® which was used as a standard. A modified model of Vatier’s artificial stomach was used to determine the duration of the consistent neutralization of the artificial gastric acid by the test samples. The neutralizing capacity of the test samples was determined in vitro using the back-titration method...
M.Sc. (Botany)