Page 117 - SAMRC Annual Report 2023-24

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Herbal Drugs
Research Unit

Unit director:
Prof. Alvaro Viljoen

Prioritising responsive research members of the public (users), the regulator
through impactful interventions (SAHPRA) as well as industry in general.

The main goal of the Herbal Drugs Research Unit Equitable capacity development
is to conduct technologically advanced scientific for empowering communities
research, and to make basic knowledge readily
available to stakeholders, to promote the quality, The unit, based at a University of Technology, seeks
safety and efficacy (QSE) of herbal medicines. The to produce future-ready postgraduate students/
safety and efficacy data on phytomedicines are researchers who are fully equipped and skilled
far from sufficient to meet the criteria needed to in various aspects of medicinal plants research,
support their use worldwide. This lack of research to further the agenda of integrating traditional
data can be attributed partly to the fact that medicines into primary healthcare, globally.
health care policies have neglected to adequately Currently, the unit has 11 registered PhDs, 11
address phytomedicines. However, the absence of masters and 2 postdoctoral fellows. During the
appropriate or accepted research methodology for reporting period, two female South African females
evaluating traditional and herbal medicines remains graduated, one with a PhD and the other a masters
the biggest stumbling block to the commercial degree. In order to address gender disparities and
development of phytomedicines. The unit uses transformation, the unit actively prioritises recruiting
modern technology to add substantial value to African females, who currently constitute 50% of
assist in developing some of South Africa's botanical the total postgraduate compliment. Furthermore,
assets into commercial products. In this way, the unit the unit aims to assist academic staff to further their
may be instrumental in unlocking and advancing the qualifications and to date, 5 African females have
possible socio-economic value of our indigenous graduated (4 PhDs, 1 masters) and two are currently
resources to the benefit of all South Africans. busy with their PhD projects.

The ongoing research is of a multi-disciplinary nature Science for creating a
and seeks to address aspects of pharmacology,
phytochemistry and toxicity of popularly used healthier society
medicinal plants, thereby contributing to evidence- The research outputs produced is intended to
based use of these plants. Various postgraduate improve knowledge on medicinal plants that are
research projects are underway where modern in currently used in African traditional medicine systems.
vitro and in vivo models are employed to assess This information is of benefit to the general public
biological activities and toxicity. The use of state-of- who have shown interest in the use of indigenous
the art instrumentation has contributed to the unit plants for healthcare. By providing guidelines for
becoming a leader in chemical profiling of medicinal the quality control of herbal raw materials, we aim
plants, an important aspect of quality control. This to encourage production of high-quality products
research encourages the development of the herbal that are attractive to the international community,
products industry in South Africa, which benefits and to grow the local industry. In line with this, the

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2023-24 115