Using traditional plants to treat myositis ossificans and other injuries?
What is myositis ossificans? Myositis ossificans is a reaction to a bruise in a muscle that has been injured. During the healing of the bruise, calcium can become deposited in the bruise causing a hard bone like structure within the muscle.
South Africa (SA) boasts rich native flora used by many traditional healers to treat a variety of ailments such as sports injuries, myositis ossificans and osteoporosis. Researchers are continuing to explore potential uses of medicinal plants.
Indigenous plants
Dr Mapula Razwinani (40), a post-doctoral fellow at the Technology, Transfer and Innovation (TTI) unit at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), is one researcher who is delving deeper into the benefits of herbal extracts from indigenous plants, not only for bone fractures, but also by creating herbal pads for burn wounds. So crucial is her research that she was recently awarded a grant to advance her project.
Dr Razwinani explained; “My product is a plant-derived medicinal composition with a registered national patent number: 2017/08330 and a European patent number: 1883680.3 – 112. I have also developed a prototype of a natural anti-inflammatory ointment product (La-Africa Soother) from medicinal plants for relief of muscle and joint aches post-exercise, but it is also preventative. This product is already on the market.”
Accolades and Awards
Recently, Dr Razwinani received an accolade at the 2023 L’Oréal – UNESCO Women in Science National Awards with other seven outstanding women. This is one of the most prestigious awards where ground-breaking female scientists are recognised and honoured for their excellent work and profiled as role models for younger women.
Hailing from Magau village in Louis Trichardt in Limpopo, Dr Razwinani expressed her excitement about her achievement which eluded her for the past two consecutive years. She attributes her success this time around to her supervisor and mentor, Professor Keolebogile Motaung, director of the TTI. She says Prof Motaung was always supportive of her academic work and encouraged her to re-apply for the awards.
She believes the reason why she was one of the winners this year is that she was able to turn her research project into a product which she filed and patented in SA and Europe, making her stand out from the rest of the applicants. Dr Razwinani says the award represents both personal and academic growth and development, adding that it will also inspire other females in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics and Innovation (STEAMI). She was also selected as one of the top 50 young scientists who represented SA at the recently held 8th BRICS Young Scientist Forum 2023.
According to Dr Razwinani, the accolade will also benefit the DUT in that it raised the profile of the institution and also strengthen the presence and visibility of women in STEAMI. She says she will use the achievement to mentor young female scientists who are engaged in research. Her mentorship will involve assisting them across a variety of areas such as how to present their research proposal at conferences and how to analyse and design their research data.
Benefits to society
Sharing her views about her mentee’s award, Professor Motaung says Dr Razwinani should continue to work hard and keep flying the DUT’s flag high. “At DUT we always encourage our researchers to conduct research to benefit society. This is enshrined in our ENVISION2030 which encourages our students to be entrepreneurial and innovative and to become adaptive graduates who will improve lives and livelihoods.
