Search Results (8)

South Africa continues to experience a high HIV prevalence, necessitating innovative prevention strategies aligned with the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets. Long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), such as cabotegravir (CAB-LA), offers a promising alternative to daily oral regimens. However, the perspectives of primary healthcare workers (PHCWs)—key implementers of this intervention—remain underexplored. This scoping review aims to systematically map existing literature on PHCWs’ knowledge, awareness, perceptions, barriers, facilitators, and implementation experiences related to injectable PrEP within the South African healthcare context. The review will follow the Arksey and O’Malley framework, enhanced by Levac et al., and will be reported following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A comprehensive search will be conducted across PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Web of Science, and Google Scholar, without language or date restrictions. The search strategy will employ both controlled vocabulary (e.g., MeSH and CINAHL Subject Headings) and free-text terms. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria will be managed using EndNote X20 and appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) 2018 version. Data will be synthesized thematically and presented narratively and in tabular form. By consolidating PHCWs’ perspectives, this review will identify implementation challenges, training needs, and systemic barriers, informing the development of context-specific strategies for PrEP rollout. The findings are expected to support the design of effective, culturally relevant educational interventions and guide policymakers in strengthening HIV prevention efforts in high-burden settings. Full article

Melasma is a chronic skin disorder characterized by hyperpigmentation, predominantly affecting women with darker skin types, including those of African descent. This study investigates the association between genetic variants in SLC45A2, TYR, HERC2, and SLC24A5 genes and the severity of melasma in women of reproductive age. Forty participants were divided into two groups: twenty with facial melasma and twenty without. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from blood samples and genotyped using TaqMan assays to identify allele frequencies and genotype distributions. Significant associations were observed for the TYR gene (rs1042602), HERC2 gene (rs1129038), and SLC24A5 gene (rs1426654) polymorphisms, highlighting their potential roles in melasma susceptibility. For example, the rs1042602 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP) in the TYR gene showed a strong association with melasma, with the AA genotype conferring a markedly increased risk. Similarly, the rs1129038 SNP in the HERC2 gene and the rs1426654 SNP in the SLC24A5 gene revealed significant genetic variations between groups in women of African descent. These findings underscore the influence of genetic polymorphisms on melasma’s pathogenesis, emphasizing the need for personalized approaches to its treatment, particularly for women with darker skin types. Full article

Collagen, a critical biomaterial with wide applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and medical industries, can be sourced sustainably from fish scales. This study optimizes the extraction of collagen using Tris-Glycine buffer from fish scales via the Taguchi method. Various extraction parameters—buffer concentration, temperature, pH, and time—were evaluated to identify optimal conditions. Under optimal conditions (0.5 M of acetic acids, volume of acids of 100 mL, soaking time of 120 min, and Tris-Glycine buffer of 10 mL), the results demonstrate that temperature and buffer concentration significantly influence collagen yield, with a collagen purity of 17.14 ± 0.05 mg/g. R² value of 73.84% was obtained for the mathematical model). FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of characteristic collagen peaks at 1611 cm⁻¹ (amide I), 1523 cm⁻¹ (amide II), and 1300 cm⁻¹ (amide III), indicating the successful extraction of type I collagen. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed a protein banding pattern consistent with the molecular weight of collagen, and amino acid analysis shows high percentages of glycine (20.98%), proline (15.43%), and hydroxyproline (11.51%), implying fibrous collagen structures. The finding suggests that the Taguchi method offers an efficient and sustainable approach for collagen extraction, reducing waste from fish processing industries. Nevertheless, there is a need for further experimental validation to align with mathematical modeling on the optimized conditions. Full article

There is a growing demand and use of herbal cosmetics for skin purposes due to their perceived safety when applied to the skin. Three Cassipourea species commonly known as “ummemezi” are used interchangeably by women in rural areas of Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces to treat hypermelanosis as well as sun protection. We conducted a phytochemical comparison of three Cassipourea species; Cassipourea flanaganii (Schinz) Alston, Cassipourea gummiflua Tul. verticillata (N.E.Br.) J. Lewis and Cassipourea malosana (Baker) Alston by Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis in negative mode. The results obtained from the LC-MS/MS yielded a total number of twenty-four compounds of different chemical classes, including fatty acids, steroids, di- and tri-terpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and eighteen among them were tentatively identified. The LC-MS /MS analysis showed that the three studied Cassipourea extracts contain compounds that have anti-tyrosinase activity and consequently. The presence of these compounds, either in synergy or individually, can be attributed to the anti-tyrosinase effect. Although the traditional names of the species are used interchangeably, they are different, however, they possess similar skin-lightening properties. Despite the recent popularity of modern cosmetic products, plants continue to play an important role in the local cosmetics industry in South Africa’s Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal community provinces. Full article

Skin disease is a severe health issue that affects a lot of people in Africa and is vastly underreported. Because of their availability, affordability, and safety, medicinal plants represent a major source of treatment for various skin diseases in West Africa. This review presents the medicinal plants used in treating skin diseases in West Africa and their available biological activities that have lent credence to their skin care usage. A total of 211 plant species from 56 families are implicated to be used in West Africa for several skin conditions such as aphthous ulcers, burns, eczema, scabies, sores, and wounds. Fabaceae is the most-implicated family (30 species) for the treatment of skin diseases, followed by Combretaceae (14 species) and Asteraceae (13 species). Most of the medicinal plants used are trees (93); leaves (107) were the most-used plant part, and decoction (73) was the preferred preparation method for the medicinal plants. The biological activities related to the pathology of skin diseases, such as antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of 82 plants, have been evaluated. Based on their minimum inhibitory concentration, the most active antimicrobial plant is Brillantaisia lamium. Among the isolated phytochemicals, betulenic acid and lespedin were the most active, while plants such as Kigelia africana and Strophanthus hispidus showed significant wound-healing activities. This review highlights research gaps in the ethnobotanical studies of many West African countries, the biological activities of plants used to treat skin diseases, and the cosmetic potential of these plants. Full article

Melasma is a common skin disorder of acquired hyperpigmentation that appears commonly on the face. Although asymptomatic, melasma causes psychosocial and emotional distress. This study aimed to assess melasma’s severity on people with darker skin types, evaluate the effects of melasma on the quality of life (QoL), and establish QoL predictors in affected individuals. This was a cross-sectional analytic study that enrolled 150 patients from three private dermatology clinics in Durban, South Africa who were diagnosed with melasma. The severity of melasma alongside QoL were measured using a melasma area and severity index (MASI) score and melasma quality of life scale (MELASQoL), respectively. The associations among factors and QoL were explored using multivariable methods and stepwise regression analysis. p-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Enrolled patients were predominantly females (95%), of which 76% were of black African ethnicity, 9% were of Indian ethnicity, and 15% had mixed ancestry, with an average age of 47.30 years. Family history revealed that 61% had no prior melasma cases, while 39% had affected relatives, most commonly mothers (41%). The cheeks were the most common site for melasma. MASI score of Masi (β = 0.209, t = 2.628, p < 0.001), the involvement of cheeks (β = −0.268, t = −3.405, p < 0.001), level of education (β = −0.159, t = −2.029, p = 0.044), and being menopausal (β = −0.161, t = −2.027, p = 0.045) were found to be predictors of QoL. A regression model was created to forecast MELASQoL using these four predictors. This equation’s significance lies in its ability to enable the remote assessment of MELASQoL based on these four variables. It offers a valuable tool for researchers and medical professionals to quantitatively and objectively evaluate the impact of melasma on an individual’s quality of life. Full article

The conventional use of medicinal plants is in part based on the widespread belief that plant crude extracts are non-toxic. In South Africa, traditional preparations of Cassipourea flanaganii used to treat hypermelanosis have accordingly been regarded by many as non-toxic. Whether that is so impacts on the potential of bark extracts to be developed as a commercial drug to treathypermelanosis, given their documented capacity to inhibit tyrosinase activity. Our study investigated the acute and subacute toxicity of the methanol extract of C. flanaganii bark in rats. Wistar rats were randomly assigned into different treatment groups. The rats received a daily oral gavage of crude extract for acute and subacute toxicity tests. Haematological, biomechanical, clinical and histopathology examinations were carried out to evaluate the possible toxicity of C. flanaganii. The results were subjected to the Student’s t-test and ANOVA. For both acute and subacute toxicity, there was no statistical difference between the groups. There were no clinical or behavioral signs of toxicity observed in the rats. No treatment-related gross pathology lesions and no histopathology were observed. The findings of this study demonstrate the absence of acute or subacute toxicity after oral treatment with C. flanaganii stem bark extracts in Wistar rats at the levels administered. Chemical profiling of the total extract using LC-MS tentatively identified eleven (11) compounds as the major chemical constituents. Full article

Melasma is a challenging chronic skin condition associated with hyperpigmentation and unknown aetiology. This scoping review maps evidence of available treatments and their effectiveness in darker skin types. A comprehensive, systematic online search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL Complete, Cochrane, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science Core Collection. All eligible titles were exported to an EndNote20 library (Clarivate analytics, US). Thematic content analysis was performed to summarise data on current melasma treatments for darker skin types. The quality of included articles was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) 2018 version. A total of 2863 articles were retrieved from the databases, and 10 met the eligibility criteria following abstract and full-text screening. Our findings demonstrate that topical treatments, chemical peels, lasers, and tranexamic acid are common treatment modalities used in darker skin types. Although these treatments may be effective in the short term, they bring about undesirable side effects and sometimes worsen or result in reoccurrences of melasma. Based on the evidence mapped, current treatment modalities are not suitable for darker skin types. There are very few studies conducted on individuals of African descent. Further research is necessary to investigate treatment interventions that may be user-friendly when dealing with darker skin types. Full article