Department of Botany & Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602 South Africa
 


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Contact details:

Department of Botany & Zoology
University of Stellenbosch
Private Bag X1
Matieland 7602
South Africa

Tel: +27 21 808-3236
Fax: +27 21 808-2405
E-mail: makunga@sun.ac.za

 


Makunga Dr N.P. Makunga

 

Current research projects

South Africa is renowned for its plant biodiversity and is highly resourced with plants that have medicinal value.  As a result, the tradition of plant use for medicinal purposes continues to contribute to the healthcare of a large proportion of the population.  The exploitation of medical plants is largely attributed to the wealth of pharmacologically active chemicals which these plants are able to synthesize through secondary metabolism. The study of medicinal plants has become a priority in South Africa and this is evidenced by an increasing volume of literature emanating from South African research institutions.  Most of these studies aim to validate the rationale for use of medicinal flora and thus utilization of biotechnological tools in studying medicinal flora remains a new paradigm not only in South Africa but Africa as whole.

Studies with a biotechnological angle have generally employed tissue culture as in vitro conservation strategy in order to provide an ex situ reserve for species under threat. More intensive exploration of biotechnological approaches is required particularly for the discovery of new biologically active and useful secondary compounds; and, in answering questions related to the molecular and genetic regulation of secondary metabolism in plants. In our laboratories, we have been applying a broad-based biotechnological approach to facilitate use of plants efficiently, in a non-destructive sustainable manner and to gain insights into the regulation of secondary metabolism.

Journal Articles

  • Makunga NP, van Staden J & Cress WA (1997) The effect of light and 2,4-D on anthocyanin production in Oxalis  reclinata callus. Plant Growth Regulation 23: 153-158
  • Makunga NP, Jäger, AK & van Staden J. (2003) Micropropagation of Thapsia garganica – a medicinal plant. Plant Cell Reports 21: 967 973
  • Nigro SA, Makunga NP & Grace OM (2004) Medicinal plants at the ethnobotany and biotechnology interface in Africa. South African Journal of Botany 70: 89-96 (Special edition on Biotechnology)
  • Nigro SA, Makunga NP, Jones NB & van Staden J (2005) A biolistic approach towards transgenic Pinus patula Schiedde  et Deppe ‘embryonal suspensor masses’. Plant Growth Regulation 44: 187-197
  • Madubanya LA, Jäger AK, Makunga NP, Geldenhuys CJ & van Staden J (2005) DNA fingerprinting and anti-inflammatory activity of Ocotea bullata bark from different locations. South African Journal of Botany 71: 38-44
  • Makunga NP, Jäger, AK &, van Staden J (2005) An improved system for the in vitro regeneration in T. garganica L. via organogenesis – influence of auxins and cytokinin. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 82: 271-280
  • Madubanya LA, Makunga NP & Fennell CW (2006) Dierama luteoalbidum: Liquid culture provides an efficient system for the ex situ conservation of an endangered and horticulturally valuable plant. South African Journal of Botany 72: 584 -588
  • Makunga NP, Jäger AK & van Staden J (2006) Improved in vitro rooting and hyperhydricity in regenerating tissues of Thapsia garganica L. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 86: 77-86
  • Makunga NP & van Staden J (2008) An efficient system for the production of clonal plantlets of the medicinally important aromatic plant: Salvia africana-lutea L. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 92: 63-72
  • Nigro SA, Makunga NP, Jones NB & van Staden J (2008) An Agrobacterium-mediated system for gene transfer in Pinus patula. South African Journal of Botany 74:144-148


Book Chapters

  • Ford CS, Fisher LJ, Jones NB, Nigro SA, Makunga NP & van Staden J (2005) Somatic embryogenesis in Pinus patula. In: Jain SM & Gupta P (eds), Protocols for Somatic Embryogenesis in Woody plants. Springer, Dordrecht. pp 121-139. ISBN 1-4020-2984-5
  • Fennell CW, Makunga NP & van Staden J (2006) Medicinal plants and biotechnology: an integrated approach to healthcare.  In: Teixera da Silva JA (ed), Floriculture, Ornamental and Plant Biotechnology: Advances and Topical Issues, Volume 4 Global Science Books, UK. pp 41-53 ISBN 978-4-903313-09-2

 

Conference outputs

  • Nigro SA, Makunga NP, Jones NB & van Staden J. (2000) Bombardment - mediated transformation of Pinus patula. 26th Annual Congress of South African Association for Botanists Conference (University of Potchefstroom, Potchefstroom)
  • Makunga NP, van Staden J & Jäger AK (2001) Developing a protocol for the transformation of Thapsia garganica the root inducing genes of Agrobacterium rhizogenes. 27thAnnual Congress of South African Association for Botanists Conference (Rand Afrikaans University, Johannesburg)
  • Nigro SA, Makunga NP, Jones NB & van Staden J. (2001) Bombardment-mediated transformation of Pinus patula embryogenic tissue and somatic embryos. 27th Annual Congress of South African Association for Botanists Conference (Rand Afrikaans University, Johannesburg)
  • Makunga NP, van Staden J & Jäger AK (2002) Transfer of the root inducing genes of Agrobacterium rhizogenes into Thapsia garganica, a medicinal. 28thAnnual Congress of South African Association for Botanists Conference (Rhodes University, Grahamstown) South African Journal of Botany 68: 259
  • Makunga NP, Jäger AK & van Staden J. (2002) Micropropagation and genetic transformation of T. garganica: Progress and Perspectives. 8th International Pacific Rim Biotechnology Conference (Auckland, New Zealand)
  • Nigro SA, Makunga NP, Jones NB & van Staden J.  (2002) Generation of transgenic Pinus patula embryogenic tissue via particle bombardment transfer (Auckland, New Zealand)
  • Nigro SA, Makunga NP, Jones NB & van Staden J. (2003) Genetic transformation of Pinus patula embryogenic tissue. 28th Annual Congress of South African Association of Botanists (Rhodes University, Grahamstown)
  • Makunga NP, Jäger AK & van Staden J. (2003) Application of transgenic technology towards improved thapsigargin production by Thapsia garganica L. 29th Annual Congress of South African Association of Botanists (University of Pretoria, Pretoria) South African Journal of Botany 69: 237
  • Makunga NP, Jäger AK & van Staden J. (2003) Transgenic approach towards improving thapsigargin production by Thapsia garganica L. (2003) 7th International Congress of Plant Molecular Biology (Barcelona, Spain)
  • Nigro SA, Makunga NP. Jones NB & van Staden J. (2003) Towards transgenic Pinus patula with uidA and bar genes resulting from microprojectile bombardment of embryonal suspensor masses (ESM) 29th Annual Congress of South African Association of Botanists (University of Pretoria, Pretoria) South African Journal of Botany 69: 259
  • Ascough GD, Makunga NP, van Staden J. (2004) Double haploid production in wheat using isolated microspore culture. 30th Annual Congress of the South African Association of Botanists (University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban) South African Journal of Botany 70: 332
  • Nigro SA, Makunga NP, Jones NB & van Staden J. (2004) Genetic modification of a commercially important softwood species by Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer. 30th Annual Congress of the South African Association of Botanists (University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban) South African Journal of Botany 70: 347
  • Makunga NP, van Staden J. (August 2005) Production and analysis of bioactives in in vitro shoot and hairy root cultures of southern African sages. International Congress and 53rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant Research (Florence, Italy)
  • Makunga NP, Jäger AK, van Staden J. (February 2006) Southern African Essential Oils: From germplasm to oil distillation, extraction and quality control. 1st International Aromatic Plants and Essential Oil Mini-Symposium. (TechnoPark, Stellenbosch)
  • Makunga NP, Colling J, Horsthemke HR, Ramogola WPN, van Staden J. (January 2007) Changing the chemical mosaic of South African medicinal plants through biotechnological strategies. 33rd Annual meeting of the South African Association for Botanists (University of Cape Town, Cape Town)
  • Nigro SA, Makunga NP, Jones NB, van Staden J (January 2006) From jelly beans to jumping genes – application of biotechnology in conifers. 33rd Annual meeting of the South African Association for Botanists (University of Cape Town, Cape Town)
  • Makunga NP, Colling J, Horsthemke HR, Ramogola WPN, van Staden J (August 2007) Adopting biotechnological strategies – plants from South Africa as targets. Plants for human health in the post-genomic area (Helsinki, Finland)
  • Colling J, JH Groenewald, Makunga  NP (January 2008) Genetic modification and biochemical analysis of in vitro cultures of Pelargonium sidoides
  • Philander LE, Makunga NP, Ellen R (January 2008) Transmission of Medicinal Plant Knowledge in Urban Cape Town. 34th Annual meeting of the South African Association for Botanists (University of the Witwatersrand, Drakensville)
  • Makunga NP, Jäger  AK , van Staden  J (January 2008) Contriubtion of South African plants to medicinla plant biotechnology. 34th Annual meeting of the South African Association for Botanists (University of the Witwatersrand, Drakensville)
  • Ramogola WPN, Makunga NP, van Staden J. (January 2008) Molecular analysis of in vitro cultures of Salvia africana-lutea L. 34th Annual meeting of the South African Association for Botanists (University of the Witwatersrand, Drakensville)

Manuscripts currently under preparation

  • Colling J, Groenewald JH & Makunga NP (2008) Expedient Agrobacterium-rhizogenes transformation of the medicinally important Pelargonium sidoides DC. Plant Cell Reports
  • Makunga NP, Jäger  AK, Ramogola WPN, Bekker J & van Staden  J (2008) Chemical complexity and biological activity of the essential oil and leaf extracts of - Salvia africana-lutea L Journal of Food and Agricultural Chemistry
  • Makunga NP, Jäger AK & van Staden J. (2008) Transformation of a southern African Salvia species for the induction of hairy root cultures. Plant Cell Reports
  • Nigro SA, Makunga NP, Jones NB & van Staden J. Two decades in review: perspectives on genetic transformation in conifers. Tree Physiology
  • Philander LE, Smith M, Makunga NP (2008) Sustainable Commercialization of South African Medicinal Plants – A review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology (invited review)
  • Ramogola WPM, van Staden J, Makunga NP. An overview of the biotechnological applications in the Genus Salvia. Molecular Breeding

Current Students (2008)

PhD

Lisa Philander
Assessment of the Trade of Medicinal Plant in the Western Cape of South Africa

MSc

Janine Colling
A molecular investigation into canavanine synthesis in Lessertia frutescens

Hannibal Musarurwa
Towards increased metabolite production in medicinally important South African plants

Watsie Ramogola
Chemical profiling and molecular analysis of the hairy root and plantlet clones of Salvia africana-lutea

BSc (Hons)

Mark Jooste
In vitro bulblet formation in Western Cape Oxalis species

Bernard Wessels

Kyle Willard

 

  
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