Professor Drissa Diallo 2000

The thesis is composed both of ethnopharmacological investigations, screening studies as well as isolation and identification of compounds with specific bioactivities. The ethnopharmacological survey identified more that 100 different plants used in wound healing. Two of those, Entada africana and Trichilia emetica, were chosen for investigation of bioactive pectic polysaccharides in the water extracts. Pectic type polymers were identified as having effect on the complement system. 78 different plant extracts were screened for their antioxidant, free radical scavenging, larvicidal, antifungal and molluscicidal activities.  The two plants chosen for further studies were Glinus oppositifolius and Diospyros abbysinica. The first was shown to contain saponins with molluscicidal activity while the second had strong antifungal activities.

PhD Cecilie Sogn Nergård 2005

"Immunomodulating Pectic Polymers"
A: An Ethnopharmacological Survey of Wound Healing Plants used in Mali,
West-Africa
B: Structure and Immunological Studies of Polysaccharides from Wound
Healing Plants

For the treatment of a variety of diseases in developping countries the use of plants is crucial. In this thesis we identified and collected information about over 120 plants used in the treatment of wounds in the West-African country, Mali. Most of the plants were used as water-extracts. Extracts from 16 of the plants investigated, had the ability to influence on the immune system involved in the wound  healing process. Two of the extracts showed inhibition of the developement of gastrointestinal ulcers in mice. Active constituents that were identified from the plants belong to a group of compounds called pectins of the arabinogalactan type. These are complex carbohydrates that form extremely complex structures. In this theses the fine structures of these carbohydrates were investigated and compared, in addition their ability to influence on different parts of the immune system were studied.

PhD Ababacar Ibrahim Maïga 2005

Medicinal Plants in Mali. A: Toxicological Aspects B: Chemistry and Biological Activities Related to Antioxidant Properties.

The thesis presents the results of studies on medicinal plants from Mali with special focus on certain toxicological aspects as well as antioxidant activities. Both ethnopharmacological and chemical studies have been combined in the thesis. The survey includes the use of toxic plants by the healers and how they dealt with the toxic effects that they knew of. Edible and medicinal fruits and plants were investigated for their content of toxic and essential metal ions, while other medicinal plants were investigated for their ability to have antioxidant properties and inhibit 15-lipoxygenase. One of the plants with the highest antioxidative effect, Lannea velutina, was investigated further for identification of the compounds with this effect and was shown to be proantocyanidins. These compounds were also shown to have a protective effect against glutamate induced cell death.

PhD Sekou Bah 2006

Ethnopharmacological investigations of medicinal plants used against schistostomiasis in Mali

The thesis is based on ethnopharmacological and physicochemical investigations of some Malian medicinal plants. The ethnopharmacological part is divided in two. One based on the identification of what plants 40 healers from the Niono district used for the treatment of schistosomiasis, the other on screening of the antispasmodial, GABAA-benzodiazepine receptor binding and anti-acetyl cholinesterase activities of extracts of the most frequently cited plant species used against schistosomiasis. The other part of the thesis focus on the isolation and purification of proteases and cystatins from the 10 most cited plants used against schistosomiasis in order to identify compounds that might inhibit the proteases. Two of the plants appeared to contain compounds with the inhibitory activity looked for and those were partially characterized.

PhD Kari Inngjerdingen 2007

Bioactive pectic polymers from Malian medicinal plants

Structural and immunomodulating properties of pectic polysaccharides isolated from the Malian medicinal plants Glinus oppositifolius and Biophytum petersianum were the main focus in this thesis.

PhD Adiaratou Togola 2008

Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and biological activities of Malian medicinal plants.

The thesis presents the results of ethnopharmacological, phytochemical and biological activities investigations on Opilia celtidifolia (Guill. & Perr.) Endl. ex Walp (Opiliaceae), Cola cordifolia (Cav.) R. Br. (Sterculiaceae), and Erythrina senegalensis DC (Fabaceae), three plants used in traditional medicine in Mali to cure various types of diseases.

PhD student Tom Erik Grønhaug

The title of his PhD thesis is:

"Pectin products from Malian medicinal plants, can they combat ailments   related to the immune system? "

He will be working on the plants Biophytum petersianum and Opilia celtidifolia. He is working with bioactive pectins from these plants. Isolation, purification, structural clarification and immun related in-vitro testing.

PhD student Ingvild Austarheim - Estimated to finish January 2012

The title of her PhD thesis is:

A study of immunological active polysaccharides from medicinal plants in Mali
I: Structure and bioactivity relationship in Cola cordifolia (Cav.) R. Br. (Sterculiaceae). II. Can cultivated Vernonia kotschyana replace wild ones in products against gastric ulcer in Mali to retain the biodiversity in the country?

She is working with bioactive pectins from these two plants. Isolation, purification, structural clarification and immun related in-vitro testing.

Sogn, Cecilie: Polysakkarioder fra Vernonia kotschyana rot. Etnobotanikk kjemi og biologisk aktivitet (1998)  

Debes, Sylvi: En medicinplante fra Mali, Glinus oppositifolius. 1. Polysakkarides; struktur og biologisk aktivitet, 2. Etnofarmakolgosike undersøkelser (1998)

Mathisen, Elin: Radikalscavengere og antioksidanter fra Burkea afrikana, en afrikansk medisinplante (1999)

Inngjerdingen, Kari: Sårhelende planter i Mali: A. Videre studier over Glinus oppositifolius. B. Feltarbeid i Dogonland og Sikasso (2000)

Berg, Enrica Kristin: Sårhelende planter i Mali. Innledende studier of feltarbeid. Struktur- og aktivitetsstudier av polysakkarider fra Saba senegalensis (2000)

Kjønnøy, Marit: Innledende studier og feltarbeid på sårhelende planter fra Mali. Isolering og strukturbetsemmelse av biologisk aktive polysakkarider fra Butyrospermum parkii bark. (2000)

Hansen, Marianne Heggø: Sårhelende planter i Mali. Screening av flere planter og videre studier av struktur og aktivitet i polysakkarider fra Combrethum glutinosum (2000)

Aasberg, Hanne: Planter brukt i sårheling i Mali, en literaturstudie (2001)

Næss, Knut Håkon: Sårhelende planter i Mali. Studier av struktur og aktivitet i polysakkarider fra Cola cordifolia bark. Feltarbeid i Bandiagara og Dioila (2003)

Odlo, Kristin: Isolering og karakterisering av stoff med antioksidanteffekt fra den maliske planten Diospyros abyssinica (2003)

Strømland, Walter: Isolering og karakterisering av lavmolekylære stoffer fra den maliske medisinplanten Cussonia barteri (2003)

Ringerud, Anne Marthe: Sårhelende planter i Mali. Struktur og aktivitetsstudier av polysakkarider fra Combretum glutinosum. Feltarbeid i Dioila og Bandiagara (2003)

Rangjord, Roy Vermund: Sårhelende planter i Mali. Feltarbeid i Dioila og bandiagara og studier av struktur og aktivitet i polysakkarider fra Opilia celtidifolia (2004)

Hope, Grete: A literature survey of studies performed by masterstudents at Department of Traditional medicine (DMT) in Bamako, Mali (2005)

Engdal, Silje: Studier over polysakkarider fra små og store balder fra den Maliske medisinplanten Combretum glutinosum (2005) Tromsø

Theis, Annette: Erythrina senegalensis - en medisinplante fra Mali. Un dersøkelse av antifungale komponenter. Etnofarmakologiske studuer (2006)

Sagberg, Kristin Marynia: Nye stoffer med effekt på immunsystemet isolert fra sårhelende planter i Mali. Polysakkarider fra Combretum glutinosum. Etnofarmakolgosike studier i Mali med fokus på viktige medisinplanter i Kolokani og Dioila (2006)

Rusten, Anders: Struktur og aktivitetsstudier av polysakkarider fra Syzygium guineense. Etnofarmakolgosike studier i Mali (2006)

Austarheim, Ingvild Marie: I. Biologisk aktive polysakkarider fra Glinus oppositifolius (L.) Aug. DC. II Ethnopharmacological survey in Mali (2007)

Hedding, Berte: Erythrina senegalensis - en medisinplante fra Mali A. Identifisering av bioaktive komponenter fra rotbark. B. Etnofarmakolgiske studier (2007)

Evjenth, Ragnhild Kårvatn: Struktur – og aktivitetsstudier av polysakkarider fra Opilia celtidifolia - en medisinplante fra Mali. Etnofarmakologiske studier i Mali (2007)

Sveaass, Anne Merete: Immunmodulerende polysakkarider isolert fra Biophytum petersianum Klotzsch. Etnofarmakologiske studier i Mali (2007)

Skogsrud, Mona: Polysakkarider fra Syzygium guineense med effekt på immunsystemet. Struktur og aktivitetsstudier. Etnofarmakologiske studier i Mali (2008)

Glæserud, Silje: Immunmodulerende polysakkarider isolert fra en sårhelende plante fgra Mali, Combretum glutinosum. Etnofarmakologiske studier i Mali (2008)

Dvergenes, Christina: Immunmodulerende polysakkarider fra Terminalia macroptera og etnofarmakologisk informasjon om to maliske planter (2009)

Pham, Anh Thu: Kjemiske og biokjemiske studier av den maliske medisinplanten Terminalia macroptera (2009)