Sustainable Uses and Prospects of Medicinal Plants

Professor Learnmore Kambizi (Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa) attained his BSc degree from Cuba in 1998 before enrolling for Masters and PhD degrees at the University of Fort Hare which he completed in 2004. His PhD focussed on Ethnobotanical studies of plants used for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections in South Africa. He went on to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship within the fields of Ethnobotany & Phytomedicine. This discipline enabled him to realise his passion for sustainable utilisation and conservation of medicinal plants on a local and international level. He worked as a Lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe in 2005 before moving to the University of the Free State, South Africa in 2007. In the same year, he was appointed by Walter Sisulu University as a Senior lecturer until 2011. He moved to Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa where he was promoted to the position of Associate Professor, a position he holds to date. In his academic journey, he has hosted 4 postdoctoral fellows and supervised 5 PhD, 16 master’s and numerous Honours students. To date he has published over 50 articles in peer reviewed journals and presented 56 conference papers. He is a South African National Research Foundation rated researcher. Prof Kambizi has also served as a panel member of the National Research Foundation of South Africa and has received many research grants to support post graduate students and to assist communities. He also works with Traditional Medical Practitioners in collaboration with the South African Research Council as an advisor. In addition, Prof Kambizi was appointed the first Director of African Centre for Herbal Research based in Nigeria, a position he holds to date. He is a reviewer of many national and international journals. Dr. Callistus Bvenura (Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa) graduated with a BSc in Natural Resources Management and Agriculture in 2006 from the Midlands State University, Zimbabwe and completed his PhD Ethnobotany from the University of Fort Hare, South Africa in 2014. He has served as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Fort Hare and Tshwane University of Technology as well as the Cape Peninsula University of Technology where he is currently based. He has made significant contributions in the ethnobotany, conservation, phytochemistry and physiology especially of underutilised indigenous plants including leafy indigenous vegetables. He has several published research articles, book chapters and review papers in these areas and presented his findings at local and international conferences. He also has interests in product development where he has developed a probiotic sorghum beverage which has since then been commercialised and being sold in South Africa. He has also developed broiler chicken feed using indigenous and underutilised grains and insects as a source of protein. He is also a South African National Research Foundation panel expert reviewer and reviews for several local and international journals.