Ethnobotany and antimicrobial activity of sieketroos (Arctopus species)

Arctopus echinatus L. and related species are ancient Khoi-San medicinal plants adopted by the early Cape settlers who used them as a “comfort to the sick”, hence the Afrikaans vernacular name sieketroos. The earliest recorded medicinal use dates back to the days of Thunberg's travels in the eighteenth century when it was used as a remedy for venereal diseases. The rich ethnobotanical history of these interesting and pharmacologically largely ignored South African plants is recorded together with a synopsis of modern day usage. Antimicrobial activities of root extracts of Arctopus species on nine pathogens showed strongest activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis and moderate to good activity against Staphylococcus aureus.