Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April July May June August September October November December
Previous Archive
13 April 2023 | Story André Damons
wada2 Web read more
Since 2014, in April of every year, the anti-doping community worldwide comes together to celebrate Play True Day – a day that is dedicated to Clean Sport and raising awareness among athletes, the sporting public and others, of the importance of preventing doping.

The South African Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL), a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited service laboratory on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS), will take part in celebrating international Play True Day on 14 April.

SADoCoL is the only fully WADA-accredited laboratory that performs analysis for the anti-doping community in Africa. 

Every April since 2014  the anti-doping community worldwide comes together to celebrate Play True Day – a day that is dedicated to Clean Sport and raising awareness among athletes, the sporting public and others, of the importance of preventing doping.

Basis for the anti-doping community

Hanno du Preez, SADoCoL Director, says for SADoCoL, the celebration of the Play True Day supplies acknowledgement to the scientists who work around the clock to ensure the anti-doping campaigns, by various stakeholders on the continent, are supported by excellent scientific analysis and research.

“It is a privilege for SADoCoL to have been an active participant in the global anti-doping process for four decades. SADoCoL celebrates international Play True Day with its partners and stakeholders, including the host, the UFS, and is proud to be part of this system of excellence. 

“The possibility for SADoCoL to be housed by the UFS is an excellent gateway to ensure proper research is conducted and provides a basis where students are also trained in the application of scientific skills in a very specialised focus area such as anti-doping. Since the inception of the Play True campaign, it has grown to an international renowned celebration ensuring that anti-doping education is enhanced and the sharing of knowledge concerning prohibited substances and the illegal use of these performance-enhancing drugs in sport, is reiterated.”

The Play True campaign provides the basis for the anti-doping community to ensure that clean sport is commemorated and achieved and that the results of athlete participation are true and fair. Not only does this campaign ensure Clean Sport, but  also enhances the profile of a nation’s sporting community, when the athletes support the Clean Sport campaign and ensure that participation is fair and clean.

Commemorates efforts of the anti-doping partners

Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, says the university is celebrating with its partners in  international Play True Day. This day commemorates the efforts of the anti-doping partners globally to ensure that clean competition prevails in all sports. Further, it enhances the commitment of our athletes to the principle of Clean Sport by taking part in this campaign. 

“The celebration is of importance to the UFS as it houses one of 30 globally accredited laboratories conducting the testing of athlete samples. SADoCoL, housed on the main campus of the UFS, has been in existence for almost 40 years and the importance of this laboratory commemorates the work which the UFS conducts as part of this important campaign.

With several national and international athletes representing the UFS, it is an important part of the community engagement and service provided by the UFS through the services of SADoCoL. The continuous efforts by the scientists of SADoCoL provide the opportunity for South African and African athletes to compete in the international arena, with the knowledge that it is conducted with a clear conscience and true to the principles of Clean Sport,” says Prof Petersen. 

 

Be true to yourself and compete on your own merit

Louzanne Coetzee, a UFS athlete who won silver and bronze medals at the Paralympic Games in 2021, says an organisation like WADA is important as it reminds athletes of the value of clean and fair sport. 

“As athletes we should strive to win on merit and not through doping, which is  the same as cheating. Sometimes people  make use of banned substances to win competitions, and this is unfair towards clean athletes. Doping can demotivate clean athletes, because they know they do not stand a chance against thosewho dope. 
“On this day, Play True Day 2023, my message is to be true to yourself and to compete on your own merit. Know that when you stand on a podium it is because of your own abilities, not drugs you took that allowed you to get there.”

Become part of this campaign and pledge your participation in clean sport and fair play!
#PlayTrue
#PlayTrueDay 
#OnePlayTrueTeam 
#UFS

News Archive

Research into surrogate milk important to wildlife conservation
2017-05-08

Description: Prof Garry Osthoff Tags: Prof Garry Osthoff

Prof Gary Osthoff from the UFS Department of
Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology,
will soon work on a milk formula for elephants.
Photo: Supplied

Research is being done at the University of the Free State (UFS) to analyse and synthetically imitate the unique milk of various wildlife species. This research is not only of scientific value, but also serves the conservation of South Africa’s wildlife species. At the forefront of this research is Prof Garry Osthoff from the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology.

Orphaned rhino calf pulled through with surrogate milk
“There is still a lot of research to be done. Naturally the research is of scientific importance, but with surrogate milk having the same composition as the mother’s milk of a specific species, orphaned calves or cubs of that species could be pulled through during a difficult time of weaning. Bearing in mind that exotic animals fetch thousands and even millions of rands at auctions, it goes without saying a game farmer will do everything possible to provide only the best nourishment to such an orphaned animal. In such a case, synthetically-manufactured milk would be the right choice,” says Prof Osthoff.

The fruits of his research were recently demonstrated in Germany when a rhino calf was left orphaned in the Leipzig Zoo. Prof Osthoff’s article: “Milk composition of a free-ranging white rhinoceros during late lactation” was used as a directive for applying surrogate milk for horse foals (which is already commercially available), since the composition of horse and rhino milk largely corresponds. The surrogate milk was used with great success and the rhino calf is flourishing. He mentions that such an orphan is often given the wrong nourishment with the best intentions, resulting in the starvation of the animal despite the amount of cow’s milk it devours.

With surrogate milk having the same
composition as the mother’s milk of a
specific species, orphaned calves or
cubs of that species could be pulled
through during the difficult time
of weaning.

Milk formula for baby elephants in the pipeline
With baby elephants left orphaned due to the increase in elephant poaching for their ivory, several attempts have been made to create a milk formula in order to feed these elephants. To date, many elephants have died in captivity from side effects such as diarrhoea as a result of the surrogate formula which they were fed.

Prof Osthoff recently received a consignment of frozen milk which he, together with researchers from Zimbabwe, will use to work on a milk formula for elephants. They are studying the milk in a full lactation period of two years. During lactation, the composition of the milk changes to such an extent that a single surrogate formula will not be sufficient. Four different formulas should probably be designed.

Prof Osthoff says that of the different species he has researched, elephants are the most interesting and deviate most from the known species.

Although his research to develop surrogate milk is adding much value to the wildlife industry, and although he finds this part of his work very exciting, his research focus is on food science and nutrition. “What is currently authentic in milk research is the study of the fat globules with content, the structure and composition of the casein micelle, and the prebiotic sugars. The knowledge which is gained helps to improve the processing, development of new food products, and development of food products for health purposes,” says Prof Osthoff.

 

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept