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21 June 2024 | Story André Damons | Photo Suplied
Dr Claudia Ntsapi
Dr Matlakala C Ntsapi is a Senior Lecturer and researcher in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at the UFS.
A researcher from the University of the Free State (UFS) is investigating the potential benefits of medicinal plants as supplementary treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases.

The work of Dr Matlakala Claudia Ntsapi, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at the UFS, focuses on preserving human brain health to delay or prevent age-related conditions.

According to her, while the primary focus is on age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s, the bioactive compounds in these medicinal plants may also have therapeutic potential for other neurological disorders, various types of cancers and Type 2 Diabetes. The broad protective effects of these plant-based bioactive compounds could make them relevant in the potential treatment of other diseases involving oxidative stress and inflammation.

She is involved in several multidisciplinary projects, collaborating with research experts from Denmark, the UK, and various national institutions such as the Central University of Technology (CUT), North West University (NWU), and the Stellenbosch University (SUN), as well as colleagues from the UFS. 

The potential of medicinal plants

“In collaboration with experts from our institution, the CUT and SU, who have strong backgrounds in pharmacology and ethnobotany, we are focusing on underexplored medicinal plants and nutraceuticals. These plants contain bioactive compounds with potential neuroprotective properties, which are believed to provide extra health benefits beyond basic nutritional value,” says Dr Ntsapi.

“We hope that these medicinal plants have the potential to preserve cognitive function and slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Specifically, we aim to identify novel therapeutic targets and discover new avenues for intervention that can improve the quality of life for individuals affected by age-related brain conditions,” she says.

Identifying therapeutic targets and discovering new interventions

The bioactive compounds found in selective medicinal plants and nutraceuticals, explains Dr Ntsapi, serve as a promising source of ‘natural’ therapeutics that may be safer and have fewer side effects compared to conventional synthetic drugs. Additionally, the untapped potential of these compounds for neuroprotection and the preservation of brain health could provide innovative therapeutic solutions. These compounds may be used as complementary therapies to existing drugs, which often have limited efficacy on their own, thereby enhancing overall treatment outcomes for neurodegenerative diseases.

“By utilising cutting-edge techniques, such the innovative CelVivo ClinoStar 2 System, we strive to gain insights into the safety and efficacy of underexplored medicinal plants in preserving cognitive function and slowing disease progression.

“By exploring the untapped potential of bioactive compounds found in medicinal plants and nutraceuticals, our research group aims to contribute to the identification of novel therapeutic targets and the discovery of new avenues for intervention to improve the quality of life for individuals affected by age-related brain conditions,” says Dr Ntsapi.

The researchers, in collaboration with others in the UFS School of Clinical Medicine, will develop 3D cell-based models of the human cortex and hippocampus by utilising the CelVivo ClinoStar 2 System. This cutting-edge technology, housed in an easy-to-use CO² incubator, mimics ‘animal model-like’ conditions with low sheer stress, allowing scientists to generate cell-based models that closely resemble real-world conditions.

Dr Ntsapi explains that they will specifically focus on the technologies’ applications in studying age-related neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease. The potential impact of this research is immense, as it could contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for combating the debilitating progression of neurodegenerative diseases, and ultimately improving the quality of life for affected individuals.

Hope for the research

“Our hope for this research is to significantly advance our understanding of neurodegenerative disease progression and to develop novel therapeutic strategies that can effectively combat these debilitating conditions. Ultimately, we aim to improve the quality of life for individuals affected by neurodegenerative diseases by preserving cognitive function and slowing disease progression.

“This research will contribute to the knowledge pool in this field, with the potential to lead to groundbreaking discoveries in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other related disorders, potentially contributing to the policy guidelines on how these conditions are managed and treated,” she says.

The international partners from Denmark and the UK have made their expertise and facilities available to postgraduate students from the UFS, some of whom they are co-supervising.

Dr Ntsapi, who is passionate about exploring innovative solutions to address the gradual decline in normal brain function associated with aging, was this year one the university’s nominations for the prestigious 2023/2024 NSTF-South32 Awards, popularly known as the “Science Oscars” of South Africa. 

News Archive

Access to the Bloemfontein Campus
2015-04-02

Access Control Made Easy

The first phase of access control at the University of the Free State (UFS) was implemented in August 2014. The aim of this initiative is to tighten security measures on the Bloemfontein Campus.
 
Since November 2014, access control has been implemented at all five gates on the Bloemfontein Campus. These are:

  • The Main gate in Nelson Mandela Drive (Gate 1)
  • The gate in DF Malherbe Drive (Gate 5)
  • The gate in Wynand Mouton Drive (Gate 3) 
  • The gate in Furstenburg Street (Gate 4)
  • The gate in Badenhorst Street (Gate 2)

Here is some useful information about the access control system:

1. Remember your access card when you enter the campus

Dual-function cards (with distance reader compatibility) will make your movement through the gates more convenient. The university’s access system works automatically with remote or swipe action. Please make sure that you drive close to the reader or, better still, get the dual-frequency card to manage the distance between your vehicle and the remote card reader.

As of 23 March 2015, the extra security staff, who have been assisting at the gates since the implementation of access control on the Bloemfontein Campus, are no longer manning the card readers at the gates. Therefore, persons without cards will be able to enter the campus only at the one gate in DF Malherbe Drive where the Visitors Centre is situated. They will be referred to the Visitors Centre, where a day visitor’s card will be issued to them. You will need to produce a formal identification document (e.g. ID book, driver's licence).

Security will continue their normal duties at the guardhouses for the various gates on the campus.

2. Where do I get an access card?

You can apply at the university’s Visitors Centre front desk by producing your positive identification (ID book/passport/driver’s licence) and proof of payment for your access card.

You will then be directed to the Thakaneng Bridge where you will be able to collect your access card.

  • Go to the Cashier on the Thakaneng Bridge and pay your R65 for the dual-frequency card
  • Take your receipt, together with your existing card (if you have one), to the Card Division on the Thakaneng Bridge (next to Mellins Optometrists)
  • A new photo will be taken of you at the Card Office for your new card. Your new card will then be issued immediately.

Currently, there is a sufficient stock of the dual-frequency cards available at the Card Division on the Thakaneng Bridge.
 
Alternatively, you can apply online for your access card: http://apps.ufs.ac.za/cardapplication/application.aspx

Make sure you have the following documents ready to attach when completing the online form:

  • Copy of positive identification: ID/Driver's Licence/Passport
  • Signed declaration (http://supportservices.ufs.ac.za/dl/Userfiles/Documents/00007/4668_eng.pdf) by your service provider/employer (if you are a service provider) or a letter of confirmation from your spouse/partner/relative/coach/relevant UFS staff member or student in cases where you have to visit, pick-up or drop off your spouse/partner/relative frequently on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus.

Cost: R65 for a long-term card and free of charge for short-term visits and conference delegates. Pay at the Cashier on the Thakaneng Bridge or at Absa Bank, Account Number: 1 570 8500 71, Ref: 1 413 07670 0198.

3. Cutoff Date: 7 April 2015

After 7 April 2015, no pedestrian or motorist will be able to enter the campus without a valid access card. Persons without access cards will have to enter the campus at the gate in DF Malherbe Drive where the Visitors Centre is situated. You will then be referred to the Visitors Centre where you will have to apply for a day visitor’s card. It is important to note that no one will be able to enter the campus at the Visitors Centre without a formal identification document (e.g. ID book, driver's licence).

4. Dual-frequency card simplifies access to the campus

It is important to have your card ready on entering the campus.

This card will simplify access to the campus considerably, as the card reader will read the card when it is held in a vertical position at the driver’s side window in the direction of the distance reader. Please do not place the card on the dashboard. There is an antenna wire in the card. If the card is placed on the dashboard, you are not exposing the card surface to the reader, and that might influence the antenna’s response to the reader.

Remember, the distance between the reader and the boom is only a few metres.  If you approach the reader at a ’high’ speed, you are not allowing the system to identify your card, match it to the entry in the database, check if you are ‘legal’, and then send a signal to open the boom. 

All five gates are equipped with distance readers. Within the next three weeks, two extra distance readers will also be installed at the Main Gate in Nelson Mandela Drive.
 
Please note that the dual-frequency card is needed only when you enter the campus with a vehicle and you want to activate the distance reader. All the older cards will continue to work at the tag readers. 

5. Use alternative gates

At times, some of the gates carry more traffic than others, especially with the peak morning and afternoon traffic. Gates with less traffic include:

  • The gate in Badenhorst Street
  • The gate in DF Malherbe Drive
  • The gate in Nelson Mandela Drive

You are welcome to make use of one of these alternative gates.

6. Pedestrians

No pedestrian will be able to enter the Bloemfontein Campus without a valid access card. If you have left your card at home or have lost it, you should enter the campus at the gate in DF Malherbe Drive where the Visitors Centre is situated. You will be referred to the Visitors Centre where you can apply for a day visitor’s card. You will still need to produce a formal identification document (e.g. ID book, driver's licence).

7. More information

Email: visitorscentre@ufs.ac.za
Visitors Centre front desk: Tel: +27 51 401 7766 (Mondays-Fridays 07:45-16:30)
Card Division: Tel: +27 51 401 2799 (Mondays-Fridays 07:45-16:30)
Protection Services duty room: +27 51 401 2634 (24 hours)

 

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