LAUSR

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the health and medicinal importance of bush tea (Athrixia phylicoides DC) and special tea (Monsonia burkeana Planch. ex Harv), two of Southern African indigenous herbal teas. Design/methodology/approach The two herbal teas, A. phylicoides and M. burkeana were extracted individually and in combined ratios for analysis. The phenolic content was determined and the different phenolic compounds were identified using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The anti-diabetic activity of the teas was determined by evaluating the inhibition of both α-amylase and α-glucosidase in vitro. The anti-proliferative activity was measured on human cervical cancer (HeLa) cell line using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium) assay. Findings Gallic acid, chlorogenic acid and quercetin were identified to be present in significant quantities by TLC. The HPLC quantified the presence of catechin (1.567 mg/g) and chlorogenic acid (1.862 mg/g) in special tea while chlorogenic acid (1.288 mg/g) was present in bush tea. Bush tea and special tea expressed significant levels of phenolic content and high antioxidant activities. Special tea (S100) expressed high inhibition of α-amylase, α-glucosidase and HeLa cell line proliferation when compared to bush tea (B100). Originality/value Both bush tea and special tea could provide an alternative for treatment and management of both diabetes and cervical cancer. However, future studies are needed to investigate their synergistic effect with a wide range of other commercial herbal teas.