Since the discovery of the world’s first billion-dollar anticancer drug from a fungus, interest in endophytic fungi has grown. Endophytic fungi live within plant tissues and cause no apparent infections.

In Limpopo (and South Africa) a diverse endemic flora is found. The possibility is great that many unique fungal species will be found living within these plants. Since trends worldwide are to move away from chemical production in the food, medicinal, agricultural and health industries, it is worthwhile to research endophytic fungi.

“Now we have started a South-African based research programme to isolate bioactive substances from endophytic fungi. Fungi often produce compounds that are anti–fungal. We are looking to identify these new compounds. HIV/Aids goes hand in hand with fungal infections and new anti-fungal compounds may be useful in the treatment of HIV/Aids,” said Prof Teuns van Ree, head of the Chemistry Department of the University of Venda’s School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences. He does the research in conjunction with the Universities of Pretoria and Paderborn, in Germany. Univen post-graduate students are also involved.

“In Germany, I saw interesting computer modelling techniques used to identify the chemical structure of bioactive substances from endophytic fungi. Our project is exciting, but still in its infancy,” Van Ree said.

Another completed research project by Prof Van Ree, who has been with Univen for the past 26 ½ years, centered around the chemistry of medicinal and poisonous plants in the Vhembe District.

Vhembe has a vast source of medicinal plants. Most of these contain chemical substances possessing medicinal properties. Although herbalists and the vhaVenda people know much about medicinal plants, scientific evidence to support many of these plants has been lacking.

“Through our research we wanted to determine the chemical structures of any unknown and possible medicinally active compounds in these plants,” said Van Ree.

On a different note, Van Ree and his Chinese colleagues found electrolyte additives for lithium ion batteries.

“As an alternative energy source, lithium ion batteries are becoming increasingly important, with a wide range of applications in industry, especially in electric vehicles, which is a promising way to alleviate environmental pollution. Many international companies such as Toyota, General Motors, Nissan, Honda and Ford are investing in the big project. Our aim is to overcome the safety problem of lithium ion power,” said Van Ree.

With all these research projects going and more than 40 scientific articles published in international journals, it is small wonder that Prof Teuns van Ree received the prize for the 2009 Best Overall Researcher. This award of the University of Venda, named the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research,was awarded on April 13. Prof van Ree shared the award with  Prof Natasha Potgieter and Prof XG Mbhenyane.