Dr Ntokozo Dambuza

I started in the science field as a research assistant while I was an undergraduate student at the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE) and later; after completing my MSc, I became an assistant technical officer at the Kings College Hospital in London. After returning to South Africa, I joined the Malaria Research Unit of the Department of Pharmacology of the University of Cape Town as a laboratory technician at UCT, where I later I registered for a PhD. 

Projects that I have been involved in included immobilization host enzymes involved in the HIV replication cycle on to polystyrene 96-well plates, isolation of biologically active compounds from medicinal plants. In vitro enzymatic assays were used in high throughput screening of test samples isolated from plants and animal tissues such as ELISA and chromatographic procedures to isolate compounds form plants and animal tissues such as TLC, affinity, column and ion exchange chromatography.

I developed laboratory skills such as standard biochemical techniques, operating analytical instruments such as HPLC, FPLC, fluorometer, SDS PAGE, pH meter, ELISA plate reader and spectrophotometry, sterile techniques from in vitro studies namely cell culture and DNA studies, microbiology techniques such as isolation and identification of bacteria and fungi.

My PhD project introduced me to in vivo efficacy and pharmacokinetic studies using a mouse model while evaluating new chemical entities for antimalarial activity.

Designation:

Lecturer

Email:

ntokozo.dambuza@mandela.ac.za

Contact Number: 

0415044846

Faculty:

Health Sciences

Department:

Pharmacy

Qualifications:

BSc. Hons. (UPE); MSc. (NMMU); PhD (UCT)

Professional Memberships:

South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology

Orcid ID:

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6378-3290

NRF Rating: 

N/A

Research Interests:

  • Pharmacology (PK/PD)

  • Biochemistry

  • Cell Biology (Cell based studies)

Current non-degree Research Projects:

  1. A pharmacological study of Zambian plant extracts with anticancer and anti-diabetes activities.

Current Final Year Undergraduate/Honours Research Projects:

  1. An Investigative Study of In Vitro Models Used for Testing Antidiabetic Properties of Traditional Plant Extracts.

  2. An Investigative Study of In Vivo Animal Models for Testing Novel Antidiabetic Compounds.

Number of currently supervised Masters and PhD candidates (2023 to 2024):

  • Masters: 3

  • PhD: 3

Research Output 2023 to 2024:

Book Chapter

  1. Herbal Medicine: Drug Discovery from Herbs – Approaches and Applications.

  2. The Need for An Integrated, Multi-Target In Vitro Antidiabetic Screening Platform.

 

Publications

  1. van de Venter, Maryna, Jenske Didloff, Shanika Reddy, Bresler Swanepoel, Sharlene Govender, Ntokozo Shirley Dambuza, Saralene Williams, Trevor Craig Koekemoer, and Luanne Venables. "Wild-Type Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Larvae as a Vertebrate Model for Diabetes and Comorbidities: A Review." Animals 11, no. 1 (2021): 54. 

  2. Dambuza, Ntokozo S., Peter Smith, Alicia Evans, Jennifer Norman, Dale Taylor, Andrew Andayi, Timothy Egan, Kelly Chibale, and Lubbe Wiesner. "Antiplasmodial activity, in vivo pharmacokinetics and anti-malarial efficacy evaluation of hydroxypyridinone hybrids in a mouse model." Malaria journal 14, no. 1 (2015): 505. 

  3. Dambuza, Ntokozo, Peter Smith, Alicia Evans, Dale Taylor, Kelly Chibale, and Lubbe Wiesner. "A Pharmacokinetic Study of Antimalarial 3, 5-Diaryl-2-aminopyridine Derivatives." Malaria research and treatment 2015 (2015).

  4. Abay, Efrem T., Jan H. van der Westhuizen, Kenneth J. Swart, Liezl Gibhard, Nina Lawrence, Ntokozo Dambuza, Anke Wilhelm, Kendrekar Pravin, and Lubbe Wiesner. "Efficacy and pharmacokinetic evaluation of a novel anti-malarial compound (NP046) in a mouse model." Malaria journal 14, no. 1 (2015): 1-7. 

Accepted Publications:

  1. Ntokozo Dambuza, Maryna Van De Venter, Trevor Koekemoer; 2024; “In vitro bioavailability assessment of antioxidants from rooibos extracts.” Current Topics in Pharmacology (Accepted July 2024).

Publications Submitted and under review:

  1. Ruben van de Venter, Maryna van de Venter, Johannes Bodenstein, Carlen Rudolph, Ntokozo S Dambuza; 2024; Effects of quercetin, metformin, and their combination on insulin resistance (Submitted to the Pharmaceutical Chemistry journal).

To Be Submitted:

  1. Ruben van de Venter, Maryna van de Venter, Johannes Bodenstein, Carlen Rudolph, Ntokozo S Dambuza; 2024; An insight into the structure-activity relationship of flavonoids: Comparative insulin sensitizing efficacy of quercetin, luteolin, apigenin, and chrysin.

  2. Ntokozo Dambuza, Greg Kotze, Buyiswa Hlangothi and Maryna van de Venter; 2025; Exploring the pharmacological properties of a novel flavonoid glycoside, altissimin, with anti-cancer potential.

  3. Nyashadzashe Hwehwe, Johannes Bodenstein, Ntokozo S Dambuza; 2025; An in vitro assessment of pharmacodynamic interactions between selected herbal extracts and anticancer chemotherapeutic agents.

 

Conference Proceedings:

  1. Ntokozo Dambuza, Maryna Van De Venter, Trevor Koekemoer; 2016; Rooibos Extract Antioxidants: In vitro Models to Assess Their Bioavailability; ICMPNP 2016: 18th International Conference on Medicinal Plants and Natural Products; San Francisco USA Jun 09-10, 2016, 18 (6) Part IX.

 

Conference Attendance:

  1. Ruben van de Venter, Maryna van de Venter, Johannes Bodenstein, Carlen Rudolph, Ntokozo S Dambuza; (June/July 2024); Title: Synergistic effects of quercetin and metformin on insulin resistant C3A hepatocytes and L6 Myotubules; 48th FEBS Congress, Milan, Italy.

  2. Greg Kotze, Maryna van de Venter, Buyiswa Hlangothi and Ntokozo Dambuza, Exploring the pharmacological properties of a novel flavonoid glycoside, altissimin, with potential anti-cancer activity:

    • (2-7 July 2023), presented a poster at the 19th World Congress of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (WCP2023), Glasgow (Scotland).

    • (24-27 August 2023), Presented a poster at the 56th Annual Conference of the South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (SASBCP), Grahamstown.

  3. Ruben van de Venter, Maryna van de Venter, Johannes Bodenstein, Carlen Rudolph, Ntokozo S Dambuza; (24-27 August 2023), Effects of selected natural flavonoids on an optimized insulin resistance model in myotubes and hepatocytes in vitro; (24-27 August 2023), Presented a poster at the 56th Annual Conference of the South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (SASBCP), Grahamstown.

  4. Nyashadzashe Hwehwe, Johannes Bodenstein, Ntokozo S Dambuza; (24-27 August 2023); An in vitro assessment of pharmacodynamic interactions between selected herbal extracts and anticancer chemotherapeutic agents; Presented a poster at the 56th Annual Conference of the South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (SASBCP), Grahamstown.

  5. Dambuza N S, van de Venter M and Koekemoer T, (29 June – 2 July 2015), Rooibos extract antioxidants: in vitro models to assess their bioavailability, Poster Presentation at the Indigenous Plant Use Forum-Society for Economic Botany Conference, Clanwilliam, Western Cape.

  6. Dambuza N S, van de Venter M, Joubert E and Koekemoer T, (30 June – 3 July 2014), In vitro assessment of the bioavailability of rooibos antioxidants, Oral Presentation at the Indigenous Plant Use Forum, 17th Annual Conference 2014, University of Orange Free State, Qwaqwa Campus, Phuthaditjhaba, North West Province.

  7. Dambuza N S, Smith P J, Chibale K and Wiesner L, Antimalarial Activity and Pharmacokinetic Properties of New Chemical Entities:

    • (13-18 July 2014), presented at the 17th World Congress of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (WCP2014), Cape Town.

    • (10-15 February 2013), presented at the 2013  Gordon Conference on Tropical Infectious Diseases: From bench to field, Galveston, Texas.

    • (29-30 January 2013), presented at CIDRI and Welcome Trust Fellows Symposium, University of Cape Town, Cape Town.

    • (12-14 March 2011), presented at CIDRI and Imperial College Welcome Center Annual Scientific Meeting, University of Cape Town, Cape Town.

    • (18 October 2010), presented at CIDRI and Welcome Trust Fellows Meeting, University of Cape Town, Cape Town.

  8. Dambuza, N S, Siepe S, Moyon A, Stalder-Freuler B and Meyer C, Compatibility Studies of Antimalarial Compound GNF156 and Different Excipients:

    • Novartis Research Day (9 November 2011): Poster presentation at the University of the Western Cape on my Novartis project.

    • Novartis Research Day (29 October 2012): Poster presentation at the University of Kwazulu-Natal on my Novartis project and PhD project.

    • Novartis Research Day, (28-29 September 2011); Poster presentation at Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.

  9. Dambuza N S, Oosthuizen V and van de Venter M, (2-5 July 2006), Isolation of Bioactive Metabolites with Activity against HIV-1 Target Proteins from Extracts of Sutherlandia frutescens and Lobostemon trigonus: Oral presentation at the SASBMB 20th Annual Meeting in Pietermaritzburg University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Current Research Collaborations within your Department or Discipline:

  1. Pharmaceutical Sciences with Dr Mbali Luvuno-Keele.

  2. DSI-Mandela Nanomedicine Platform with Prof Saartjie Roux, Dr Mpho Ngoepe and Dr Stiaan Schoeman.

  3. The Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research Group (MNRG) from the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at the Nelson Mandela University  https://www.bioassaix.com/the-medicinal-plant-natural-product-research-group-the-mnrg

Current Inter-Disciplinary/Multi-Disciplinary/Trans-Disciplinary Research Collaborations:

  1. Herbal Medicine: Drug Discovery from Herbs – Approaches and Applications.

  2. Drug Discovery and Development Center (H3D) from the University of Cape Town http://www.h3d.uct.ac.za/home-197.

  3. The DSI-Mandela Nanomedicine Platform from the Medical School of the Nelson Mandela University under the supervision of Dr Mpho Ngoepe https://medicalschool.mandela.ac.za/Nanomedicine.

  4. Faculty of Pharmacy, Nutrition & Dietetics at Lusaka Apex Medical University (LAMU) under thesupervision of Dr Mutenta Nyambe https://sis.lamu.edu.zm/