Mr Avela Sogoni

Mr Avela Sogoni obtained his BTech in horticulture and Master’s in horticultural sciences at CPUT, where he recently completed his PhD, and serves as a research assistant. He has made remarkable contributions to understanding salt tolerance mechanisms, pharmacological potential, nutritional properties, and metabolic fingerprints of Tetragonia decumbens—a wild edible vegetable.

He elucidated the salt-tolerance mechanisms of the species, which makes it a good candidate for phytoremediation of saline soils. Findings from his nutritional study further validate the consumption of the species, having documented its mineral and proximate nutrients and antinutrients. This is a strong indication that propagation of the species will be of immense value in achieving nutrient diversity and food security.

For the first time, Mr Sogoni also reported 98 compounds in saline-cultivated Tetragonia decumbens, most of which have potent medicinal benefits, such as anti-inflammatory properties, and may serve as a brain booster due to their acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. These compounds can be further explored as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of inflammation, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

His research outputs include 17 peer-reviewed journal articles; three book chapters, and one conference proceeding.