Research Interests:
My main research focus is the pathogenesis of hypertension, in particular the role of the renin-angiotensin system. I am also involved the identification of blood pressure-lowering plants and their molecular basis of action in vivo. I am currently involved as a principle investigator and collaborator in several other research projects, including Drug Delivery Systems in Pharmaceutics (UKZN), and the pathogenesis and treatment of Pre-eclampsia at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine.

Selected publications:

Mackraj et al. Vitamin B6 deficiency alters tissue iron concentrations in the Wistar rat. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 2008.

T Govender, I Mackraj, E Ojewole, P Naidoo. Polymeric nanoparticles for enhancing antiretroviral drug therapy. Drug Delivery (in press).

E Ojewole, I Mackraj, P Naidoo , T Govender, Exploring the use of novel drug delivery systems for antiretroviral drugs, European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2008, doi:10.1016/j.ejpb.2008.06.020

S. Ramesar, H. Baijnath, T. Govender and I. Mackraj. ACE Inhibitor activity of Nutritive Plants in KwaZulu Natal. JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL FOOD, 2008 Jun;11(2):331-6.

I Mackraj, Ramesar S, Singh R, Singh M, Govender T, Baijnath S, and Gathiram P. The in vivo effects of T. violacea on blood pressure and AT1a gene expression in a salt-sensitive rat model. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2008 May 8;117(2):263-9

VA Perumal, D Lutchman, I Mackraj, T Govender. Formulation of Monolayered Films with Drug and Polymers of Opposing Solubilities, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2008;358(1-2):184-91

V.A. Perumal, D. Lutchman, I. Mackraj and T. Govender. Investigating a new approach to film casting for enhanced drug content uniformity in polymeric films, Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, 2008, (DOI:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2008.03.005).

I Mackraj, Thirumala Govender, Prem Gathiram. (2008) Sanguinarine. Cardiovascular Therapeutics 26 (1), 75-83. Invited Review.

A Munasur, V.Pillay, YE Choonara, I Mackraj and T Govender. Comparing the mucoadhesivity and drug release mechanisms of various polymeric containing propranolol buccal tablets, Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, 34 (2008), 189-198.

I Mackraj, T Govender, S Ramesar. The antihypertensive effects of quercetin in a salt-sensitive model of hypertension, Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, 2008 Mar;51(3):239-245.

A Munasur, I Mackraj and T Govender. Using an experimental design to identify and quantify the effects of environment related test parameters on the in vitro mucoadhesivity testing of a propranolol buccal tablet, Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, 2007, 33, 709-716.

R Singh, R Naidoo, P Gathiram, I Mackraj. 2006. Sanguinarine downregulates AT1a gene expression in a hypertensive rat model. Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology. 2006 Aug;48(2):14-21.

Woost PG, Kolb RJ, Finesilver M, Mackraj I, Imboden H, Coffman TM, Hopfer U. Strategy for the development of a matched set of transport-competent, angiotensin receptor-deficient proximal tubule cell lines. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology Anim. 2006. Jul-Aug;42(7):189-200.