ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the toxicological and psychotropic properties of Calotropis (C.) procera. Methods: C. procera leaves and root-bark aqueous extracts were evaluated for their toxic and behavioral effects using adult mice. Toxicity studies were carried out using Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development guidelines 423 and 407 for acute and subacute evaluation. Behavioral studies were performed using traction test, fireplace test, hole-board test and forced-swimming test to evaluate the sedative, anxiety and depressive-like activities of the extracts. Results: Very low acute toxicity was observed in mice that received both leaves and root-bark extracts. The subacute test showed some morphological, biochemical and hematological changes in the treated groups. Behavioral assessment demonstrated anxiety effects on mice for C. procera leaf extract (400 mg/kg of body weight). Conclusions: The acute use of C. procera (leaves and root-barks) aqueous extracts could be considered as low toxic. However, their repeated uses could have harmful effect on some organs. Likewise, a single dose up to 400 mg/kg body weight of these extracts produce no sedative or depressive-like effect, but they possess possible dose dependent anxiety effect. Yet, more studies are necessary to relate these results to the chemical profile of the plant extracts.
ABSTRACT
Pandiaka angustifolia (Vahl) Hepper, a species belonging to Amaranthaceae’s family is used in traditional medicine of Burkina Faso for the treatment of several diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phenolics and flavonoids content, the antioxidant capacity, the lipoxygenase and xanthine oxidase inhibition potentials of Pandiaka angustifolia hydroacetonic macerate and fractions. Assay revealed that the Dichloromethane Fraction (DCMF) possess the best inhibitory activity of lipoxygenase, a key enzyme involved in inflammatory process with 83.84±1.89% of inhibition, as regards Xanthine Oxidase (XO) inhibiting percentage, n-hexane fraction (n-HF) exhibited the highest percentage of inhibition with 76.22 ± 4.78% at a concentration of 100μg/ml. Phenolics and flavonoids content in fractions and hydroacetonic macerate evaluation showed that hydroacetonic macerate possess the highest rate in total phenolic and the Dichloromethane fraction (DCMF) the highest rate in flavonoids content. This study showed that the apolar fractions of P. angustifolia is a potential natural source for the treatment of oxidative stress and inflammatory related diseases.
ABSTRACT
New and innovative antibacterial drugs research from plants is a best strategy to overcome the world problem about bacterial diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in-vitro antibacterial activity and the phytochemical profile of various extracts from Hygrophila auriculata (Schumach.) Heine, Nelsonia canescens (Lam) Spreng and Peristrophe bicalyculata (Retz.) Nees; three acanthaceae species widely used in folk medicine of Burkina Faso. The inhibition diameter determination of the eleven bacteria strains and the Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) of the plants extracts and fractions were evaluated using standards methods. All extracts were also evaluated for their phenolic contents. The results showed that all extracts and fractions exhibited good bacteria inhibition and have a wealth of phenolic compounds. Comparing the MIC of extracts and fractions, E. coli (CPI: 105182) strain was best inhibited and N. canescens butanol fraction presented the best activity. As regard phytochemical profile, highest values of total phenolics, total flavonoids, total flavonols and total tannins were obtained with N. canescens fractions. The results could justify the traditional used of these species against infectious diseases. This study shows that these three medicinal plants and especially N. canescens are good candidate for isolate new et innovative antibacterial compounds.