ABSTRACT
Medicinal plants have been a source of succour in the control of many diseases in developing countries and anaemia is no exception. In this study, ethnomedical survey was carried out for recording medicinal plants used in Northern and South-Eastern Côte d'Ivoire against anaemia. Also iron content was determined for some of the recorded plants using phenanthroline method. Thirty (30) medicinal plants, covering 28 genera and 22 families were recorded. These plants were used to prepare 30 receipts for the treatment of anaemia and aggravating factors such as malaria and gastro-intestinal helminthes. Eleven (11) of these medicinal plants showed presence of iron in various quantities. The most promising were Tectona grandis, Amaranthus spinosus and Stylosanthes erecta which contained the highest iron contents viz; 266.6, 236.6 and 206.6 mg/100 g respectively. They were followed by Hoslundia opposita, Imperata cylindrica, Cajanus cajan, Thalia geniculata and Milicia excelsa. These results lend credence to the traditional use of these plants in Cote d'Ivoire's ethnomedicine for the treatment of anaemia.
Subject(s)
Anemia/drug therapy , Iron/analysis , Magnoliopsida/chemistry , Medicine, African Traditional , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/therapeutic use , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Adult , Aged , Anemia/complications , Cote d'Ivoire , Gastrointestinal Diseases/complications , Gastrointestinal Diseases/parasitology , Humans , Malaria/complications , Middle Aged , Plant Extracts/chemistryABSTRACT
Purpose: Erigeron floribundus is a reputed medicinal plant used in Cote d'Ivoire; West Africa for the treatment of skin disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of this plant against fungi from human origin. Method: Dichloromethane; methanol 80and aqueous extracts from the leaves with stem were tested for their antifungal activity against 7 strains of dermatophytes (Epidermophyton floccosum; Microsporum canis; M. gypseum; M. langeronii; Trichophyton mentagrophytes; T. rubrum; T. soudanense) and one strain of the filamentous fungus; Scopulariopsis brevicaulis. The assays were performed using the agar dilution method at serial concentrations ranging from 2 to 0.06 mg/ml. Result: Only the dichloromethane extract exhibited an activity against Microsporum canis and a broad spectrum of good antifungal activity against all the remaining fungi tested.Conclusion: To the best our knowledge; this is the first report of the antifungal activity of Erigeron floribundus against a wide range of dermatophytes; including Microsporum langeronii and Trichophyton soudanense; the most frequent dermatophytes in Cote d'Ivoire. E. floribundus might be potential sources for improved traditional medicines or new antidermatophyte agents for the treatment of dermatomycoses
