Ethnobotanical survey on medicinal plants (Carica papaya L. and Agelanthus dodoneifolius (DC.) Polhill & Wiens) used in the treatment of Hepatitis in Burkina Faso, phytochemistry and antioxidant activity
Hepatitis are pathologies of various etiologies affecting millions persons and the management by modern medicines still faces many difficulties. Our study aimed to make a repertory of medicinal plants used in the treatment of hepatitis in the Urbans areas of Bobo-Dioulasso, Dédougou and Fada N'Gourma followed by the phytochemical quantification and antioxidant activity of the most cited ones. We conducted an ethnobotanical survey among traditional Heath practitioners in the three studied locations to achieve this objective. Methanolic extracts of the plant organs were obtained using an extractor apparatus. Polyphenolic compounds contents quantification was done by spectrophotometry using Follin-Ciocalteu reagent and aluminum trichloride. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by three methods (ABTS●+, DPPH●, FRAP) and the reading of optical densities was performed with the spectrophotometer. A total of, 101 traditional healers were interviewed and 52 species were inventoried as being used in hepatitis care in the three localities. Among the species regularly cited in the different localities were Carica papaya (8%) and Agelanthus dodoneifolius (13%), and these two species were selected for the further investigation. Among the parts of plants most used there are roots (45%). Phytochemical investigations of C. papaya and A. dodoneifolius revealed that the best polyphenolic compound content was obtained by the unripe seeds of C. papaya with respectively 14.06±0.68 mg EAG and 4.37±0.57 mg EQ for 100 mg of extract. A. dodoneifolius extract was given the best antioxidant activity on ABTS●+ radical inhibition method with 9279.19±416.37 µmol EAA/g. All these activities could partially justify the use of screened species in the traditional treatment of hepatitis.