Phytochemical Study and Biological Activities of Two Medicinal Plants used in Burkina Faso: Lannea velutina A. Rich (Anacardiaceae) and Ximenia americana L. (Olacaceae)

Background: Bacterial infections are at the origin of a number of serious pathologies, including meningitis, bronchopneumopathies, typhoid fever and especially diarrhea, which are still a real public health problem for the child population in developing countries. In most of these countries, people use medicinal plants for primary health care. The objective of this study was to determine the content of phenolic compounds, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of extracts from two plants used in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso, Lannea velutina and Ximenia americana.

Place and Duration of Study: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Applied Chemistry (LABIOCA).

Methods: The total phenolics and flavonoid content of the ethanolic extract extracts were determined by spectrometric assay. The DPPH and FRAP method were used to measure the antioxidant capacity of the extracts. The antibacterial potential was determined on five bacterial strains.

Results: The ethanolic extracts of Lannea velutina showed the best polyphenol content with 969.67±8.23 ​​mgGAE/g extract against 753.145917±66.31 mgGAE/g extract for Ximenia americana. On the DPPH radical Ximenia americana gave the best activity with a percentage inhibition of 62.32±0.17% compared to Lannea velutina. This species also gave the best reducing activity with a reducing capacity of 3.45±0.97 mmol EAA/10 g of extract. Shigella dysenteria and Staphylococcus aureus were susceptible to Lannea velutina and Ximenia americana with inhibition diameters greater than 8 mm.

Conclusion: These results showed that the extract has good antioxidant potential as well as antimicrobial activity. These extracts could be used to prevent damage from oxidative stress and infections.