Mr. René J. Dehou, Maximin Senou, Pascal Tchogou, Félicienne Agbogba, Ezéchiel Lokonon, Yollande Abissi, Alban Houngbeme, and Eugène Attakpa, from the Laboratory of Experimental and Clinical Biology, National School of Applied Biosciences and Biotechnologies (ENSBBA), National University of Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics (UNSTIM), Laboratory of Molecular Pathophysiology and Toxicology, Faculty of Science and Technology (FAST), University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC) and National Laboratory of Pharmacognosy / Beninese Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CBRST) wrote a research paper entitled “Phytochemical study of extracts from the leaves of Senna alata (L.) Roxb. (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae) and Lantana cumara L. (Verbenaceae), two main plants traditionally used to treat skin infections in Benin.” This research article was published by the International Journal of Biosciences | IJB, an affiliated journal of the International Network For Natural Sciences – INNSPUB, an open access scholarly research journal publishing company. Get some knowledge about it.
Abstract
In Benin, two medicinal plants are commonly used by rural populations to treat skin infections. Very few investigations are carried out on them against skin infections, despite their increased use. The present study is carried out on these two anti-infectious plants, namely: Senna alata (L.) Roxb. (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae) and Lantana cumara L. (Verbenaceae). The objective of this study is to characterize the groups of chemicals contained in the two herbal drugs. The phytochemical tests carried out on the two (02) plant extracts revealed that the different drugs contain Anthocyanins, Quinone Derivatives, Coumarins, Free Anthracenics, Saponosides, Triterpenes, Mucilages, and Reducing Compounds which gave them the antibacterial properties. The best yield is obtained with the aqueous extract.
Introduction
Human infectious diseases represent a major public health problem in the world and especially in developing countries where they are endemic (Khabbaz et al., 2014). Nearly fourteen million deaths are recorded each year from infectious diseases and over 90% of these deaths occur in developing countries (Fonkwo, 2008). Currently, the emergence of skin infections is mainly due to the advent of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the misuse of strippers, and the overuse of drugs. In addition to these difficulties, there are the crucial phenomena of resistance to antibiotics and especially the constantly increasing prices of available drugs (Ouattara et al., 2013). In addition, the recurrence of the outbreaks of this infection sometimes means that families neglect the fight against infection. Added to this is the inadequacy or nonexistence of health infrastructure (Zerbo, 2011).
These populations are therefore turning to plants to find remedies to heal themselves. Medicinal plants are therefore a source of local medical care. Indeed, the use of plants for therapeutic purposes is reported in ancient Arabic, Chinese, Egyptian, Hindu, Greek, Roman literature (Anonymous, 1974). As a result, the World Health Organization has encouraged research on medicinal plants since 1978 to improve, secure, and reduce the cost of medical products (WHO, 2002). No less than 170,000 bioactive molecules have been identified from plants to date (WHO, 2002). Plants are still the primary reservoir for new drugs (Fouchet et al., 2000). In Africa, the therapeutic power of plants was known by our ancestors and our parents empirically (Nacoulma, 1996). Thus we did not know anything about the chemical composition of drugs used every day by many populations for health care.
The exploitation of herbal medicine heritage cannot remain static and be limited to the collection of traditional recipes (Vanhaelen, 2002). It is therefore opportune to develop studies that can explore new areas of knowledge that refer not only to the forms of the ordering of natural knowledge but also to the study of chemical compounds in plants (Pousset, 2006). Some work in the sub-region has already initiated the phytochemistry of medicinal species used in various regions. In Benin, bioactive molecules have been identified in certain medicinal plants which are effective and non-toxic in animal experiments (Sènou et al., 2016a, 2016b; Tchogou et al., 2017; Agbogba et al., 2019).
In the context of infectious diseases, significant pharmacological and phytochemical work has been carried out on medicinal plants from the Ivory Coast (Kouamé et al., 2004; Zirihi et al., 2005; Békro et al., 2007; Zirihi et al., 2007; N’Guesan et al., 2009. Kamanzi (2002) Bioassays were carried out on 104 species of medicinal plants. An evaluation of the antibacterial, antifungal, antimalarial, and antitrypanosomal activities was carried out; cytotoxicity was studied. Regarding phytochemical investigations, the author researched the bioactive principles of the plants studied; five (05) prenylated isoflavonoids have been isolated among which vogeline A, vogeline B and vogeline C, had never been described. Previous studies have revealed that Ficus platyphylla has antibacterial, anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory properties, and gastrointestinal activities in rodents (Amos et al., 2001; Amos et al., 2002; Kubmarawa et al., 2009). Thus, it is to promote anti-infectious medicinal plants by relying on traditional medicine that we include the studies we have carried out on Senna alata (L.) Roxb. (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae) and Lantana cumara L. (Verbenaceae), two plant species commonly used to treat skin infections in Benin. It will be a question of characterizing the chemical groups contained in these plants which will make it possible to explain their anti-infective effects obtained. Check out full articles at Int. J. Biosci. 19(1), 1-7, July 2021.
