Abstract

DETERMINATION OF THE ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIPLASMODIAL ACTIVITIES OF MITRAGYNA INERMIS AND SPERMACOCE VERTICILLATA

Combassere-Cherif Kaba Mariama*, Sawadogo Assétou, Koama K. Benjamin, Belem Hadidiatou, DA L.S. Nadège, Kagambega Wendmi, Drabo A. Flora, Meda N. T. Roland and Ouedraogo G. Anicet

ABSTRACT

Mitragyna inermis and Spermacoce verticillata were two plants of the Rubiaceae family all used by traditional medicine to treat malaria in the western region of Burkina Faso. This study aims to evaluate the antioxidant and antiplasmodial activities of their aqueous and ethanolic extracts. The colorimetric methods were used to quantified total phenolics and flavonoids. The antioxidant activity of the plant extracts has been evaluated using DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods. Seven groups of six mice per each group were used to assess the antiplasmodial activity using the suppressive test. The groups of animals were administered 250 mg extract/kg body weight respectively for the six extract used. While the negative control, were administered with 200 μl of distilled water. Both, the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of the part of plants used presented phenolic and flavonoids contents. However, the content of flavonoids was significantly higher in ethanolic extract compared to aqueous extract. The antioxidant activities were much better with the aqueous extracts of the leaves of Mitragyna inermis (IC50 = 1.21 μg / ml) and ethanolic extract of Spermacoce verticillata (IC50 = 3.04 μg / ml) in DPPH method. The ethanolic extracts of the leaves of Mitragyna inermis (32.9%) and Spermacoce verticillata (27.6%) showed the best percentages reduction in parasitaemia. This study showed that the plant parts used are assumed to have antioxidant and antiplasmodial activities that could justify their traditional uses in the malaria treatment and that can be explored for the management of malaria.

Keywords: Mitragyna inermis, Spermacoce verticillata, antioxidant activity, antiplasmodial activity.