Abstract

PROTECTIVE AND COAGULANT CAPACITY OF THE EXTRACT OF LEAVES OF ALCHORNEA CORDIFOLIA (EUPHORBIACEAE)

Virginie Atto*, Prospère Yapo Adepo, François Gnate Monteomo, Antelme Semi Nene Bi and Jacques Datte Yao

ABSTRACT

Alchornea cordifolia (Euphorbiaceae) is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of several pathologies. The objective of this study is to evaluate in vitro the pharmacological properties of an aqueous extract of Alchornea cordifolia leaves on hemolysis and hemostasis. The evaluation of the protective activity of the plant studied was carried out by bringing rabbit red blood cells into contact with the extract from Alchornea cordifolia. The extract was found to be non-toxic and the anti-hemolytic test revealed that it exerts a protective effect on the erythrocyte membrane against oxidative stress induced by AAPH (2,2-azobis2 amidino-propane-dihydrochloride). The evaluation of the anti-radical activity against the radical DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) showed that for concentrations of 0.001 mg/ml, 0.01 mg/ml, 0.1 mg/ml and 1 mg/ml, the aqueous extract of Alchornea cordifolia leaves developed a concentration-dependent antioxidant
activity respectively of 4.34 ± 0.42; 26.98 ± 3.92; 85.60 ± 0.42; 94.86± 3.92. At 1 mg/ml, the extract and vitamin C, the reference substance, presented significantly similar antioxidant activity (94.86 ± 3.92 vs 96.33 ± 0.33). In addition, the extract induced a dose-dependent reduction in the TP-extract/TP-control and TCA-extract/TCA-control ratios. This decrease in these ratios suggests that it accelerates clotting. This hemostatic activity of the aqueous extract of Alchornea cordifolia leaves is justified by the presence in the extract of phenolic compounds and vitamin K which play an essential role in coagulation.

Keywords: Alchornea codifolia, anti-hemolytic, anti-oxidant properties and hemostasis.