In Vitro Antisickling and Free Radical Scavenging Activities of Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth(Fabaceae)

Research Article

In Vitro Antisickling and Free Radical Scavenging Activities of Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth(Fabaceae)

Koto-te-Nyiwa Ngbolua, Tshitenge T. Bishola, Tshimankinda P. Mpiana, Virima Mudogo, Sha-Tshibey D. Tshibangu, Kabamba N. Ngombe, Dorothée D. Tshilanda, Robijaona Baholy

Corresponding Author : Koto-te-Nyiwa Ngbolua,

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, P.O. Box 190 Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Email ID : jpngbolua@unikin.ac.cd

Received : 2014-03-02 Accepted : 2014-03-28 Published : 2014-03-31

Abstract : The use of medicinal plants for the treatment and prevention of human diseases including Sickle cell disease is an old indigenous technology in Africa. Pentaclethra macrophylla is traditionally used in Congolese folk medicine to treat Sickle Cell Disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antisickling and radical scavenging activities of Pentaclethra macrophylla stem bark using Emmel’s test and the radical DPPH assay. The results showed that n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanol soluble fractions exhibited interesting antisickling activity compared to that of ethyl acetate soluble fraction, as revealed by the observed normal biconcave form of sickle erythrocyte in hypoxic conditions. On the other hand, the ethyl acetate and methanol soluble fractions revealed a significant radical scavenging activity. The methanol soluble fraction exhibited a promising antiradical activity (IC50 = 1.517 ± 0.053 µg/mL). The chemical screening performed on this plant species revealed the presence of anthocyanins and organic acids which were then extracted. Total anthocyanins and organic acids revealed interesting antisickling and antioxidant properties, thus justifying the use of Pentaclethra macrophylla Congolese traditional healers to treat sickle cell disease. In the best of our knowledge, Pentaclethra macrophylla has not been yet scientifically validated as antisickling plant in Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Keywords : Sickle cell disease, Traditional medicine, Pentaclethra macrophylla, anthocyanins, organic acids.

Citation : Koto-te-Nyiwa Ngbolua, et al (2014) In Vitro Antisickling and Free Radical Scavenging Activities of Pentaclethra Macrophylla Decne (Fabaceae). J. of Advancement in Medical and Life Sciences. V1I2.02 DOI : 10.5281/zenodo.999434

Copyright : © 2014 Koto-te-Nyiwa Ngbolua. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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