Antiplasmodial and Antioxidant Activities of Phyllanthus Species and Associated Medicinal Plants from Kenge in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Abstract

The aims of this work are firstly to carry the antiplasmodial and antioxidant activities of hydromethanolic extracts of three Phyllanthus species and these of two associated plants in order to establish difference firstly between Phyllanthus species and secondarily, between Phyllanthuis species and associated plants. These activities could be explained by plant secondary metabolites; thus, the phytochemical screening was previously carried out using some reagents and the total phenolics and the total flavonoids contents determined using standard chemical compounds for establishing curves. In finally, the relationship established between antiplasmodial activities and antioxidant activities. Results obtained in this work showed that flavonoids are present in Phyllanthus species but absent in both associated plants which contained saponins, steroids and triterpens that missing in Phyllanthus species. Concerning the total flavonoid content, P. niruroides showed high value (0.75±0.03 mg GAE/g of dry extract) than all total flavonoid content values of other plants. For total phenolic content, P. odontadenius showed high value with 0.07±0.01 mg QE/g of dry extract than of two others phyllanthus species and the two associated plants which presented 0.06 mg QE/g of dry extract. Antiplasmodial activities showed values from 13.2±0.0 µg / mL for P. muellerianus to 102.65±0 µg / mL for associated plants. Phyllanthus species showed promising antiplasmodial activity or moderate antiplasmodial activity and the associated plants showed low antiplasmodial activity. The percentage inhibition of radicals could be explaining the high antioxidant activities for Phyllanthus species in comparison with associated plants with P. odontadenius which presented low value (1.83±0.05 µg / mL) and it is also the same for the ABTS radical where P. niruroides showed high value (0.24±0.02 µg/mL) than H. acida and D. englerianum. The established relationship shows that with the high antiplasmodial activities, the report in percentage between antiplasmodial activity and antioxidant activities is also high i.e., 15.61% for P. muellerianus.