Ethnopharmacological Value and Biological Activities via Antioxidant and Anti-Protein Denaturation Activity of <i>Morinda lucida</i> Benth and <i>Momordica charantia</i> L. Leaves Extracts from Benin
Durand Dah-Nouvlessounon,
Michaelle Chokki,
Agossou Damien Pacôme Noumavo,
Geta Cârâc,
Bianca Furdui,
Haziz Sina,
Cheikna Zongo,
Aly Savadogo,
Lamine Baba-Moussa,
Rodica-Mihaela Dinica,
Farid Baba-Moussa
Affiliations
Durand Dah-Nouvlessounon
Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Technic, University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou 05BP1604, Benin
Michaelle Chokki
Department of Chemistry, Physics and Environment, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Domneasca Street 47, 800008 Galati, Romania
Agossou Damien Pacôme Noumavo
Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Technic, University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou 05BP1604, Benin
Geta Cârâc
Department of Chemistry, Physics and Environment, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Domneasca Street 47, 800008 Galati, Romania
Bianca Furdui
Department of Chemistry, Physics and Environment, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Domneasca Street 47, 800008 Galati, Romania
Haziz Sina
Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Technic, University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou 05BP1604, Benin
Cheikna Zongo
Centre de Recherche en Sciences Biologiques, Alimentaires et Nutritionnelles (CRSBAN), UFR-SVT, Université de Ougadougou, Ougadougou 03BP7131, Burkina Faso
Aly Savadogo
Centre de Recherche en Sciences Biologiques, Alimentaires et Nutritionnelles (CRSBAN), UFR-SVT, Université de Ougadougou, Ougadougou 03BP7131, Burkina Faso
Lamine Baba-Moussa
Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Technic, University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou 05BP1604, Benin
Rodica-Mihaela Dinica
Department of Chemistry, Physics and Environment, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Domneasca Street 47, 800008 Galati, Romania
Farid Baba-Moussa
Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Technologie Alimentaire, FAST, Département de Biologie Végétale, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, ISBA-Champ de Foire, Cotonou 01BP: 526, Benin
Momordica charantia Linn. (Cucurbitaceae), the wild variety of bitter melon, and Morinda lucida Benth (Rubiaceae) were commonly used as a popular folk medicine in Benin. This study aimed to appreciate the ethnopharmacological knowledge and evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of M. charantia and M. lucida leaves extracts. Semi-structured surveys supported by individual interviews were conducted with herbalists and traditional healers in southern Benin. The antioxidant activities were evaluated by a micro-dilution technique using ABTS and FRAP methods. These activities were supported by cyclic voltammetry analysis. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by the albumin denaturation method. The volatile compounds were analysed by GC-MS analysis. All the respondents involved in this study have good knowledge of the two plants. We identify 21 diseases grouped into five categories of condition. The two plants’ extracts possess variable antioxidant capacity. Indeed, all the active extracts of M. charantia presented an IC50 M. lucida had an IC50 up to 0.21 ± 0.02 mg/mL. For anti-inflammatory activity, a dose-response activity (p 0.001) was observed in the protein denaturation inhibition rate of the extracts. It should be noted that the highest inhibition rate (98.34 ± 0.12) of the albumin denaturation was observed with M. lucida dichloromethane extract. A total of 59 volatile compounds were identified by GC-MS analysis in the extracts of the two plants. The M. charantia ethyl acetate extract shows the presence of 30 different compounds with a relative abundance of 98.83%, while that of M. lucida shows 24 compounds with a relative abundance of 98.30%. These plants are potential candidates to discover new compounds with therapeutic properties that could be used to solve public health problems.
