Volume 162, 13 March 2015, Pages 306–316
Research Paper
Ethnopharmacological surveys and pharmacological studies of plants used in traditional medicine in the treatment of HIV/AIDS opportunistic diseases in Gabon
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance
Ethnopharmacological
surveys were conducted in two regions of Gabon. This led to
highlighting some of the medicinal plants used by local populations in
the management of HIV/AIDS opportunistic diseases. Two regions with the
highest occurrence of HIV/AIDS cases were visited and
ethnopharmarcological data was gathered. These regions were the Estuaire
Province (Libreville and its neighborhood) and the Haut-Ogooué Province
(Franceville and its neighborhood). The opportunistic diseases and
symptomatic conditions considered during this study were: diarrhea,
respiratory tract infections, cough, tuberculosis, abscesses, stomach
ache, skin rashes, venereal diseases, typhoid fever, anemia, general
tiredness, hepatitis and vomiting.
Materials and methods
The
reported species were evaluated through three parameters: specificity,
reliability and frequency. Plant parts of relevant species were
harvested and extracted with an aqueous alcohol solution (ethanol/water:
1/1). The extracts obtained were submitted to phytochemical screening
and in vitro microbiological assays on some clinical isolates
and ATCC strains, involved in HIV/AIDS opportunistic diseases through
the Agar well diffusion and Microbroth dilution methods.
Results
Among the 52 species identified during this survey, Coelocaryon klainei Pierre ex Heckel (Myristicaceae), Dacryodes klaineana (Pierre) H.J. Lam (Bursecaceae), Phyllanthus diandrus Pax (Euphorbiaceae), Saccoglotys gabonensis (Baill.) Urb. (Humiriaceae) and Tetrorchidium didymostemon (Baill.) Pax & K. Hoffm. (Euphorbiaceae) were submitted to in vitro microbiological assays. Phyllanthus diandrus bark and leaves show best antibacterial activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae
with MIC value of 0.25 respectively. Phytochemical screening revealed
the presence in all the plant parts extracts of potentially bioactive
molecules, including polyphenols, especially flavonoids and tannins.
Conclusion
It
is concluded that some of these plants might be submitted to further
scientific studies, including the identification and isolation of
bioactive principles, that could be developed to drugs for the treatment
of HIV/AIDS opportunistic diseases.
Graphical abstract
Keywords
- Pharmacognosy;
- HIV/AIDS;
- Medicinal plants;
- Antimicrobial agents;
- In vitro analysis;
- Data analysis
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