Phytochemical analysis, antioxidant evaluation and total phenolic content of the leaves and stem bark of Musanga cecropioides R.Br. ex Tedlie (Cecropiaceae), growing in Gabon

Abstract

Musanga cecropioides R.Br. ex Tedlie (Cecropiaceae) is a plant used in the Gabonese traditional medicine in the treatment of various infectious and systemic diseases. In order to evaluate the pharmacological importance of this plant, phytochemical constituents of aqueous alcoholic extracts of the stem bark and leaves were screened using standard procedures. The in vitro antioxidant and total phenolic content of these extracts were determined using the free radical scavenging activity based on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical and the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, respectively. Phytochemistry results revealed the presence of phenols, coumarins, gallic tannins and triterpenes in both parts of the plant, while flavonoids and alkaloids were specifically present in leaves and in stem bark, respectively. M. cecropioides stem bark extract displayed the highest DPPH free radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 0.29±0.02 μg/ml), while stem bark and leaves extracts showed comparable polyphenol content (40.26±3.12 mg/g and 40.69±6.43 of extract, respectively). This study demonstrated that M. cecropioides stem bark and leaf extracts contain many phytochemicals, with an important amount of phenolic compounds, and possess antioxidant activities.