African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12488

Full Length Research Paper

Acute toxicity and antioxydant property of Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth (Scrophulariaceae)

Martin KIENDREBEOGO1*, Marie-Geneviève DIJOUX-FRANCA2, Charles Euloge LAMIEN1, Aline MEDA1, Denis WOUESSIDJEWE3, Odile Germaine NACOULMA1  
1Laboratoire de Biochimie et de Chimie Appliquées, UFR Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, Université de Ouagadougou, OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso. 2Département de Pharmacochimie Moléculaire (DPM), UMR 5063 CNRS-UJF, Equipe de Pharmacognosie, UFR de Pharmacie, Université Joseph Fourier de Grenoble, LA TRONCHE, France. 3Département de Pharmacochimie Moléculaire (DPM), UMR 5063 CNRS-UJF, Equipe de Pharmacotechnie, UFR de Pharmacie, Université Joseph Fourier de Grenoble, MEYLAN, France.
Email: E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 10 August 2005
  •  Published: 30 September 2005

Abstract

Plants containing flavonoids have been reported to possess strong antioxidant properties. The aqueous acetone extract of Striga hermonthica was further separated into aqueous and ethyl acetate fractions and assayed for their in vitro antioxidant properties using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The crude extract exhibits a weak antioxidant activity (IC50 of 95.27±2.30 µg/ml) and an insignificant acute toxicity on mice (LD50: 1753±44 mg/kg). Luteolin was isolated and identified by mean of its spectral data as the main DPPH radical scavenger of the ethyl acetate fraction, exhibiting an IC50 value of 6.80±1.46 µg/ml. These results suggest an antioxidant potential for S. hermonthica.

 

Key wordsStriga hermonthica, luteolin, antioxidant, acute toxicity.