Abstract

Typhoid fever, an infectious disease impacting millions worldwide, has led to the utilization of a traditional medicine recipe in Togo consisting of Carica papaya, Cocos nucifera, and Persea americana. This study aimed to assess the phytochemical properties and antimicrobial activities of the traditional medicine recipe against typhoid fever. Qualitative tests, employing characterization reactions, were employed to identify phenolic compounds, alkaloids, terpenes and sterols, anthocyanins, reducing sugars, and cardiac glycosides in the hydroethanolic extract. The total polyphenol content was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent reduction method, while the Butanol-HCl method was employed to ascertain the proanthocyanidol content. The results indicated that the hydroalcoholic extract of the recipe is rich in phenolic compounds (0.86±0.002 mgAGE/g). Various plant organs exhibited phenolic compound contents ranging from 0.31±0.006 to 0.52±0.005 mgAGE/g. The condensed tannin contents varied between 0.21%±0.001 and 0.35%±0.003 mgCE/g, while the antiradical activity ranged from 0.069±0.007 to 0.074±0.000 mgAAE/g. The recipe demonstrated higher activity against hospital strains, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging between 6.25 and 12.5 mg/ml. The MIC of plant organs varied from 25 to 100 mg/ml.

Key words:  Carica papaya, Cocos nucifera, Persea americana, typhoid fever, Togo.