Full Length Research Paper
ABSTRACT
The presence of some elements in ten plants with anti-microbial potency was analysed using x-ray fluorescence technique. The results showed there were nineteen elements in these plants. They all contain Pb, a toxic heavy metal, except one that contains As. K, S, Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu, Co, Ni, Mn and Se elements were identified and their anti-microbial properties were discussed.
Key words: Energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence, anti-microbial plants, heavy metals, Côte d’Ivoire.
INTRODUCTION
In Africa, microbial diseases like tetanus, whooping cough, diarrhea, cholera and AIDS are found in both rural and urban dwellers. This can be attributed to several factors such as cost high of modern medication, rural population lives in rural areas where the health care coverage is almost non-existent and hospitals for modern medicine are far away from villages. In Côte d’Ivoire, as in most other Third world countries, the rural population use medicinal plants for treating its diseases (Kamanzi et al., 2002). Medicinal plants are the main sources of traditional medicine for the rural population. They are used for their therapeutic properties are known to have many essential and nutritional elements (Djama et al., 2011).
A project was initiated in Côte d’Ivoire with the main aim to identify plants and pharmacological preparations and properties frequently used in traditional medicine and study the elemental composition of the plants in relation to their use. The study focused on the plants used in the treatment of microbial diseases to which the population is exposed. Plants were selected for theirtherapeutic indications for various illnesses (Aké-Assi, 2001). The present study was to investigate the element contents in plants and review their therapeutic properties. The work was also extended to evaluate the level of toxic elements present in the medicinal plant samples (Djama et al., 2012). Ten medicinal plants were studied to determine their elements contents. These are: Leaves of Abrus precatorius (Subhan and Jubilee, 2006), Cassia alata (Khan et al., 2001), Justicia secunda (John et al., 2006), Manotes longiflora (Kablan et al., 2008), Ocimuma mericamum (Clarkson et al., 2004), Ocimum gratissimum (Pousset, 2004), Phyllanthus amarus (Hanumanthachar and Milind, 2007), Psidium guajava (Pousset, 2004), Solenoste monmonostachyus (Adjanohoun and Aké-Assi, 1979) and stems bark of Blighia unijugata (Oderinde et al., 2009).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The period of plants collection was from July 2007 to July 2008 at AGBAN-Bingerville, a village in Côte d’Ivoire (Figure 1). From previous From previous studies, these plants were used in traditional medicine for their antimicrobial properties. The parts of plants were made up of the leaves and barks of stems. Ten plants (Table 1) were collected for studies. They were cleaned with distilled water to avoid contamination. They were dried at ambient laboratory temperatures in the range of 20 to 30°C. They were grinded into fine powder for making pellets. The irradiation was done using an energy dispersive X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer. Tube excited X-Ray photons from a Mo-anode in a Mo secondary target excitation were used. The tube was operated at 45 kV/5 mA. A 30 mm2 active area Si (Li) detector with an energy resolution (FWHM ) of 165 eV at 5.9 keVMn Kα, placed at 45° to the sample surface area was used for detection of characteristic photons. An ortec maestro Multichannel analyser programme was employed for the data collection (peak collection). About 300 mg of each sample were pelletized using a SPECAC material with a pressure of 2 tons/cm2 .Three irradiations were made for each pellet: The intermediate thick pellet, multi-element target and Pellet+Target for a spectrum collection life time of 1500 s. IAEA Linear least squares fitting of the AXIL software programme was used for the spectrum deconvolution. The emission-transmission method in QXAS package (IAEA, 2005), was used to convert spectrum peak areas to concentrations.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results of the elemental analysis showed the presence of nineteen elements. The major elements detected were potassium, sodium and calcium. The trace elements were vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, bromine, rubidium and strontium at various concentrations.
These anti-microbial plants contain molecules that behave like antibiotics (Okpekon, 2006). The study was to determine in these plants the contents of elements that are essential in the treatment of microbial diseases. There are K, S, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, Mn and Se. The results in Table 1 gave the elemental analysis.
Trace elements
Iron is essential against anemia disorders (Nazanin et al., 2014). The Fe content in various medicinal plants analysed is from a minimum of 100 mg/kg in PT01_Leaf to a maximum of 1094,8 mg/kg in PT25_Leaf (Table 2). Hence the use of S. monostachyuswill have the potency to cure microbes such as malaria, helminthiasis disorders. The Fe concentration levels of parts of plants studied renders them good enough to be used for the treatment of bacteria diseases.
The Co contents in the parts plants varied from 2.2 mg/kg in PT06_Leaves to a maximum of 11 mg/kg in PT25_leaves. The adult human body contains approximately 1 mg of cobalt, 85% of which is in the form of vitamin B12 (Lison, 2007).Cobalt is found a component in small part of vitamin B12. The organic form is a necessary component of vitamin B12 and plays a very important role in forming amino acids. This element is essential for correct functioning of the organism (Katarzyna et al., 2015). The higher Co and Fe content in PT25_leaves suggest its use in medicinal preparation for treatment of microbial diseases and anaemia.
Copper has anti-inflammatory properties (Lewis, 1984; Whitehouse, 1976). Copper concentrations ranged from 2.7 mg/kg in C. alata leaves to 11.6 mg/kg in O. gratissimum leaves. It is important in case of injury from tetanus. Leaves of C. alata and O. gratissimumcan be recommended for curing tetanus.
Nickel is also a micronutrient essential for proper functioning of the human body. This metal facilitates the transition to the human body through respiratory tract, skin and digestive system (Zdrojewicz et al., 2016). All plants investigated here contain nickel but prominent in leaves of S. monostachyus (3.8 mg/kg) and of M. longiflora (8.4 mg/kg). These two plants can be more adapted for anaemia disorders than the others. Ni can be toxic to high levels concentrations but the maximum value (8.4 mg/kg) is inferior to UL and RDA values.
The conclusions of the works of Nazanin et al. (2013) confirmed that the zinc deficiency caused an increase in the frequency of the infections. Samples analysed contain zinc phyllanthus amarus (37.8 mg/kg), J. secunda (35.4 mg/kg), C. alata(13.2 mg/kg), O. gratissimum (38.4 mg/kg), A. precatorius (27.7 mg/kg), O. americamum (40.2 mg/kg), B. unijugata (4.9 mg/kg), M. longiflora (6.0 mg/kg), S. monostachyus (150 mg/kg). The appreciable high concentration of Zn in PT25_Leaf, PT40_Leaf, PT18_Leaf,P33_Leaf, PT07_Leaf and PT06_Leaf suggest their possible use for the improvement of the immune system and treatment of microbial infections.
Mn element deficiency could cause skin damage, anaemia and hypercholesterolemia. It helps in eliminating fatigue and in presence of Fe, to treat anaemia (Djama et al., 2011). Mn concentrations varied from 5.6 mg/kg in stems barks of B. unijugata to 205.6 mg/kg in leaves of J. secunda. Appreciable high concentrations are found in leaves of A. precatorius (49.9 mg/kg), S. monostachyus (57.6 mg/kg), O. americamum (29.7 mg/kg) and P. amarus (64,6 mg/kg). These plants can be used for medicinal preparations to supplement Mn for various body functions (Djama et al.,2011).
Selenium is a well-known antioxidant (Navarro-Alarconet al., 2008). This element is needed for the proper functioning of the immune system, and is a key nutrient in counteracting the development of virulence and inhibiting HIV progression to AIDS (Rayman, 2000). Only three plants contain Se: PT12_Leaf (0.4 mg/kg), PT01_leaf (1.4mg/kg) and PT18_Leaf (0.4 mg/kg). It is suggested for use in the treatment of AIDS infection.
Essential elements
Peter and Kowey (2002) studied potassium as important in regulating the water balance and the acid-base balance in the blood and tissues. It is essential in the transmission of electrical impulses in the heart. All plants contain K. The minimum concentration is 68.5 mg/kg and the maximum is 10.000 mg/kg. The higher K content in PT25_leaves suggests it uses in medicinal preparation for good heart impulsions and can help to treat hypokalaemia.
The role of calcium element in the human organism is essential. It regulates the muscle contraction, oocyte activation, building strong bones and teeth (Piste et al., 2013).
The works of Ralf Mueller showed that sulfur is necessary in clinical applications such as the treatment of skin disease. Two of the analyzed plants contain S: P. amarus (1779.8 mg/kg) and B. unijugata(1023.5 mg/kg).This element causes irritant reactions (Ralf, 2008)
Calcium concentrations varied from 1899.3 mg/kg in J. secunda leaves to 14.500 mg/kg in stem and bark of B. unijugata. Appreciably high concentrations of the element has also been found in P. amarus (3181.2 mg/kg), C. alata (3140.1 mg/kg), O. gratissimum (4750 mg/kg), A. precatorius (3879.7 mg/kg), O. americamum (7262.8 mg/kg), B. unijugata (14.000 mg/kg), M. longiflora (4289.7 mg/kg) and S. monostachyus (10.600 mg/kg). These plants are good for regulating the heart during treatment for bacterial infections.
Heavy metals
Sudies by Yedjou and Tchounwou (2008) and Yedjou et al. (2006) revealed that Lead (Pb) is a toxic element. All the analyzed plants contain Pb: The minimum concentration is 1.1 mg/kg in PT12_leaf while the maximum (4.9 mg/kg) in PT25_leaf.
Only O. americanum contains arsenic (2.1 mg/kg) that is toxic, especially in its inorganic form (WHO, 2018).These different plant parts should be used with recommendation and prudence.
CONCLUSION
Ten plants used by traditional healers in Côte d'Ivoire to treat illnesses with microbial infections have been listed in this study. The data obtained in the present work, revealed the curative potency of the analyzed plants; it will also be necessary to determine the dosage to be administered to patients considering the elemental contents and their concentrations in these plants. This study sought to identify the presence of elements in these plants that can improve patients' state of health from their metabolic properties. From the analysis of the results obtained, a more or less effective contribution according to the plants from the concentrations of the essential elements in the healing bacterial diseases was note. These plants are indicated in the treatment of microbial diseases as had been pointed out previously., However, some are more effective than others. The leaves of S. monostachyus can be recommended for parasitic infections, leaves of A. precatorius, C. alata and O. gratissimum may be recommended for patients with bacterial infections and AIDS as they contain potassium, calcium, iron, nickel, copper, manganese, zinc and selenium. These plants can correct the side effects of diseases such as anemia, weakening of the immune system and general fatigue of the patient. In addition, the leaves of J. secunda, the stems of B. unijugata and the leaves of M. longiflora are effective for curing anemia and strengthening of the immune system. All parts of plants should be used with moderation and prudence.
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
The authors have not declared any conflict of interests.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are grateful to the Université Felix Houphouet-Boigny de Cocody Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire and to the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) for their contribution to this work.
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