Oxygen species scavenger activities and phenolic contents of four West African plants

In West Africa, Alchornea cordifolia, Baphia nitida, Cassia occidentalis and Boerhavia diffusa leaves are used in food and drinks, as well as in traditional medicine, to treat rheumatic ailments which incur oxidative stress. First, these plants were evaluated for their antioxidant properties through a scavenger effect on reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorous acid. All of them showed dose-dependent antioxidant activity. The values obtained were comparable to those of antioxidant pharmacological substances: N-acetylcysteine and Mesna. Second, rates of total phenolic, flavonoid and proanthocyanidin contents were evaluated. The highest rates were to be found in the most active extracts, indicating that antioxidant activity could be influenced by these phytochemical groups.The results of our study confirm the traditional use of these plants in inflammatory diseases, and demonstrate that they could contribute, through their phenolic contents, to attenuating tissue damage due to ROS. These plants can also be beneficial for health as a source of antioxidants when they are included in food and drinks.