Ethnomedicinal and Pharmacognostical Investigation on Three Medicinal Asteraceae Species from Burkina Faso: Bidens Engleri O. E. Schulz, Acanthospermum hispidum DC. and Ageratum conyzoides L.

Author(s): Bagora Bayala*, Adama Hilou, Pierre A. E. D Sombié, Ahmed Y. Coulibaly, Odile Nacoulma and Jacques Simpore

Abstract: Aims: This study aimed to collect data on ethnomedicinal uses and pharmacognostic evaluation of Bidens engleri, Ageratum conyzoides and Acanthospermum hispidum, three species of Asteraceae family commonly found in Burkina Faso. Methods: Ethnomedicinal data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and discussions with local language practitioners. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and lipoxygenase inhibitory assays were used to determine antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, respectively. Phenolics were quantitatively and qualitatively determined using spectrophotometric, histochemical and thin layer chromatography methods. Results: Surveys have shown many uses of the three species to treat various pathologies. Histochemical and phytochemical studies characterize the alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, sterols, triterpenes and saponosides in these three plants. Bidens engleri had the highest contents of total phenolics (19.38 ± 0.35 mg GAE / 100 mg), total flavonols (1.47 ± 0.08 mg QE / 100 mg) and tannins (16.79 ± 0.72 mg TAE/ 100 mg). However, Acanthospermum hispidum possessed the highest total flavonoid contents (6.07 ± 0.12 mg QE / 100 mg). Caffeic acid and rutin were identified in the methanolic extract of Acanthospermum hispidum and rutin in that of Ageratum conyzoides using thin-layer chromatography. Bidens engleri showed the best DPPH radical scavenging activity with an IC50 of 14.97 ± 0.06 μg/mL and the best inhibition of lipoxygenase (70.59 ± 4.16 %) at the concentration of 100 μg/mL. Conclusions: These scientific results could justify the various traditional uses of these plants in Burkina Faso in the treatment of oxidative, inflammatory, microbial and parasitic diseases.

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