Phytochemical study and evaluation of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of hydroethanolic extracts of plumbago zeylanica

Plumbago zeylanica is an herbaceous plant used in traditional medicine to treat microbial and parasitic infections, swelling, arthritis, and certain types of tumors. However, scientific data validating the pharmacological properties of the species found in Togo remain limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of leaf and root extracts of P. zeylanica. To this end, a phytochemical assay of flavonoids and total polyphenols, as well as a phytochemical analysis using DPPH and FRAP techniques, were performed on P. zeylanica extracts. The anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated in rat paw edema induced by 1% formaldehyde. The phytochemical analysis revealed a significantly higher total polyphenol content in the root extract (41.68 mgEqAG/g) compared to the leaf extract (23.18 mgEqAG/g) (p<0.0001). In contrast, the flavonoid concentration was significantly lower in the leaf extract (31.18±0.37 mgEqQ/g) than in the root extract of P. zeylanica (62.36±1.02 mgEqQ/g) (p<0.0001). The results obtained demonstrated the strong antioxidant power of the extracts examined. The root extract of P. zeylanica caused a significant inhibition of edema in rats treated with 400 mg/kg body weight (bw) (p<0.001). These pharmacological effects are thought to be attributable to the chemical molecules present in the extracts, particularly the flavonoids and polyphenols present in the extracts examined. P. zeylanica is undoubtedly a medicinal plant with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but caution should be exercised when using it in traditional medicine to prevent harmful side effects in users.