This transversal descriptive study was carried out to collect plants and recipes used in Bagira to treat malaria. Direct interview with field enquiries allowed collecting ethnobotanical data. Eighty-four Informants (age 46.9 ± 12.0 years, sex ratio: 2.0, experience 12.1 ± 5.1 years) reported 53 species belonging to 24 families dominated by Fabaceae (22.6%) and Asteraceae (20.7%). Antiplasmodial activity was previously reported for 34 plants and 16 species are first cited as antimalarial plants among which Ekebergia benguelensis (18,8%), Dalbergia katangensis (14,1%) and Dialium angolense (14,1%), are the most cited. From these plants come 83 anti-malarial recipes of which 67 use a single plant and the other combine two to four plants. Leaf (≥52%) and decoction (≥58%) respectively constitute organ and preparation methods most used. Several plants are used in traditional medicine in Bagira against malaria, some of which deserve to be studied more to isolate new antimalarial compounds.

Dialium angolense is used in Bagira for its various medicinal properties particularly in the management of infectious diseases. In this study, the methanol and aqueous extracts of leaves and fruits were evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and their in vivo toxicity on Cavia porcellus. The major phytochemical classes of extracts were screened using standard in-tube reactions. The antimicrobial study was tested on Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae using agar well diffusion and dilution methods, while the antioxidant activity was evaluated by a DPPH assay. For the acute toxicity study, animals (6/group) were orally given in a single dose 5000, 1000 or 15000 mg of extract/kg body weight (BW) then observed for 14 days. In sub-acute toxicity assays, 150 or 300 mg/kg BW/day were orally given, and animals observed for 28 days. Total phenolics and total flavonoids contents ranged 1.19 to 1.61 mg GAE.g-1 and 0.45 to 1.01 mg QEg-1, respectively. The extracts presented antioxidant activity with IC50 ranging 4.9 to 6.9 µg/mL. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) on tested strains ranged from 1.9 to 500 µg/mL with the aqueous extract of fruits as a most active extract: MIC=1.9 µg/mL on E. coli and C. albicans. No signs of toxicity were noted during the acute and sub-acute toxicity assessments, suggesting a maximal tolerate doses (MDT) and LD50 > 15000 mg/kg BW. This study highlights the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Dialium angolense and suggests that further studies be directed towards the isolation of active compounds.

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