Julbernardia paniculata and Pterocarpus angolensis: From Ethnobotanical Surveys to Phytochemical Characterization and Bioactivities Evaluation

Abstract

Julbernardia paniculata and Pterocarpus angolensis are two plant species with important application in African traditional medicine, particularly in Angola, in the treatment of several diseases. However, scientific studies concerning these species are scarce. The goal of this work was to know better which medicinal approaches are used by the Huíla population in Angola by means of ethnobotanical surveys. Furthermore, extracts of both plants were phytochemically characterized. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing activities, and potential cytotoxicity were also studied. With this study it was possible to verify that 67% of the individuals that use medicinal plants are women, and their main therapeutic uses are the treatment of problems of the digestive system and skin disorders. Barks of J. paniculata and leaves of P. angolensis are the most often used plant parts. Through high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) and GC-MS it was possible to characterize the chemical composition of the two species, which are rich in phenolic compounds, terpenes, terpenoids, sesquiterpenoids and fatty acids. Both plants showed to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory proprieties, and wound-healing activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive study of these two species and the first ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological study of medicinal plants from this region of Angola.

Ayahuasca Beverages: Phytochemical Analysis and Biological Properties

“…In the present study, the total phenolics were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method ( Table 1 ). Although some studies describe limitations of the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method, it remains widely used for the determination of total phenolics [ 40 ]. All samples showed substantial concentrations of total phenolics, with M. hostilis , commercial mixture and the mixture of M. hostilis and B. caapi showing the highest concentrations, and P. harmala the lowest content of total phenolics.…”

“…For these reasons, and in order to better understand the antioxidant mechanism of Ayahuasca decoctions, their antioxidant activity was also evaluated by the β-carotene bleaching test ( Table 3 ). This assay is widely used in the evaluation of the antioxidant activity of samples of natural origin, since it allows the evaluation of the ability of the samples to inhibit the lipid peroxidation [ 40 , 55 ]. In this test, the antioxidant activity evaluation is undertaken by comparing two competitive chemical reactions involving the potentially antioxidant compounds present in the samples and the antioxidant model β-carotene [ 56 ].…”

“…Subsequently, the total phenolic content was determined by colorimetry (765 nm), using a standard curve prepared with methanolic solutions of gallic acid ( y = 0.001 x ; R 2 = 0.9845). The tests were carried out in triplicate, and the results were expressed as gallic acid equivalents (mg GAE/g sample) [ 40 ].…”

Design and Characterization of Bioactive Bilayer Films: Release Kinetics of Isopropyl Palmitate

“…The samples were then transferred to the autosampler for injection into the HPLC-DAD system. The concentration of isopropyl palmitate released from the films was expressed as µg/mL, corresponding to two chromatographic analysis [24][25][26][27].…”

Pterocarpus angolensis: Botanical, Chemical and Pharmacological Review of an Endangered Medicinal Plant of India

“…However, some amounts of these compounds are also present in methanolic extracts. Leaves of P.angolensis are reported to have more polyphenols as compared to barks (Santos et al 2020). Further analysis of the phenolic profile by HPLC-DAD (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detection) verified the presence of gallic acid, caffeic acid, and taxifolin in the crude extracts and fractions of P.angolensis but not in abundance.…”