Phytochemical Screening, Phenolic And Flavonoid Contents, Antioxidant And Cytogenotoxicity Activities Of Combretum Leprosum Mart. (Combretaceae)

Combretum leprosum Mart. (Combretaceae), a shrub popularly known as mofumbo, is used in folk medicine for treatment of uterine bleeding, pertussis, gastric pain, and as a sedative. The aim of this study was to (1) determine the phytochemical profile,(2) identify chemical constituents and (3) examine antioxidant and cytogenotoxic activity of ethanolic extracts and fractions of stem bark and leaves. The plant material (leaf and stem bark) was submitted to extraction with ethanol, followed by partition using hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate. It was possible to identify and quantify the epicatechin in the ethanolic stem bark extract (0.065 mg/g extract) and rutin in the leaf extract (3.33 mg/g extract). Based upon in vitro tests a significant relationship was noted between findings from antioxidant tests and levels of total phenolic and flavonoid. Comparing all samples (extracts and fractions), the ethyl acetate fractions of stem bark (411.40 +/- 15.38 GAE/g) and leaves (225.49 +/- 9.47 GAE/g) exhibited higher phenolic content, whereas hexanic fraction of stem bark (124.28 +/- 56 mg/g sample) and ethyl acetate fraction of leaves (238.91 +/- 1.73 mg/g sample) demonstrated a higher content of flavonoids. Among the antioxidant tests, the intermediate fraction of stem bark (28.5 +/- 0.60 mu g/ml) and ethyl acetate fraction of leaves (40 +/- 0.56 mu g/ml) displayed a higher % inhibition of free radical DPPH activity, whereas intermediate fraction of stem bark (27.5 +/- 0.9 mu g/ml) and hydromethanol fraction of leaves (81 +/- 1.4 mu g/ml) demonstrated inhibition of the free radical ABTS. In biological tests (Allium cepa and micronucleus in peripheral blood), data showed that none of the tested concentrations of ethanolic extracts of leaves and stem bark produced significant cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and mutagenic activity.