Ethnobotanical, phytochemical and toxicity analysis of a Beninese antihypertensive plant: Lippia multiflora

Abstract

The ethnobotanical research carried out with 20 traditional healers in south of Benin, particularly in Ketou, Bohicon, Mono and Savalou, allowed to collect 30 medicinal plants belonging to 18 families, used mainly for the treatment of arterial hypertension and other gastric affections. Lippia multiflora is retained on the basis of its high use against arterial hypertension, in order to carry out laboratory analysis such as: phytochemical sifting and the general toxicity on the shrimps larvas. The phytochemical screening showed that the leafy stems of the plant contain Gallic tannins, terpenes and steroids, the leuco-anthocyanes, anthocyanes, mucilages and reducing compounds whatever the harvest region is. The LC50 obtained at the end of the larvary toxicity test showed that the water and the which are respectively 1.14± 0.18 mg/ml and hydro ethanolic extracts 3.56±1.53 mg/ml, no have toxicity on the shrimps larvas in principle on the human cells 9PS, KB, A-549 and HT-29.