Physico-chemical Properties and Therapeutic Activity of a Plant-based Preparation (ahoutou) Used in the Treatment of Malaria

Gouegoui Serge-Pacôme Bohui^{1, 2}, Namory Méité^{1, 3,} , Elogne Guessan Zoro⁴, Alfred Niamien Kouamé¹, Ali Sanou², Lébé Prisca Marie-Sandrine Kouakou¹ and Wagner Luiz Ramos Barbosa³

¹Félix Houphouët-Boigny University (UFHB), UFR SSMT, Laboratory of Constitution and Reaction of Matter (LCRM),22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Côte d'Ivoire

²Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB), Laboratory of Industrial Processes of Synthesis, Environment and New Energies (LAPISEN), BP 1313 Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire

³Federal University of Para. Augusto Correa Street, S/N-Guamá, Belém, PA, Brazil

⁴Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS), Laboratoire des Sciences Physiques Fondamentales et Appliquées (LSPFA), Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Cite this paper:
Gouegoui Serge-Pacôme Bohui, Namory Méité, Elogne Guessan Zoro, Alfred Niamien Kouamé, Ali Sanou, Lébé Prisca Marie-Sandrine Kouakou and Wagner Luiz Ramos Barbosa. Physico-chemical Properties and Therapeutic Activity of a Plant-based Preparation (ahoutou) Used in the Treatment of Malaria. Journal of Materials Physics and Chemistry. 2025; 13(1):29-36. doi: 10.12691/jmpc-13-1-5

Abstract

Malaria is a public health problem in Africa, more precisely in Côte d’Ivoire. In addition to the formal treatments known in hospitals, a segment of the population uses treatments based on medicinal plants. Ahoutou (preparation of three (03) medicinal plants), like other preparations, is one of these treatments. The effectiveness of this preparation is the subject of debate. It is therefore imperative to apply characterization methods in order to scientifically evaluate the properties of ahoutou. This work aims to carry out a physicochemical characterization and evaluate the therapeutic properties of ahoutou. After extraction and physicochemical characterizations of the ahoutou, the flavonoid and polyphenol contents were measured. The results show that the magnesium contents of the extracts are between 530 ± 5.8 and 369 ± 4.6 µg/g of extract. The amounts of calcium in the different extracts vary from 3343 ± 1.7 to 487 ± 3.5µg/g of extract. Potassium contents vary from 3908± 3.5 to 1987± 4.1 µg/g of extract. The presence of certain minerals in our extracts (Iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium) would be a supplement to the diet in the prevention of certain complications due to malaria such as anemia, oxidative stress, hydro-electrolyte disorders and dehydration. Ahoutou has a moderate effect on Plasmodium falciparum and has anti-radical and antioxidant activity. It also has antiplasmodial activity with moderate effect on Plasmodium falciparum. As for the leaves that make up the ahoutou recipe, they also have antiplasmodial activity. Aqueous extracts (decoction) have a proven effect on Plasmodium falciparum. Ahoutou could therefore be used as a treatment for malaria in addition to formal treatment.

Keywords:
Malaria Ahoutou medicinal plants Physico-chemical properties Therapeutic activity

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