PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION, ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITIES OF MUSSAENDA ELEGANS AND SMEATHMANNIA LAEVIGATA: CONTRIBUTION TO THE VALORIZATION OF GUINEAN MEDICINAL PLANTS

Plants in general and medicinal plants in particular, play an important role in human health. This work aims to study the phytochemical properties and evaluate the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity of Mussaenda elegans and of Smeathmannia laevigata, cultivated in the Republic of Guinea. Tannins, flavonoids, mucilage, and reducing compounds were identified in the leaves of both plants. Mussaenda elegans showed the highest content of phenolic compounds, with total polyphenols (22.006 - 0.648 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (2.360 -0.110 mg QE/g), and tannins (4.087 -0.312 mg EC/g).For antibacterial activity, three strains were found to be sensitive to the hydroethanolic extract of Mussaenda elegans, namely, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus with aMIC of 1.25 mg/mL and Candida albicans (MIC 2.5 mg/mL) Hydroethanolic extract of Smeathmannia laevigata showed similarsensitivity against Escherichia coli,Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans with MIC of 2.5 mg/mL. The anti inflammatory activity observed for these two extracts was moderate. However, the Mussaenda elegans extract showed 18.29% inhibition, which is more promising than Smeathmannia laevigata extracts activity. These findings position Smeathmannia laevigata and Mussaenda elegans extracts as promising natural candidates for developing alternatives to conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.