ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF MEDICINAL PLANTS USED AGAINST LIVER DISEASES IN BENGASSOU, BOCANDA DEPARTMENT (CENTRAL-EASTERN, COTE DIVOIRE)

Hepatitis, which causes acute liver infections, is a global health problem, especially viral hepatitis B and C, which are major causes of serious morbidity and death. In Cote d Ivoire, viral hepatitis (78%) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease. Late diagnosis of this condition forces most patients, who are generally poor, to turn to medicinal plants, given the high cost of treatments offered by traditional medicine. Hence the need to evaluate their hepatoprotective potential. To contribute to this, this study focused on the phytochemical composition and antioxidant properties of several medicinal plants used to treat liver disease in Bengassou. Oxidative stress, a state of imbalance between the generation and elimination of free radicals in the body, is considered a major factor in the pathogenesis of liver disease. This study aims to identify the major groups of phytochemicals in hydroethanolic extracts from these plants via colorimetric tests, and to evaluate their antioxidant properties using DPPH radical scavenging and Folin-Ciocalteu assays. Polyphenols, flavonoids, sterols and polyterpenes were found in most of the species studied.