Anthelmintic and Antioxidant Activities, Phytochemical Profile and Microscopic Features of Senna alata Collected in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Aim: The objective of this study was to determine the phytochemical profile of Senna alata LINN using chemical screening in solution and thin-layer chromatography, and to assess the antioxidant and anthelmintic activities of the plant’s aqueous extracts. Methodology: All the analyses performed in this study were, respectively, done as described by the standard protocols. These were: the microscopic examination of the plant powders performed using a light microscope, the search for secondary metabolites carried out by chemical screening in solution and by thin-layer chromatography, the determination of the secondary metabolites, and the antioxidant activity carried out by UV-visible spectroscopy and the anthelmintic activity performed by dilution in decreasing order of concentration. Results: Micrographic analysis of the powder of Senna alata revealed the histological elements rich in unicellular covering hairs with a punctate surface and in fragments of palisade parenchyma, with elongated cells. The presence of polyphenols (flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins, leuco anthocyanins, free quinones), steroids, terpenoids, and iridoids was detected by phytochemical screening in solution and confirmed by thin-layer chromatography. The determination of total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, total tannins, and anthocyanins showed that Senna alata contains 254.64 mg EQ/g, 12.3%, 9.5%, and 6.5%, respectively, of these metabolites. The aqueous extract of the leaves of Senna alata showed a good anthelmintic activity after 41 minutes of exposure to 5.00 mg/mL of the extract and the antioxidant activity was reported, of which the value of IC50 (\(\mu\) g/mL) of the extract for the DPPH tests is 91.42  \(\pm\) 15.56. Conclusion: Histological elements rich in unicellular covering hairs with a punctate surface and in fragments of palisade parenchyma, with elongated cells were revealed in the micrographic analysis of Senna alata. The plant’s leaf methanol extract showed good antioxidant activity, while the anthelmintic activity was demonstrated in its aqueous extract.