Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical Studies and Determination of Mineral Elements of Commiphora africana (A. RICH) Engel. Haversted in Mali

Abstract

Since ancient times, people have treated themselves with the plants they had at their disposal. Commiphora africana (A. Rich) Engel., known as "African myrrh," is a medicinal plant belonging to the Burseraceae family, widely used in traditional Malian medicine. The objective of this study is to conduct an ethnobotanical survey, perform phytochemical screening of the plant powder, and determine the mineral content. A questionnaire was used to collect information from respondents regarding knowledge about the plant and the recommended preparation methods. The plant material consisted of root bark and leaves. These plant parts were harvested in November 2018 in Ségué, Bankass prefecture in the Mopti region of Mali. The extracts were prepared by aqueous decoction using reflux heating. The phytochemical families of the different extracts were identified using test tube reactions. Mineral elements were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). During the ethnobotanical Survey, the recorded ailment included headaches, evil spirits and Children nighttime fear. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of various secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, free quinones, terpenoids, sterols, triterpenes, anthraquinones, and reducing sugars. Furthermore, the studied plant parts (leaves and roots) showed varied concentrations of minerals, including Na (1.14; 1.55 mg/L), K (28.12; 22.88 mg/L), Mg (12.79; 11.35 mg/L), Ca (62.96; 38.93 mg/L), Fe (0.57; 2.23 mg/L), Pb (1.48; 1.21 mg/mL). Some elements were present in trace amounts: Zn (-1.29; 0.38 mg/mL) and Cu (0.28; 0.08 mg/mL).