Phytochemical Screening, Acute Toxicity and Anti-Diarrhoeal Effect of Extracts from Prosopis africana (Guill.&Perr.) Taub (Mimosaceae)

Prosopis africana is one of the plants commonly used in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso. Several studies have shown that this plant contains many compounds, which gives it different pharmacological properties. The objective of this work was to determine the phytochemical and toxicological profile and also the effect of extracts from this medicinal plant on intestinal peristalsis in vivo in mice using standards methods. Phytochemical screening has revealed the presence steroids, triterpenes, anthocyanosides, tannins, saponosides, reducing compounds, carbohydrates, etc. The acute toxicity studies were permit to estimated LD50 of 5000 mg/kg b. w. for the aqueous and hydroethanolic crude extracts and 1000 mg/kg for alkaloid-enriched fraction of aqueous extract. The study of intestinal peristalsis showed that aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts of Prosopis africana inhibited intestinal transit by 15.36 % and 25.84 %, respectively, at a dose of 500 mg / kg. At the same dose, the hydro-ethanolic extract potentiated acetylcholine-induced intestinal transit by 21.56 % while the aqueous extract inhibits it. This study showed that Prosopis africana extracts are rich in secondary metabolites and are virtually harmless. This could justify this plant many uses in traditional medicine.