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Aim of the study: An ethnobotanical survey on medicinal plants used in the management of sickle cell disease by traditional healers was carried out at Kisangani city and Babogombe village, two localities belonging to the Tshopo district, DR Congo in order to: (a) identify medicinal plants used by traditional healers in the management of sickle cell anemia, (b) verify their antisickling activity in vitro, (c) determine the most active plants, and (d) verify if anthocyanins (crude extracts) are responsible for the bioactivity. Materials and methods: The Emmel`s test was used in vitro for the antisickling activity assays of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of different parts of these plants and for crude extracts of anthocyanins. The effect of anthocyanins on the Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio was carried out using UV-visible spectroscopy. Results: Using information from traditional healers, 18 plant species belonging to 17 genera and 12 families were collected. These were identified at the herbarium service of the Faculty of Science of the University of Kisangani. Euphorbiaceae is the predominant family (44% at Babogombe and 20% at Kisangani). Fourteen plants showed in vitro antisickling activity for both aqueous and ethanolic extracts (Alchornea cordifolia, Bridelia atroviridis, Bridelia ripicola, Carica papaya, Centella asiatica, Fagara macrophylla, Ficus mucuso, Harungana madagascariensis, Macaranga monandra, Maesopsis emini, Morinda lucida, Thomandersia hensii, Ricinodendron heudelotii, Urera hypselodendron). Two plants exhibited activity only for the aqueous extract (Acacia kirki, Mitragyna stipulosa) and two others were found to be non active (Duvernoya splendens, Eleutherine plicata). Anthocyanin crude extracts of three of these plants showed an interesting biological activity. The anthocyanin crude extracts were able to improve the Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio, facilitating the conversion of methemoglobin to hemoglobin, increasing the oxygen affinity of sickle cell hemoglobin. Conclusion: These results suggest a possible correlation between the antisickling activity of these plants and their use in management of sickle cell disease by traditional healers. This activity could be due to the anthocyanins that act as a reducing agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: An ethnopharmacological survey was conducted in Kisangani City (Democratic Republic of Congo) in order to make an inventory of plant species used in folk medicine for the management of diabetes and their different modes of preparation., Materials and Methods: Fifty-five traditional practitioners from different ethnic groups were interviewed about the plants they use against diabetes in folk medicine in Kisangani. All cited plants were collected and identified at the herbarium of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Kisangani., Results: Thirty-one plant species were collected out of which phanerophytes predominate (18 species). Eighty-three percent of herbal remedies are prepared by aqueous decoction. Ninety-seven percents of recipes are administered to patients by oral route. All plant parts are used fresh with water as the sole solvent. Leaves are the most used parts and the treatment lasts one to two weeks., Conclusion: Herbal remedies used against diabetes in Kisangani City, DR Congo are widely administered as aqueous decoctions. Chemical and pharmacological studies of these preparations are in progress and might lead to interesting antidiabetic remedies., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim of the Study: A survey was conducted in Lubumbashi city (Democratic Republic of Congo) in order to: (a) identify medicinal plants used by traditional healers in the management of sickle cell anaemia, (b) verify their antisickling activity in vitro, (c) determine the most active plants, and (d) verify if anthocyanins are responsible of the bioactivity and study their photodegradation effect., Materials and Methods: The Emmel test was used in vitro, for the antisickling activity assays of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of different parts of these plants when a UV lamp and solar irradiations were used to induce the photodegradation effect., Results: The survey revealed that 13 medicinal plants are used in the treatment of drepanocytosis among which 12 plants exhibited the in vitro antisickling activity for at least one of the used parts or extracts. These plants are Bombax pentadrum, Bougainvillea sp., Byarsocarpus orientalis, Dalberigia bochmintaub, Diplorrhynbchus condolocarpus, Euphorbia heterophylla, Ficus capensis, Harungana madagascariensis, Parinari mobola, Pothmania witfchidii, Syzygium guineense, Temnocalys verdickii and Ziziphus mucronata of which four (Bombax pentadrum, Ficus capensis, Parinari mobola and Ziziphus mucronata) revealed a high antisickling activity. The biological activity of three of these plants is due to anthocyanins. The antisickling activity and photodegradation effect of anthocyanins extracts were studied and minimal concentration of normalization determined. The biological activity of Bombax pentadrum anthocyanins decreased to half of its value after 40 min of irradiation under a lamp emitting at a wavelength of 365 nm and after about 10h of solar irradiation. For Ziziphus mucronata and Ficus capensis, the antisickling activity decreased to half after about 6h under a lamp exposition and after about 50h of solar exposition., Conclusion: In vitro Antisickling activity justifies the use of these plants by traditional healers and this activity would be due to anthocyanins. But these natural pigments are instable towards UV-Visible irradiations. The conservation of these plants should then be performed in a shield from the sun radiation.

Thirty aqueous and ethanolic extracts from 13 congolese plants were evaluated for their antidrepanocytary activity. Twelve of these plants, Alchornea cordifolia, Afromomum albo violaceum, Annona senegalensis, Cymbopogon densiflorus, Bridelia ferruginea, Ceiba pentandra, Morinda lucida, Hymenocardia acida, Coleus kilimandcharis, Dacryodes edulis, Caloncoba welwithsii, and Vinga unguiculata exhibited significant activities, thus, supporting the claims of the traditional healers and suggesting a possible correlation between the chemical composition of these plants and their uses in traditional medicine.