Assessment of sickling inhibitory activity of Ficus carpensis, Newbouldia laevis, Carpolobia lutea and Carpolobia caudata on human erythrocytes HbSS

Sickle cell disease is a hemoglobinopathy. In hypoxia situation, homozygous individuals might suffer from vaso-occlusive seizures, hemolytic anemia and increased susceptibility to infections. A recipe of the leaves of Ficus carpensis, Newbouldia laevis, Carpolobia lutea and Carpolobia caudate, four plants used in the traditional treatment of sickle cell disease in the Daloa region, was the subject of this study. This investigation was initiated in order to assess sickle cell inhibitory activity of the recipe, by using Emmel’s method. The decocted (DS) and the aqueous extract (EA) of the recipe brought the residual sickle cell rate at 10 and 11% respectively. Which correspond to sickle cell inhibitory activity of 90% for the decocted (DS) and 89% for the aqueous extract (EA). These activities were higher than that of phenylalanine (83%) which is used as an antisickling amino acid reference. The chemical study of the both extracts of the recipe revealed the presence of compounds known for their anti-oxidant and anti-sickle cell activities. Those flavonoids, polyphenols and alkaloids could be partly responsible for the sickle cell inhibitory activity of the recipe. These results showed that both the extracts of the recipe had antisickling activity. The use of this recipe of four plants in the traditional treatment of sickle cell disease in the Daloa region might be justified.