Antioxidant Potential of Ethiopian Medicinal Plants and Their Phytochemicals: A Review of Pharmacological Evaluation

Gashaw Nigussie; Abolghasem Siyadatpanah; Roghayeh Norouzi; Eyob Debebe; Mekdelawit Alemayehu; Aman Dekebo

doi:10.1155/2023/1901529

Antioxidant Potential of Ethiopian Medicinal Plants and Their Phytochemicals: A Review of Pharmacological Evaluation

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2023 Oct 12:2023:1901529. doi: 10.1155/2023/1901529. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Gashaw Nigussie^{1

2}, Abolghasem Siyadatpanah³, Roghayeh Norouzi⁴, Eyob Debebe^{1

2}, Mekdelawit Alemayehu¹, Aman Dekebo^{2

5}

Affiliations

¹ Armauer Hansen Research Institute, P.O. Box: 1005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
² Department of Applied Chemistry, Adama Science and Technology University, P.O. Box 1888, Adama, Ethiopia.
³ Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran.
⁴ Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
⁵ Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Adama Science and Technology University, P.O. Box 1888, Adama, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Background: Free radicals are very reactive molecules produced during oxidation events that in turn initiate a chain reaction resulting in cellular damage. Many degenerative diseases in humans, including cancer and central nervous system damage, are caused by free radicals. Scientific evidence indicates that active compounds from natural products can protect cells from free radical damage. As a result, the aim of this review is to provide evidence of the use of diverse Ethiopian medicinal plants with antioxidant properties that have been scientifically validated in order to draw attention and foster further investigations in this area.

Methods: The keywords antioxidant, radical scavenging activities, reactive oxygen species, natural product, Ethiopian Medicinal plants, and 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay (DPPH) were used to identify relevant data in the major electronic scientific databases, including Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Medline, and Science domain. All articles with descriptions that were accessed until November 2022 were included in the search strategy.

Results: A total of 54 plant species from 33 families were identified, along with 46 compounds isolated. More scientific studies have been conducted on plant species from the Brassicaceae (19%), Asphodelaceae (12%), and Asteraceae (12%) families. The most used solvent and extraction method for plant samples are methanol (68%) and maceration (88%). The most examined plant parts were the leaves (42%). Plant extracts (56%) as well as isolated compounds (61%) exhibited significant antioxidant potential. The most effective plant extracts from Ethiopian flora were Bersama abyssinica, Solanecio gigas, Echinops kebericho, Verbascum sinaiticum, Apium leptophyllum, and Crinum abyssinicum. The best oxidative phytochemicals were Rutin (7), Flavan-3-ol-7-O-glucoside (8), Myricitrin (13), Myricetin-3-O-arabinopyranoside (14), 7-O-Methylaloeresin A (15), 3-Hydroxyisoagatholactone (17), β-Sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucoside (22), Microdontin A/B (24), and Caffeic acid (39).

Conclusion: Many crude extracts and compounds exhibited significant antioxidant activity, making them excellent candidates for the development of novel drugs. However, there is a paucity of research into the mechanisms of action as well as clinical evidence supporting some of these isolated compounds. To fully authenticate and then commercialize, further investigation and systematic analysis of these antioxidant-rich species are required.

Publication types

Review