Bene, K.

In vivo antipyretic activity, phytochemical and mineralogical composition of aqueous extracts of Baphia nitida (Fabaceae) and Trema orientalis (Cannabaceae) - 2025.


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Baphia nitida, minerals, pyrexia, phytocompounds, Trema orientalis Baphia nitida Lodd (Fabaceae) and Trema orientalis (Cannabaceae) are two medicinal plants used to reduce fever, harvested in March 2023 in the Agboville Department (Côte d’Ivoire). The aim of this study was to investigate the antipyretic effect, as well as the phytochemical and mineralogical composition of the leaves of these two species, to validate their use in traditional medicine. To do this, brewer’s yeast was used to induce hyperthermia in Wistar rats. They were then orally administered different doses of aqueous leaf extracts from the two plants. Phytochemical characterization using tube colorimetric tests revealed metabolites such as flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, saponins, polyphenols, sterols, and polyterpenes—phytocompounds known for their antipyretic activity. Fourteen minerals were measured using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), with calcium, potassium, chlorine, and silicon found to be the most abundant. Regarding antipyretic activity, the aqueous extracts of Baphia nitida Lodd and Trema orientalis (Linn.) Blume significantly reduced pyrexia in rats induced by brewer’s yeast, with the Baphia nitida Lodd extract at 400 mg/kg of body weight showing greater activity than paracetamol. The Baphia nitida Lodd extract could be a promising candidate for the development of an antipyretic phytomedicine.