Evaluation of Anxiolytic and Sedative-Like Activities of Methanolic Extract of Euphorbia hirta Leaves in Mice

Abstract

Diclipteracolorata C. B. Clarke, Euphorbia hirta L. and Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench are reported among plant spe-cies used in Congolese traditional medicine to treat Sickle Cell Disease. These medicinal plants have been investigated for their inhibitory effect on the induced sickling process of red blood cells using Emmel's test. Aqueous plant extracts showed good antisickling activity as revealed by the observed normal biconcave form of sickle red blood cells in anoxic conditions. The calculated radius of treated red blood cells by Euphorbia hirta L., Diclipteracolorata C. B. Clarke and Sorghum biocolor (L.) Moench extracts are 3.31 ± 0.55; 3.34 ± 0.53; 3.17 ± 0.52, respectively. Euphorbia hirta L. is the most active with a normalization rate, more than 70%. The chemical screening performed on these plants showed the presence of anthocyanins which were then extracted. The test carried out with anthocyanin extracts showed that these phenolic compounds have a good antisickling activity and, additionally, possess an anti-hemolytic effect on SS blood. This suggests that the evidenced biological activity of these plants would be due to anthocyanins. The results hence ob-tained justify the use of these plants in Congolese traditional medicine.