Conducted jointly by UL and UAC, this research explores medicinal plants used in oral care in Benin.
Key Takeaway: Conducted jointly by UL and UAC, this research explores medicinal plants used in oral care in Benin.
Tonahin Giscard Pépin Guezodje, researcher at LCP-A2MC (Université de Lorraine).
Thesis defended in 2021 at the doctoral school École doctorale C2MP - Chimie mécanique matériaux physique (Lorraine).
This research was conducted as part of a Franco-Beninese joint supervision (cotutelle), ensuring it is simultaneously grounded in local field conditions and international academic standards.
Context and Problem Statement
The use of chewing sticks to treat oral and dental conditions is a well-established cultural practice in Benin. These sticks, often derived from various medicinal plants, are integrated into traditional care rituals. However, scientific research into their therapeutic efficacy remains limited, making an in-depth investigation of their potential necessary. This study aims to broaden the ethnobotanical and phytochemical knowledge of plants used in oral care in Benin, focusing on their antibacterial and antioxidant efficacy.
Methodology
The study was carried out through an ethnobotanical survey involving 1,697 individuals. This survey made it possible to collect data on traditional practices and identify the medicinal plants most commonly used in dental care. Among the plants selected, ten species were chosen for further analysis: Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides, Vitellaria paradoxa, Prosopis africana, Dialium guineense, Pseudocedrela kotschyi, Parkia biglobosa, Azadirachta indica, Diospyros mespiliformis, Anogeissus leiocarpa, and Bridelia ferruginea.
Cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity tests were carried out on hydroethanolic extracts of these plants. Antibacterial activity was measured by the diameters of inhibition zones on bacterial strains such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. In addition, antioxidant activity was assessed using the ABTS test to determine the free-radical scavenging capacity of the extracts.
Key Findings
The results of the ethnobotanical survey revealed the importance of traditional knowledge in the use of medicinal plants for oral care in Benin. Antibacterial activity tests showed that Anogeissus leiocarpa extracts had the largest inhibition diameters, reaching 25.67 mm against E. coli ATCC 25922 and 23.67 mm against E. coli (clinical strain) as well as against Klebsiella pneumoniae (clinical strain). Prosopis africana also demonstrated significant activity, with inhibition diameters of 20.33 mm against E. coli ATCC 25922 and 20.67 mm against K. pneumoniae (clinical strain).
Regarding antioxidant activity, hydroalcoholic extracts of Anogeissus leiocarpa bark showed higher free-radical scavenging capacity than Prosopis africana extracts, with respective values of 14.97 mg TE/g DM and 13.25 mg TE/g DM. LC-PDA/MS chromatographic analysis identified two main flavonoids present in these extracts: ellagic acid and quercetin.
Discussion and Outlook
The study highlights the potential of medicinal plants in oral care in Benin. The results indicate that certain species, notably Anogeissus leiocarpa and Prosopis africana, possess antibacterial and antioxidant properties that could be harnessed for the development of dental health products. These findings underscore the importance of further research to validate the efficacy of these medicinal plants and to explore their mechanism of action.
The link between traditional knowledge and scientific data deserves particular attention. Integrating ethnobotanical practices into health systems could play a significant role in improving the oral health of local populations. Moreover, the economic development of medicinal plants could stimulate local development through the creation of derived products.
Future research directions could include clinical studies to assess the efficacy of extracts from these medicinal plants in real-world settings. Such investigations could also help establish treatment protocols based on integrative approaches, combining traditional knowledge with modern scientific methods. Decision-makers and stakeholders in the health sector should consider policies that foster the development of ethnobotanical research while supporting the use of these natural resources for community well-being.
Key Data
- 1,697: number of individuals who took part in the ethnobotanical survey
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Sources and Access
Tonahin Giscard Pépin Guezodje. Études ethnobotaniques, et profils phytochimiques des plantes utilisées dans les soins bucco-dentaires au Bénin. Chimie. Université de Lorraine; Université d'Abomey-Calavi (Bénin), 2021. Français. ⟨NNT : 2021LORR0272⟩. ⟨tel-03702428⟩