Therapeutic and antioxidant properties of Acridocarpus monodii Arène & Jaeger, an endemic plant of Dogon Country in Mali

Acridocarpus monodii Arène & Jaeger is an endemic plant species to the ''Dogon Country'' in Mali. This species is highly popular in Dogon ethnic groups, but no scientific data on its medicinal and biochemical properties are available in Mali. This work aimed to list its medicinal uses and assess its phytochemical composition and antioxidant power. An ethnobotanical investigation based on semi structured questionnaire was used to identify the traditional uses of A. monodii among the local population in three villages (Ireli, Youdiou and Yon-biré) inside ''Dogon country'' in Mali. The phytochemical composition was determined using qualitative tests, while the antioxidant potency was performed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydazyl (DPPH) and phosphomolybdate (TAC) tests. A total of 45 people were interviewed, the majority of whom were male (82.20%) and over 52 years of age. A. monodii is used to treat a dozen pathologies or diseases, dominated by malaria (71.10%), yellow fever (24.40%) and dysuria (20%). Although, all parts of this species are used to treat these pathologies, leaves (88.90%) were the most coveted followed by roots (37.80%). The use of these parts was significantly (p = 0.016 < 0.05) associated with the educational levels of the respondents (77.70%), who coveted primarily roots and barks, and thus constituted a threat to the species. These medicinal recipes derived from these organs were mostly prepared as decoctions, before being administered by oral (100%) or bath (82.20%) routes. Extracts of A. monodii were found to contain various biocompounds, especially a high quantity of flavonoids and polyphenols and demonstrated increased in vitro antioxidant inhibitory effects. The decoction extracts showed the highest content of phenolic compounds (109.82 ± 2.36 mg GAE/g). The strongest activity for the DPPH free radical scavenging were recorded by the decoction with IC₅₀ = 107.41 ± 4.25 µg/mL and the hydroethanolic macerate with 107.31 ± 9.28 µg/mL. But, based on the results from of TAC test, the antioxidant capacity was higher for the hydroethanolic macerate 42.85 ± 2.59 mg EQ/g than those of the decoction 19.27 ± 0.93 mg EQ/g. This is the first scientific report on the therapeutic use of A. monodii within ''Dogon country'' in Mali. This work highlights its medicinal, phytochemical and biochemical properties and therefore contributes to its improved valorization. These results demonstrated that A. monodii is a promising species for the discovery of novel medicines.