Antioxidant Potential and Antiradical Activity of Two Bean Varieties (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.) Cultivated in Congo

Plants are reservoirs of molecules of great interest in medicine, including degenerative diseases mainly due to oxidative stress and those caused by deficiencies in certain micronutrients. Since ancient times, in the Congo and elsewhere, humans have used natural resources to treat certain ailments. Among the plants used in traditional medicine is Phaseolus vulgaris. The methodology used here, based on qualitative research of chemical families, allowed us to identify terpenoids. Extracts of P. vulgaris revealed the presence of flavonoids as well as polyphenols. Quantitatively, the determination of total polyphenols yielded the following results: P. vulgaris var. Kitaka: 266.04 mgGAE/100g DM; P. vulgaris var Lékana: 602.91 mgGAE/100g dry matter. Regarding total flavonoids, we obtained: P. vulgaris var Kitaka: 120.86 mgEC/100g dry matter; P. vulgaris var Lékana: 289.98 mgEC/100g dry matter. TLC for the detection of free radical scavenging activity yielded a positive result for each sample. The free radical scavenging activity assay provided the following results regarding IC 50: P. vulgaris var Kitaka: 241.756 mg/ml; P. vulgaris var Lékana: 148.124 mg/ml. The bean seeds of the studied varieties have significant phytotherapeutic properties.