Evaluation of phytochemical compounds in the leaves and fruits of Alchornea cordifolia in three localities in Côte d'Ivoire

Alchornea cordifolia is a plant of the Euphorbiaceae family used for its therapeutic properties in Africa. The objective is to enhance the value of the leaves and fruits of Alchornea cordifolia by studying phytochemical parameters. The plant material consists of fruits and leaves of Alchornea cordifolia for phytochemical screening by the Evans method, followed by the determination of total polyphenols, total flavonoids, total tannins, condensed tannins and anthocyanins by the spectrophotometric method. The results showed the presence of flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins, saponins, alkaloids. The highest total polyphenol content was found in mature leaves (3.34 mg EAG/g). At the total flavonoid level, the most concentrated mature leaves contained 0.85 mg EQ/g. For condensed and total tannins, the highest levels were 0.99 mg EC/g and 1.94 mg EAT/g respectively in fruit. Finally, in terms of anthocyanin content, mature leaves had the highest content (5.53 C3GE/g). The presence of secondary metabolisms in the Alchornea cordifolia plant justifies its use from a therapeutic point of view.