PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDY OF THE PULP OF THE DRIED FRUIT OF COELOCARYON PREUSSII WARB. (MYRISTICACEAE)

Côte d’Ivoire boasts a rich biodiversity, providing a source of plants traditionally used to treat various diseases. Coelocaryon preussii is a large tree of the Myristicaceae family, whose dried fruits are sold in markets across West and Central Africa as a purgative and an antihypertensive remedy. The aim of this study was to characterise the dried pulp of the Coelocaryon preussii fruit. Following a brief review of the literature on the traditional use of the plant, a description of the macroscopic and microscopic features for the botanical identification of the drug was carried out, followed by the establishment of the phytochemical profile using tube tests and LC-HRMS chromatographic analyses. Macroscopic examination reveals a drug in the form of a very hard, brown, woody mass with a wrinkled and striated outer surface, marked internally by the seed impression. The anatomical study revealed an epicarp, a thick cuticle and a mesocarp consisting of parenchymatous cells, vascular bundles and secretory cells containing oily substances, as well as numerous sclerites. The powder, reddish-brown in colour, with a slightly aromatic odour and a neutral, floury taste, revealed sclerites, spiral vessels and tissue fragments upon microscopic examination. Phytochemical screening of the extracts identified several chemical groups, notably polyphenols, sterols, polyterpenes, flavonoids, alkaloids and saponins. Chromatographic analyses carried out using LC-HRMS provided a characteristic chemical fingerprint of the extracts studied. These findings contribute to a better understanding of this plant-based medicine used in traditional medicine, and provide useful information for its identification and quality control.