Preliminary study to identify anti-sickle cell plants in Nigers traditional pharmacopoeia and their phytochemicals

Abstract

The management of sickle cell disease is a major challenge at the international level. In many African countries, sickle cell anemia is one of the major causes of mortality and is a critical public health problem in Niger. In this part of the continent, the estimated prevalence is around 18 to 22%, which is amongst the highest in Africa. Nowadays, despite the existence of some ways to improve the prognosis of sickle cell anemia as allograft, it turns out that these resources are expensive and out of reach of underdeveloped countries. The purpose of this study was to identify the preliminary anti-sickle cell plants in Niger's traditional pharmacopoeia. To do this, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted among the patients consulting the National Reference Center for Sickle Cell Disease (CNRD) and the traditional healers in the city of Niamey. At the end of this survey, 29 plant species were identified. The phytochemical study of 12 plants showed the presence of large chemical groups known for important biological properties (polyphenols, alkaloids, gallic tannins, sterols and polyterpenes).