Leptadenia hastata and Sclerocarya birrea: Ethnobotany, Phytochemical Profile, and Antioxidant Potential in the Traditional Management of Diabetes

Abstract

Background: Type 2 diabetes remains a public health concern, and medicinal plants are used in its traditional management. This study documented medicinal plants used by traditional health practitioners and evaluated the phytochemical, antioxidant, and microbiological characteristics of selected species. Methods: Fifty traditional health practitioners in Bobo-Dioulasso were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Thirty medicinal plant species belonging to 19 botanical families were recorded. Leptadenia hastata and Sclerocarya birrea, cited at 14% and 10%, respectively, were selected for laboratory evaluation. Ethanolic macerates were analysed for ascorbic acid, total sugars, total phenolics, and total flavonoids. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH•, FRAP, and ABTS•+ assays, and Total Mesophilic Aerobic Flora was enumerated. Results: Sclerocarya birrea bark from Boromo had the highest ascorbic acid content (1.5 mg EAA/100 mg), whereas Leptadenia hastata from Boromo had the highest total sugar content (363.66 µg ES/100 mg). The highest total phenolic content was observed in Sclerocarya birrea from Bobo-Dioulasso (26,724.11 ± 67.54 µg EAG/g), while Leptadenia hastata from Bobo-Dioulasso had the highest total flavonoid content (3.93 ± 0.038 µg EQ/100 mg). Antioxidant activity was detected across the assays, and microbial counts varied by collection site. Conclusion: The findings document the traditional use and measured biochemical properties of the selected plants while underscoring the importance of microbiological quality control and further scientific evaluation.