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Phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and heavy metal content of root and stem bark extracts of Lannea welwitschii and Lannea velutina from Ghana

delete2026-08-11
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OA
AI
P
Perez Frimpong Danso *
C
Christopher Larbie
R
Regina Appiah‐Opong
F
Felix Charles Mills-Robertson
J
Jonathan Dabo
S
Sylvester Yeboah
DOI:10.1186/s12906-026-05526-9delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Lannea velutina and Lannea welwitschii are used in Ghanaian traditional medicine to treat wounds and diabetes among other uses, yet their bioactive profiles and safety remain poorly understood. Methanol and hydroethanol root and stem bark extracts were subjected to qualitative phytochemical screening, quantitative determination of total phenolic, flavonoid, and tannin content, antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assays. Heavy metal content, and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic profiles were also investigated. The extracts exhibited high levels of flavonoids (52.45 ± 5.05 mg/g QE), phenolics (260.22 ± 1.45 mg/g GAE), and tannins (21.97 ± 0.53 mg/g), particularly in the methanolic stem bark. Strong antioxidant activity was demonstrated by DPPH (EC50 = 0.63 ± 0.01 mg/mL), FRAP (2.37 ± 0.06 AU), and TAC (860.34 ± 1.22 mg GAE/g extract), confirming the extracts’ strong reducing power and antioxidant capacity. All analysed heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Ni, Cu, Pb) were below detection limits in all extracts, suggesting an acceptable safety profile for the sampled material. L. velutina and L. welwitschii extracts are rich in natural antioxidants and were free of hazardous heavy metals in the samples analysed, providing preliminary scientific evidence that may support their ethnomedicinal relevance and warranting further pharmacological and toxicological investigation.
Keywords:
Lannea velutina
Lannea welwitschii
phytochemicals
antioxidants
heavy metals
FTIR
Traditional medicine

Journal

B
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
IF:
3.4
Papers:
273
Citations:
0

Organization

C
council for scientific and industrial research
Scholars:
110
Papers: 59
Citations: 0
F
Faculty of Biosciences
Scholars:
66
Papers: 31
Citations: 0
N
Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research
Scholars:
43
Papers: 15
Citations: 528
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