PARTE UTILIZADA= Used part : Las hojas.

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA= Pharmacological action: diuretico, febrífugo, antimalárico, antitusivo, antihelmíntico, antiblenorrágico y para tratar ulceras producidas por parásitos.

POSOLOGÍA= Posology: 1-2 g de droga al día en infusión o dosis equivalente de otra preparación.

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA= Chemical composition
: Acidos fenólicos, C-heterósidos de flavonas, proantocianidoles y otros compuestos fenólicos, estereoles y triterpenos. Sorbitol, mesoinositol y cicloalkanos polihidroxilados.

ZONA GEOGRÁFICA= Geografical zone: Africa occidental

ÚLTIMOS AVANCES EN LA QUÍMICA Y ACTIVIDADES BACTERIOLÓGICAS EN LAS PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants, last advances on chemistry and bacteria activities on the medicinal herbs

1) The antioxidant properties of the water and ethanol leaf exts. of kinkeliba (Combretum micranthum) were investigated, including scavenging of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (IC50 values: 8.02  0.34 for the ethanol ext. [KE] and 9.1  0.28 for the water ext. [KW]), the 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical (IC50 values: 7.4  0.14 for KE and 11.8  0.01 for KW) and the hydroxyl radical (58.1% for KE and 61.1% for KW).  The ferric thiocyanate method, reducing power, metal chelating activity, an assay of protein oxidn. and the b-carotene-linoleic bleaching assay were also used.  Butylated hydroxytoluene and ascorbic acid were used as the ref. antioxidant compds.  At 20 mg mL-1 concn., KW and KE provided 36.8% and 75.1% inhibition of lipid peroxidn. of linoleic acid emulsion, resp.  The IC50 values of the ethanol ext. in ABTS and DPPH tests were significantly lower than those from the water ext.  Furthermore, crude polyphenols were extd. from kinkeliba leaf with 90% ethanol soln. using a water bath treatment and then purified by a macroporous resin, AB-8.  The polyphenols from kinkeliba leaf were subjected to analyses by RP-HPLC and ESI-MS.  The dominant polyphenols in kinkeliba leaf were identified as gallic acid, rutin trihydrate, (+)-catechin and benzoic acid.

2) Three multicomponent herbal remedies, each accompanied by a black soap and 1 of them also accompanied by a dusting powder, used for the treatment of skin infections in Nigerian folk medicine were tested for antibacterial and antifungal activity.  All 3 remedies contained antibacterial components.  Three out of 46 components tested were found to be of sufficient interest to warrant further investigation:  Combretum micranthum root and Dracaena mannii stem bark showed activity against Gram-pos. and Gram-neg. organisms, and the stem bark of Terminalia avicennioides had a marked activity against Gram-pos. organisms.

3) A methanol extract of Combretum micranthum leaves was studied for anti-inflammatory activity in rats and mice using the carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema and the acetic acid-induced vascular permeability in mice.  The effect of the extract on cellular-type inflammation was also investigated in the cotton pellet granuloma in rats.  The extract (50, 100 mg/kg) significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited oedema production induced by carrageenan in rats.  Increased vascular permeability caused by acetic acid injection was also inhibited by the extract, within the same dose range.  C. micranthum extract (100 mg/kg) inhibited granuloma formation in rats to a similar degree as indomethacin (5 mg/kg).  These results provide evidence for the anti-inflammatory property of C. micranthum leaves.

1) Fitoterapia: vademecum de prescripción. 4ª. ed. Barcelona: Masson, 2003,p.196

2) TOURE, Alhassane, et al. In vitro antioxidant and radical scavenging of Guinean kinkeliba leaf (Combretum micranthum G. Don) extracts. Natural Product Research. 2011, vol.25, nº11, p.1025-1036.
 
3) MALCOLM, S. A.; SOFOWORA, E. A. Antimicrobial activity of selected Nigerian folk remedies and their constituent plants. Lloydia. 1969, vol.32, nº4, p.512-517.
 
4) OLAJIDE, Olumayokun A; MAKINDE, J Modupe; OKPAKO, David T. Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory property of the extract of Combretum micranthum G. Don (Combretaceae). Inflammopharmacology. 2003, vol.11, nº3, p.293-298.