Search

The plant-based traditional knowledge of many Cameroonian populations concerning beauty and skin care is still poorly documented, yet they are real resources of innovation and economic development. The aim of this study is to document the indigenous knowledge of Choa Arab and Kotoko ethnic group in Kousséri (Far North Region of Cameroon) about plants used for cosmetics. Ethnobotanical data collected among key informants revealed a total of 13 plants species belonging to 12 families used by local people. Canarium schweinfurthii Engl and Santalum album L. obtained the highest frequency of citation. Trees are the most abundant life forms, while barks and seeds are the most frequently used parts. More than 40% of recorded plants are used for skin care. The cosmetic allegations of recorded plants include: dermatology, anti-cancers, antioxidant agent, perfume, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, wounds healing activity, skin lightening, dental caries, astringent and hair care. They all contain various phytochemicals that are of interest in cosmetics. Despite the strong relationship between the Choa Arab and Kotoko people and herbal cosmetic ingredients, these plants are still less investigated for their cosmetic application. The authors urge for the development of sustainable supply chain for plants with potentials as cosmetics, involving local communities in the planning, implementation and monitoring process, following principles of Nagoya protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing.

This study investigates the bioactive compound content and biological activities of raw powder extracts and particle size fractions from Solanum torvum leaves. The leaves, harvested from Douala, were processed into powders and subsequently divided into different fractions. Methanolic extracts of these powders were analyzed for their content of bioactive compounds (total polyphenols, total flavonoids, and condensed tannins), antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP assays), and antimicrobial (bacterial and fungal) activities. The particle size fraction of 250-400 µm constitutes the largest proportion (33.41%) of the raw powder. The highest contents of bioactive compounds are found in the 200-250, 400-500, and < 125 µm fractions for total polyphenols (44.62 ± 0.19 mg GEA/100 ml extract), total flavonoids (14.47 ± 0.37 mg QE/100 ml extract), and condensed tannins (22.79 ± 0.12 mg CE/100 ml extract), respectively. The antioxidant activity of extracts from 500-800µm fraction improved their DPPH and ABTS assays by 31.50% and 40.44% compared to the raw powder. The same fraction (500-800 µm) and the raw powder extracts demonstrated bactericidal activities, while the 125-200, 200-250, and = 800 µm fraction extracts exhibited moderate and significant antifungal activities against several bacterial and fungal strains, respectively. These biological activities are primarily attributed to the average flavonoid contents, which become more accessible in extracts after fractionation. This method of processing powder suggests that no plant powder should be disregarded or rejected due to its low content of bioactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]