Antisickling activity of three species of Justicia from Kisangani (D.R. Congo): J. tenella,/i>, J. gendarussa and J. insularis

Some medicinal plants have these last years, shown an antisickling activity. What indicates a new therapeutic way to the range of the poor African populations which are affected by this hemoglobinopathy.Justicia secunda is among these plants and it is thus necessary to check whether the other species of Justicia are also active. Emmel and hypoxic induced sickle erythrocyte hemolysis bioassays were used to evaluate theeffect of Justicia gendarussa L., Justicia insularis T. Anderson and Justicia tenella (Nees) T. Anderson leaves and anthocyanins extracts on sickle cells. The results obtained indicate that all these three collected speciesfrom Kisangani and its surrounding, located at the North-East of the D.R. CONGO, showed an antisickling activity. The chemical screening performed on these plants showed in these three species the presence of polyphenols of which anthocyanins. The tests carried out with anthocyanins extracts showed a significant activity of these metabolites with a normalization rate of the form of the sickle cells of 87% for Justicia gendarussa, 92% for Justicia insularis and 80% for Justicia tenella. The minimal concentrations in anthocyanins necessary to have maximal normalization are respectively of 7.2 ìg/mL for Justicia insularis, 7.6 ìg/mL for Justicia gendarussa and 7.7 ìg/mL for Justicia tenella. The results obtained for these three speciesof Justicia confirm those already obtained with species: Justicia secunda. That indicates similarity of these species in their phytochemical composition and biological activity