Phytochemical analysis of Phyllanthus niruri L. (Phyllanthaceae) extracts collected in four geographical areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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English. This study aims at investigating the phytochemical analysis or to analyze the secondary metaboliotes of Phyllanthus niruri L. plants from four collection sites which University of Kinshasa (Unikin), National Pedagogic University of Kinshasa (UPN), Kimwenza (Kim) and Kisantu (Kis) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This study should give an explanation about the change of antiplasmodial activity of the same plant depending on the location of harvest. The samples of P. niruri were analyzed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for secondary metabolites characterizations such as of flavonoids, saponins and steroidal sapogenins and others phenolic compounds. The results revealed that UPN location presented more peaks (22) than Unikin (20), Kimwenza (15) and Kisantu (12). But Unikin location revealed more peaks (7) corresponding to major compounds than samples from others locations (UPN: 5; Kimwenza: 2 and Kisantu: 4). The peak 1 of UPN is higher (13.73) comparing to all peaks samples. The yellow-colored spots were present at all samples but those of UPN were more accentuated than all. In Kimwenza samples, two others colored spots (violet and blue) were presented. It suggested that in vitro antiplasmodial activity would be based on compounds eluted probably at the retention time around 22 min. Sometime the compounds eluted at 4.28 and 7.8 min contribute to in vitro antiplasmodial activity. The results revealed again the presence of the saponins or the steroidal sapogenins in P. niruri, made for the characterization by HPLC or by TLC probables flavonoids and presence of steroidal sapogenins.