Study of the chemical compounds of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. (RhamNaceae) leaves, used traditionally in the treatment of diabetes in Mali.

Study of the chemical compounds of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. (RhamNaceae) leaves, used traditionally in the treatment of diabetes in Mali. The leaves of Ziziphus mauritiana are used against diabetes in Mali. Phytochemical screening reaction and TLC have been used to characterize the chemical groups in the leaves of this plant. The composition in monosaccharides of the polysaccharides has been identified by methanolysis and GC. The following aqueous extracts were used: macerate, digestion and decoction. The leaves contain flavonoids, tannins, oses and holosides, mucilages, sterol, triterpenoids, cardiotonic glucosides, and leucoanthocyanes. The polysaccharides represent 27.17, 36.87, 45.57% respectively for the macerate, total decoction and decoction after organic solvent extraction of the leaves. The antihyperglycemic activity of Ziziphus mauritiana leaves' aqueous extracts has been evaluated on hyperglycaemia induced by oral administration of glucose in rabbit. The leaves' aqueous macerate at the dose of 150 mg kg(-1) provoked 56.02, 35.46 and 38.49% inhibition 30, 90 and 120 min after glucose administration, respectively. (C) 2004 Publie par Elsevier SAS pour Academie des sciences.