~ 6 ~ Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2023; 12(1): 06-14 E-ISSN: 2278-4136 P-ISSN: 2349-8234 www.phytojournal.com JPP 2023; 12(1): 06-14 Received: 05-10-2022 Accepted: 06-12-2022 Djélé Alette Edwige Zialé 1 Laboratoire de Chimie Bio- Organique et de Substances Naturelles (LCBOSN), UFR-SFA, Université Nangui Abrogoua 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire 2 Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Laboratoire CSPBAT, CNRS UMR 7244, F-93017 Bobigny Cedex, France Kohué Christelle Chantal N’gaman- Kouassi Laboratoire de Chimie Bio-Organique et de Substances Naturelles (LCBOSN), UFR-SFA, Université Nangui Abrogoua 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire Julia Deschamp Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Laboratoire CSPBAT, CNRS UMR 7244, F-93017 Bobigny Cedex, France Nadia Bouchemal Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Laboratoire CSPBAT, CNRS UMR 7244, F-93017 Bobigny Cedex, France Tony Lionel Palama Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Laboratoire CSPBAT, CNRS UMR 7244, F-93017 Bobigny Cedex, France Marc Lecouvey Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Laboratoire CSPBAT, CNRS UMR 7244, F-93017 Bobigny Cedex, France Janat Akhanovna Mamyrbekova- Békro Laboratoire de Chimie Bio-Organique et de Substances Naturelles (LCBOSN), UFR-SFA, Université Nangui Abrogoua 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire Yves-Alain Békro Laboratoire de Chimie Bio-Organique et de Substances Naturelles (LCBOSN), UFR-SFA, Université Nangui Abrogoua 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire Corresponding Author: Djélé Alette Edwige Zialé 1 Laboratoire de Chimie Bio- Organique et de Substances Naturelles (LCBOSN), UFR-SFA, Université Nangui Abrogoua 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire 2 Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Laboratoire CSPBAT, CNRS UMR 7244, F-93017 Bobigny Cedex, France Structural characterization and in vitro biological exploration of phytoconstituents isolated from a chloroform extract of Rauvolfia vomitoria (Apocynaceae) root bark from Côte d’Ivoire Djélé Alette Edwige Zialé, Kohué Christelle Chantal N’gaman-Kouassi, Julia Deschamp, Nadia Bouchemal, Tony Lionel Palama, Marc Lecouvey, Janat Akhanovna Mamyrbekova-Békro and Yves-Alain Békro DOI: https://doi.org/10.22271/phyto.2023.v12.i1a.14541 Abstract The species of the genus Rauvolfia are a reservoir of indole alkaloids with proven pharmacological properties. A chloroform extract of the root bark of Rauvolfia vomitoria (Apocynaceae) was studied. The phytochemical investigation of said extract allowed the isolated of four indolic alkaloids, three of which are known (Reserpine, ajmaline and mauiensine) and the unknown phyto-constituent (3). In addition, the methyl esters of 3, 4, 5-trimethoxybenzoic acid (Phytoconstituent (1)) and 3, 4, 5-trimethoxycinnamic acid (Phytoconstituent (2)) were characterized and considered as new products of reserpine degradation. Their molecular structures were determined by MS, NMR ( 1 H, 13 C), IR, UV and their melting points were established. The evaluation of the antioxidant activity in vitro revealed the antioxidant efficiency expressed by the DPPH radical reduction concentration at 50% (CR50) of the phytoconstituents (3) (CR50= 0.346 mg/mL) and (5) (CR50= 0.127 mg/mL) compared with vitamin C (CR50 = 0.003 mg/mL). The in vitro study of the anticholinesterase activity towards galantamine, showed a clear anticholinesterase activity with percentages of acetylcholinesterase inhibition higher than 50% of the phytoconstituents (4) and (5). Moreover, phyto-constituent (5) showed the best antioxidant and anticholinesterase activity. These results presage promising research, including toxicological evaluation for therapeutic phyto-formulations. Keywords: Rauvolfia vomitoria, phytoconstituents, structural determination, antioxidant, anticholinesterase 1. Introduction Rauvolfia vomitoria belonging to the botanical family Apocynaceae, is a plant native to tropical Africa. The leaves, root bark and stems of the plant are used in decoction, infusion or maceration in traditional medicine to treat malaria, epilepsy, jaundice, high blood pressure, mental disorders [1-3] . The plant organs (Leaves, roots, stem) contain monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIA) ajmaline, yohimbine, reserpine, ajmalicin, serpentine type sarpagine and suaveoline type MIA [4, 5] . These secondary metabolites of the plant seem to govern its various pharmacological activities [4, 5] . Alkaloids are secondary organic nitrogenous bases for the most part heterocyclic of plant origin, and endowed with multiple biological, therapeutic and pharmacological virtues. In this work, the choice of the plant was not made fortuitously. Indeed, it was motivated by the fact that to date, no study reports scientific investigations carried out on the extracts of total alkaloids of the root bark of the species R. vomitoria growing in the spontaneous state in Côte d'Ivoire. The study has a double objective. Firstly, to explore the root bark of the species from the Ivorian floristic biodiversity as a potential source of alkaloids, and secondly, to estimate the antioxidant and anticholinesterase abilities of phytoconstituents isolated for the first time from this plant matrix. 2. Material and Methods 2.1 Plant material R. vomitoria root bark was collected from Adiopodoumé (latitude .5.34145° or 5° 20' 29" north; longitude -4.13323° or 4° 7' 60" west) in the autonomous district of Abidjan (5° 20′ 11″ north, 4° 01′ 36″ west) in southern Côte d'Ivoire. The plant was identified and authenticated by botanists at the Centre National Floristique (CNF) in Abidjan under No. 11676.