HEPATITIS-B SURFACE-ANTIGEN (HBSAG) INACTIVATION AND ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME (ACE) INHIBITION INVITRO BY COMBRETUM-GLUTINOSUM PERR (COMBRETACEAE) EXTRACT

Among the aqueous extracts of ten African medicinal plants traditionally used for the treatment of hepatic disease and which can inhibit hepatitis B virus antigen (HBsAg) in vitro, extracts from the leaf decoction of Combretum glutinosum proved to be the most active (100-500 ng/mL-1). With solvents of increasing polarity, a precipitate was isolated from the methanolic phase of this extract which contains gallic tannins and these compounds may be responsible for the effect on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE).