TITLE:
Antiradical and Sedative Non-Hypnotic Effect of Tikoni Tea Extract from Leaves of Vitex madiensis Oliv. (Lamiaceae) Locally Used in Congolese Villages
AUTHORS:
Gélase Fredy Nsonde Ntandou, Eric Motondo
KEYWORDS:
Vitex madiensis, Tikoni Tea, Aqueous Extract, Antioxidant, Sedative
JOURNAL NAME:
Pharmacology & Pharmacy,
Vol.17 No.1,
January
30,
2026
ABSTRACT: The present study aimed to contribute to the valorization of Congolese medicinal drugs and food plants. This study shows that the aqueous extract of Tikoni tea (200 and 400 mg/kg) significantly reduces motor activity and increases the duration of barbiturate-induced sleep in mice compared to diazepam (10 mg/kg). However, diazepam decreased time to sleep onset, whereas the extract increased it. The extract therefore has no hypnotic effect; the increase in latency time could be a stimulating effect. This study also revealed that this tea extract possesses free radical scavenging properties with an IC50 of 8.54 mg/mL, which are thought to be linked to the presence of secondary metabolites in this plant.