# The Potential of Cochlospermum tinctorium, Flueggea virosa, and Waltheria indica Traditional Plants From Burkina Faso in Treating Periodontitis: A Systematic Review

## TL;DR

This review explores three traditional plants from Burkina Faso for their potential to treat periodontitis, focusing on their chemical makeup and anti-inflammatory effects.

## Contribution

The study systematically reviews the pharmacological potential of three under-researched traditional plants for managing periodontitis.

## Key findings

- The plants are rich in polyphenolic compounds, especially flavonoids, and show anti-inflammatory properties.
- Most studies used in vitro methods, with Waltheria indica being the most researched.
- No antibacterial activity against periodontal pathogens was reported in the reviewed studies.

## Abstract

Periodontitis is a chronic, infectious, and inflammatory oral disease with a high prevalence in developing countries, where limited access to modern dental care curtails its treatment. This review is dedicated to examining three indigenous botanical species frequently recommended by traditional therapists for the treatment of periodontal disease, namely, Cochlospermum tinctorium, Flueggea virosa, and Waltheria indica, with the aim of elucidating their chemical constituents and pharmacological properties that may support their empirical use.

This review adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines extension for scoping reviews. An electronic search was conducted in three databases (PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar) up to July 2022. Out of 700 articles initially identified, only 11 were deemed eligible for inclusion; a substantial majority (80%) of these comprised in vitro studies. Among the trio of botanicals considered, Waltheria indica emerged as the most extensively investigated (65% of the studies). The administration of these plants was predominantly in the form of decoctions or macerations, with extraction methods employing alcoholic agents (ethanolic and methanolic), hydroalcoholic solutions, or aqueous solvents.

The selected plants exhibited notable richness in polyphenolic compounds, particularly flavonoids, and demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects, as indicated in 60% of the studies, along with antibacterial properties (against Streptococcus aureus and Helicobacter pylori). None of the studies reported antibacterial activity against periodontal pathogens.

The pharmacological properties of these plants may hold promise for the management of oral inflammatory and infectious conditions. Nevertheless, further comprehensive investigations are imperative to establish their safety and efficacy for periodontitis treatment before conclusive recommendations can be formulated.