Dermatoses are essentially caused by infection or free radical aggression, immunoallergic
disorders, or can be secondary to general diseases. Management of dermatoses by modern medicine
is complex and costly, and the development of alternative treatments is urgent. Opilia amentacea
Roxb. is a woody climber plant traditionally used in Burkina Faso for treatment of bad skin diseases.
This study was carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of extracts of
O. amentacea and to characterize potent fractions. The antimicrobial activity was determined using
the disc diffusion and microdilution methods, while antioxidant activity was assessed using the
2,20-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), 2,20-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic
acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The content
of the plant extracts in polyphenols and flavonoids was also studied. The results revealed several
secondary metabolites in the leaves, stems and root bark extracts of the plant, including sterols,
triterpenes, and flavonoids and tannins, and a generally high total polyphenol and total flavonoid
content. Dichloromethane fractions of leaves (FDFe) and stem barks (FDET) exhibited the best
antioxidant activity and were the most active on Gram-positive bacilli. Hexane leaves (FHFe) and
hexane root bark (FHER) fractions exhibited the best antifungal activity against Candida tropicalis.
High correlation (R2 = 0.932) was found between the total flavonoid content of extracts and ferricreducing
antioxidant power. In view of these results, the present study describes O. amentacea as a
potential source of antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant agents and justifies the traditional uses of
the plant as an anti-dermatosis plant.

Opilia amentacea, phytochemical screening, antioxidant activity