NUTRITIONAL PROSPECTS, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF SOME FOOD PLANTS CONSUMED BY WILD MANDRILL (MANDRILLUS SPHINX) POPULATION FROM LEKEDI PARK (BAKOUMBA, GABON).

Research on wild vegetables established that several vegetables supply significant quantities of essential nutrients to the body and, assist in the maintenance of health and prevention of diseases. This study consisted to evaluated nutritional and pharmacological potentials of some wild vegetables from Mandrillus sphinx diet. Vegetables species selected according to their consumption frequencies and ethnopharmacological uses by local population, were therefore subjected to nutritional and pharmacological analyses. Proximate nutrients values showed that fruits and leaves from mandrill diet present the high values in crude protein, fats and carbohydrate. Results showed also high mineral amounts were also obtained with the majority of plants eaten. Phytochemical and pharmacological analyses have shown the highest content of secondary compounds had ranged between 0.06 ? 1.18 and 44.46 ? 0.10g EAG/100g of dried matter (total phenols compounds amount), Antinutritional compounds amounts varies between 0.005 ? 2.1 and 28.15 ? 0.22 g EAT/100g DM (tannins) and 0.021?0.29 and 11.45 ?0.03 g EQ/100g DM (flavonoids). Our results showed also the good antioxidant activity of some plant organs consumed by both two populations human and mandrill such as Aframomum cf. polyanthum, A. alboviolaceum, Pseudospondias longifolia, Chrysophyllum lacourtianum and Landolphia mannii. The lowest values have recorded with fruits of Antrocaryon klaineanum, Uapaca guineensis and Pentaclethra macrophylla has been also observed. Among plants analyzed for antibacterial activities, Tristemma mauritianum, Macaranga schweinfurthii, Medelina mirabilis, Alchornea floribunda and Pentaclethra eetveldeana present the bactericidal effects. This study showed that vegetables from mandrill diet constitute good nutritional sources of nutrients and mineral compounds. Some plants will be also good natural antioxidants sources and antibacterial usable in human health. Thus, investigations of mandrill diet will constitute the good sources of nutrients and antinutritional compounds to improvement of nutrition, health and an approach for drugs discovery.