Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Activities and Metabolomic Profiling Through Feature-Based Molecular Networking of Five Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used to Treat Dermatosis in Southern Benin

Background/Objectives: Hydroethanolic extracts from Ageratum conyzoides L., Cassia alata L., Chromolaena odorata L., Crateva adansonii DC, and Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides Lam were investigated to provide scientific evidence supporting their traditional use in the treatment of dermatoses. Methods: Antimicrobial activity was measured using a disk diffusion test against micro-organisms associated with dermatosis. Anti-inflammatory action was investigated using the formalin-induced model of leg edema in Wistar rats. Phytochemical screening and LC-MS-based molecular networking analyses were performed to characterize the bioactive metabolites present in the extracts. Results: In terms of antimicrobial effect, extracts of A. conyzoides and Z. zanthoxyloides were the most active, giving the largest inhibition zones, followed by C. alata and C. adansonii extracts, with C. odorata being the least active. In the anti-inflammatory assay, edema inhibition reached 52.92% for C. odorata, 48.30% for C. adansonii, 45.86% for Z. zanthoxyloides, 43.61% for C. alata, and 34.27% for A. conyzoides, compared with 32.04% for aspirin. Phytochemical screening and molecular networking analyses revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids. Conclusions: These findings support the traditional use of these medicinal plants for inflammatory skin disorders. C. odorata showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity, while A. conyzoides and Z. zanthoxyloides exhibited the strongest antimicrobial effects.