Screening extracts of Madagascan plants in search of antiplasmodial compounds

• Published in: Phytotherapy research Vol. 18; no. 9; pp. 742 - 747
• Main Authors: Rasoanaivo, P, Ramanitrahasimbola, D, Rafatro, H, Rakotondramanana, D, Robijaona, B, Rakotozafy, A, Ratsimamanga-Urverg, S, Labaied, M, Grellier, P, Allorge, L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.09.2004; Wiley
• Subjects: Animals; Antimalarials - administration & dosage; Antimalarials - pharmacology; Antimalarials - therapeutic use; antiplasmodial; Biological and medical sciences; General pharmacology; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Madagascar; malaria; Malaria, Falciparum - drug therapy; Medical sciences; Medicine, Traditional; Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; plants; Plants, Medicinal; Plasmodium falciparum - drug effects; screening; Malagasy Republic; Africa; Madagascar; Antimalarial; Protozoal disease; Malaria; Pharmacognosy; Madagascar; Parasitosis; Screening test; antiplasmodial; Medicinal plant; Infection; Screening; plants; Plant origin; Parasiticide
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.1533

One hundred and ninety plants, of which 51 are used to treat malaria in traditional medicine, were collected in five different ecosystems of Madagascar for a screening programme devoted to the search of naturally‐occurring antimalarial compounds. Thirty‐nine plants, of which 12 are used as herbal antimalarials, were found to display in vitro activity against Plasmodium falciparum with a median inhibitory concentration (IC50) lower than 5 µg/ml while 9 had an IC50 ranging from 5 to 7.5 µg/ml. Seventeen of them exhibited cytotoxic effects on murine P388 leukemia cells with an IC50 < 10 µg/ml. The biological activities were mostly located in the ethyl acetate fractions. Bioassay‐directed fractionation is underway to isolate the active constituents. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.