Abstract

Malaria remains a serious problem in most third world countries. In South Africa, the use of traditional remedies plays a significant role in the treatment of malaria and these phytomedicines are a source of novel antimalarial agents. The medicinal plant family, Menispermaceae has reportedly been used in the treatment of malaria and clinical symptoms associated with malaria such as fever. Thus, the 27 methanol extracts from 13 species in the 7 genera found in southern Africa were evaluated for their antimalarial activity against a chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain using the [3H]-hypoxanthine incorporation assay. The haemolytic properties were assessed using uninfected human erythrocytes and the tetrazolium cell proliferation assay was used to determine the cytotoxicity of the extracts against human kidney epithelial cells. Six of the 27 extracts displayed high activity at a concentration less than 5µg/ml, namely Antizoma miersiana (rhizomes), Albertisia delagoensis (rhizomes and leaves), Cissampelos capensis (coastal, rhizomes), Cissampelos mucronata (rhizomes) and Tiliacora funifera (leaves). The haemolytic activity of Tinospora fragosa (leaves) contributed slightly to the antimalarial activity; while the remaining extracts had a direct inhibitory effect on the intra-erythrocytic parasite. The rhizomes of Antizoma miersiana and Cissampelos torulosa were the most cytotoxic against the human kidney epithelial cells with IC50 values less than 25µg/ml. Albertisia delagoensis (rhizomes) yielded a favourable safety index (>103), while Cocculus hirsutus had the lowest safety index (0.67). Select Menispermaceae species have the potential as a source of antimalarial compounds.

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