Abstract
BackgroundDevelopment of resistance against the frontline anti-malarial drugs has created an alarming situation, which requires intensive drug discovery to develop new, more effective, affordable and accessible anti-malarial agents.MethodsInspired by their ethnobotanical reputation for being effective against febrile diseases, antiplasmodial potential of ethyl acetate extracts (EAE) and methanol extracts (ME) of 17 medicinal plants collected from the Eastern Ghats of South India and Buchpora, North India were explored against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro using the SYBR Green assay. The results were validated both by confirmation that the fall in fluorescence signal was not due to quenching effects mediated by phytochemical extracts and by Giemsa-stained microscopy.ResultsUsing EAE or ME, promising antiplasmodial activity (IC50Pf3D7 ≤ 20 μg/ml), was seen in Aerva lanata (Whole aerial parts-EAE), Anisomeles malabarica (Leaf-EAE), Anogeissus latifolia (bark-EAE), Cassia alata (leaves-EAE), Glycyrrhiza glabra (root-EAE), Juglans regia (seed-ME), Psidium guajava (leaf-ME and EAE) and Solanum xanthocarpum (Whole aerial parts-EAE). EAEs from leaves of Couroupita guianensis, Euphorbia hirta, Pergularia daemia, Tinospora cordifolia and Tridax procumbens as also ME from Ricinus communis (leaf and seed) showed good antiplasmodial activity (Pf 3D7 IC50 21 - 40 μg/ml). Moderate activity (Pf 3D7 IC50: 40–60 μg/mL) was shown by the leaf EAEs of Cardiospermum halicacabum, Indigofera tinctoria and Ricinus communis while the remaining extracts showed marginal (Pf 3D7 IC50 60 to >100 μg/ml) activities. The promising extracts showed good resistance indices (0.41 – 1.4) against the chloroquine resistant INDO strain of P. falciparum and good selectivity indices (3 to > 22.2) when tested against the HeLa cell line.ConclusionThese results provide validity to the traditional medicinal usage of some of these plants and further make a case for activity-guided purification of new pharmacophores against malaria.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-015-0564-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Development of resistance against the frontline anti-malarial drugs has created an alarming situation, which requires intensive drug discovery to develop new, more effective, affordable and accessible anti-malarial agents
Dilutions of drugs and test samples Stock solutions of plant extracts and artemisinin were prepared in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) while CQ stock solution was in water (Milli-Q grade)
Medicinal plants which offer a wide diversity of medicinal properties have proved to be a boon for malaria therapy as two of the most important anti-malarial drugs, namely quinine and artemisinin, have their origins in the medicinal plants Cinchona officinalis and Artemisia annua, respectively
Summary
Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 2002;24:397–401. 11. Clarkson C, Maharaj VJ, Crouch NR, Grace OM, Pillay P, Matsabisa MG, et al In vitro antiplasmodial activity of medicinal plants native to or naturalised in South Africa. J Ethnopharmacol. 2004;92:177–91. 12. Appiah-Opong R, Nyarko AK, Dodoo D, Gyang FN, Koram KA, Ayisi NK. Antiplasmodial activity of extracts of Tridax procumbens and Submit your next manuscript to BioMed Central and take full advantage of: • Convenient online submission • Thorough peer review • No space constraints or color figure charges • Immediate publication on acceptance • Inclusion in PubMed, CAS, Scopus and Google Scholar • Research which is freely available for redistribution
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