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Exploration of antiplasmodial activity in Acalypha wilkesiana Müller Argoviensis, 1866 (family: Euphorbiaceae) and its GC-MS fingerprint

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Abstract

The plant kingdom continues to hold great promise for the eradication of Malaria infection following the challenges of insecticide resistance by the vector mosquito, drug resistance by the parasite, and the development of a vaccine still being a mirage. Acalypha wilkesiana Muller Argoviensis, 1866 (family: Euphorbiaceae) leaves have the ethnopharmacological reputation for use as a remedy against dermal microbial infections in Nigeria. Here, we have studied the antiplasmodial potential of the extract of the leaves of this ornamental plant. Aqueous methanol crude extract (70%) and Prep reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RPHPLC) fractions were tested in vitro against blood stage Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain parasites for antiplasmodial activity using the SYBR Green assay. Results obtained were validated through Giemsa stained microscopic blood smeared slides. An IC50 of < 0.39 μg/ml for fractions of the RPHPLC together with TC50 of > 100 μg/ml against mammalian HUH-7 cell lines and a HC50 of > 100 μg/ml against red blood cells indicate a high selectivity of this plant against Plasmodium. This is the first report of the antiplasmodial activity of this plant and a GC-MS fingerprinting of the same, opening the possibilities of identifying novel pharmacophores against the malaria parasite.

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Abbreviations

GC-MS:

gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

RPHPLC:

reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

TC50 :

toxicity concentration against 50% population of cells exposed

IC50 :

inhibitory concentration against 50% population of cells exposed

HC50 :

hemolytic concentration against 50% population of cells exposed

HPLC:

high-performance liquid chromatography

RPMI:

Roswell Park Memorial Institute medium

Pf :

Plasmodium falciparum

DMSO:

dimethyl sulfoxide

EDTA:

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

MTT:

3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide

CQ:

chloroquine

ADHD:

attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder

RDS:

respiratory distress syndrome

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria-Nigeria TETFUND for sponsoring this research work and thank the Director ICGEB, New Delhi, India, for granting the bench space and facilities used. We thank Dr. Ajay Kumar of the Advance Instrumentation and Research Facility at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India, for helping in the GC-MS fingerprinting. We thank Mal. Kabiru Ibrahim, Alhaji Adamu Mohammed, and Mal. Kamilu Mahmud Zaria of the Department of Pharmacognosy and Drug Development in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria-Nigeria, for their technical assistance, also our gratitude goes to Mal U.S. Gallah for his assistance in the collection of the plant species from the wild, their identification, and proper documentation at the Herbarium.

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Author notes

  1. Naveen Kumar Kaushik

    Present address: Amity Institute of Virology and Immunology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

    Wandayi Emmanuel Amlabu & Ishaya Haruna Nock

  2. Malaria Drug Discovery Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India

    Wandayi Emmanuel Amlabu, Naveen Kumar Kaushik, Dinesh Mohanakrishnan, Jyoti Tiwary & Dinkar Sahal

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Lokoja, Lokoja, Nigeria

    Patrick Ahmadu Audu

  4. Department of Pharmacognosy and Drug Development, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

    Musbahu S. Abubakar

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  1. Wandayi Emmanuel Amlabu
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Contributions

WEA, DS, and IHN conceived and designed the experiments; WEA, NKK, DM, and JT conducted the experiments; WEA and NKK performed data analysis and prepared figures; WEA and DS wrote the paper; DS and IHN provided experimental oversight, analytical guidance, and edited the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Wandayi Emmanuel Amlabu or Dinkar Sahal.

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Amlabu, W.E., Nock, I.H., Kaushik, N.K. et al. Exploration of antiplasmodial activity in Acalypha wilkesiana Müller Argoviensis, 1866 (family: Euphorbiaceae) and its GC-MS fingerprint. Parasitol Res 117, 1473–1484 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-5802-1

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