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Evaluation of the antimalarial and antileishmanial activity of plants from the Greek island of Crete

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Abstract

Different parts of 65 plant species from the Greek island of Crete have been extracted and the 249 extracts obtained have been investigated for in-vitro antiprotozoal activity. Their activity against chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and resistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum and Leishmania donovani promastigotes was determined. Their cytotoxicity on a mammalian kidney fibroblast (Vero) cell line was also tested. Dichloromethane and methanol extracts of Berberis cretica and methanol extracts of Cytinus hypocistis subsp. hypocistis, C. hypocistis subsp. orientalis, and C. ruber had significant activity against both strains of P. falciparum (IC50<10 μg mL−1). Dichloromethane extracts of Eryngium ternatum, Origanum dictamnus, and Origanum microphyllum, and the methanolic extract of Eryngium amorginum had significant activity against Leishmania donovani (IC50<10 μg mL−1). None of the extracts was cytotoxic.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Dr Th. Constantinidis from the Laboratory of Systematic Botany, Agricultural University of Athens, for verification of many plant specimens, and to USDA, ARS for financial support. The antiparasitic screening program at National Center for Natural Products Research is supported in part by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) cooperative agreement no 58-6408-2-0009. The technical assistance of John Trott and Mahitha Orugnati with the biological assays is acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, USDA/ARS, University of Mississippi, 8048, Oxford, MS, 38677, USA

    N. Fokialakis & S. O. Duke

  2. Division of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis 15771, Athens, Greece

    E. Kalpoutzakis & A. L. Skaltsounis

  3. National Center for Natural Product Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, 38677, USA

    B. L. Tekwani, S. I. Khan & M. Kobaisy

Authors
  1. N. Fokialakis
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  2. E. Kalpoutzakis
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  3. B. L. Tekwani
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  4. S. I. Khan
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  5. M. Kobaisy
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  6. A. L. Skaltsounis
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  7. S. O. Duke
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Correspondence to S. O. Duke.

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Fokialakis, N., Kalpoutzakis, E., Tekwani, B.L. et al. Evaluation of the antimalarial and antileishmanial activity of plants from the Greek island of Crete. J Nat Med 61, 38–45 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-006-0013-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-006-0013-y

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