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In vitro antimalarial activity of medicinal plant extracts against Plasmodium falciparum

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Abstract

Malaria is a major global public health problem, and the alarming spread of drug resistance and limited number of effective drugs now available underline how important it is to discover new antimalarial compounds. In the present study, ten plants were extracted with ethyl acetate and methanol and tested for their antimalarial activity against chloroquine (CQ)-sensitive (3D7) and CQ-resistant (Dd2 and INDO) strains of Plasmodium falciparum in culture using the fluorescence-based SYBR Green assay. Plant extracts showed moderate to good antiparasitic effects. Promising antiplasmodial activity was found in the extracts from two plants, Phyllanthus emblica leaf 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) 3D7: 7.25 μg/mL (ethyl acetate extract), 3.125 μg/mL (methanol extract), and Syzygium aromaticum flower bud, IC50 3D7:13 μg/mL, (ethyl acetate extract) and 6.25 μg/mL (methanol extract). Moderate activity (30–75 μg/mL) was found in the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Abrus precatorius (seed) and Gloriosa superba (leaf); leaf ethyl acetate extracts of Annona squamosa and flower of Musa paradisiaca. The above mentioned plant extracts were also found to be active against CQ-resistant strains (Dd2 and INDO). Cytotoxicity study with P. emblica leaf and S. aromaticum flower bud, extracts showed good therapeutic indices. These results demonstrate that leaf ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of P. emblica and flower bud extract of S. aromaticum may serve as antimalarial agents even in their crude form. The isolation of compounds from P. emblica and S. aromaticum seems to be of special interest for further antimalarial studies.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to C. Abdul Hakeem College Management, Dr. S. Mohammed Yousuff, Principal, Dr. K. Abdul Subhan, HOD of Zoology Department, for providing the facilities to carry out this work. D.S and N.K.K thank MR4 for providing P. falciparum CQ-resistant strains. This study was funded by University Grants Commission, (F.No.35-71/2008 SR) Government of India, New Delhi.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Nanotechnology and Bioactive Natural Products, Post Graduate and Research Department of Zoology, C. Abdul Hakeem College, Melvisharam-632 509, Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, India

    Asokan Bagavan & Abdul Abdul Rahuman

  2. Malaria Research Laboratory, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India

    Naveen Kumar Kaushik & Dinkar Sahal

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  1. Asokan Bagavan
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  2. Abdul Abdul Rahuman
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  3. Naveen Kumar Kaushik
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  4. Dinkar Sahal
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Correspondence to Abdul Abdul Rahuman.

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Asokan Bagavan and Naveen Kumar Kaushik contributed equally.

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Bagavan, A., Rahuman, A.A., Kaushik, N.K. et al. In vitro antimalarial activity of medicinal plant extracts against Plasmodium falciparum . Parasitol Res 108, 15–22 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-2034-4

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