Antimalarial activity of some plants traditionally used in treatment of malaria in Kwale district of Kenya

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2007-07, Vol.112 (3), p.545-551
• Main Authors: Muthaura, C.N., Rukunga, G.M., Chhabra, S.C., Omar, S.A., Guantai, A.N., Gathirwa, J.W., Tolo, F.M., Mwitari, P.G., Keter, L.K., Kirira, P.G., Kimani, C.W., Mungai, G.M., Njagi, E.N.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; antimalarials; Antimalarials - administration & dosage; Antimalarials - isolation & purification; Antimalarials - pharmacology; Antiplasmodial activity; antiprotozoal agents; Biological and medical sciences; Celastraceae - chemistry; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cercopithecus aethiops; chemical constituents of plants; ethnobotany; Euphorbiaceae - chemistry; Female; Flueggea; Flueggea virosa; General pharmacology; herbal medicines; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Kenya; Magnoliopsida - chemistry; malaria; Malaria - drug therapy; Malaria - parasitology; Maytenus; Maytenus putterlickioides; Maytenus undata; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; Medicine, African Traditional; Mice; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Plant Roots - chemistry; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Plasmodium berghei; Plasmodium berghei - drug effects; Plasmodium berghei - growth & development; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum - drug effects; Plasmodium falciparum - growth & development; Toxicity Tests, Acute; traditional medicine; Vero Cells; Warburgia stuhlmannii
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2007.04.018

Methanolic and water extracts of five medicinal plant species used for treatment of malaria in traditional/cultural health systems of Kwale people in Kenya were tested for antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium berghei, respectively and for their cytotoxic effects. The most active extracts (IC 50 < 10 μg/ml) screened against chloroquine (CQ) sensitive (D6) and resistant (W2) P. falciparum clones, were the water and methanol extracts of Maytenus undata (Thunb.) Blakelock (Celasteraceae), methanol extracts of Flueggea virosa (Willd.) Voigt (Euphorbiaceae), Maytenus putterlickioides (Loes.) Excell and Mendoca (Celastraceae), and Warburgia stuhlmannii Engl. (Canellaceae). These extracts showed various cytotoxic levels on Vero E6 cells with the water extract of M. undata exhibiting least cytotoxicity. At least one of the extracts of the plant species exhibited a high chemo suppression of parasitaemia >70% in a murine model of P. berghei infected mice. These results indicate that there is potential for isolation of a lead compound from the extracts of the five plants. W. stuhlmannii and M. putterlickioides have not been reported before for antiplasmodial activity.