In vitro antiplasmodial screening of ethnopharmacologically selected South African plant species used for the treatment of malaria

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2014-10, Vol.156, p.370-373
• Main Authors: Bapela, M. Johanna, Meyer, J.J. Marion, Kaiser, Marcel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antimalarials - pharmacology; Antiplasmodial activity; Apocynaceae; Apocynaceae - chemistry; Cells, Cultured; Ethnopharmacology - methods; Malaria; Malaria - drug therapy; Medicinal plants; Medicine, African Traditional - methods; Myoblasts - drug effects; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum - drug effects; Rats; Rubiaceae; Rubiaceae - chemistry; South Africa; Tabernaemontana
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2014.09.017

Plant species used by Venda people of South Africa in the treatment of malaria and associated symptoms were evaluated for their antiplasmodial efficacy as well as cytotoxic properties and some showed significant activity. In vitro antiplasmodial activity and cytotoxic properties were evaluated on 20 indigenous plant species. Ground plant material was extracted in dichloromethane: 50% methanol (1:1). Antiplasmodial activity was evaluated against the chloroquine-sensitive strain of Plasmodium falciparum (NF54). The cytotoxicity of the plant extracts were assessed against mammalian L-6 rat skeletal myoblast cells and the selectivity index (SI) calculated. Of the 43 plant extracts evaluated, 10 exhibited pronounced antiplasmodial activity (IC50≤5μg/ml) with good therapeutic indices (SI≥10). Lipophilic plant extracts were relatively more potent than polar extracts. Tabernaemontana elegans Stapf. (Apocynaceae) and Vangueria infausta Burch. subsp. infausta (Rubiaceae) extracts displayed significant antiplasmodial activity (IC50