Planta Med 2008; 74 - PA249
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1084247

In vitro antiplasmodial activity of five plants used in Benin in traditional medicine to treat malaria

J Bero 1, M Frédérich 2, P DeMol 3, J Quetin-Leclercq 1
  • 1Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, Université Catholique de Louvain, Av. E. Mounier, UCL 72.30-CHAM, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
  • 2Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, CIRM, Université de Liège, Av. de l'Hôpital 1, B36, B-4000 Liège, Belgium
  • 3Laboratoire de microbiologie médicale, CIRM, Université de Liège, Av. de l'Hôpital 1, B23, B-4000 Liège, Belgium

The in vitro antiplasmodial activity of crude extracts from the leaves and twigs of five plant species used traditionally in Benin for the treatment of malaria was assessed against the 3D7 chloroquine-susceptible strain of Plasmodium falciparum. Their selectivity was evaluated on J774 macrophage-like murine cells and WI38 human normal fibroblasts. For each species, methylene chloride, methanol and aqueous extracts were tested. The best inhibition of the growth of Plasmodium falciparum was observed with the methylene chloride extracts of Strychnos spinosa leaves (IC50=15.7µg/ml) and Canthium setosum leaves and twigs (IC50=31.2 and 14.3µg/ml, respectively). All these extracts had a low cytotoxicity. These results confirmed the good antiplasmodial activity of the methylene chloride extract of the aerial parts of C. setosum [1]. No data were available on S. spinosa leaves as only stems and barks were studied up to now and did not show any activity [2,3].

Acknowledgements: FNRS, UCL, ULg.

References: 1. Weniger, B. et al. (2004)J Ethnopharmacol 91:37–42.

2. Philippe, G. et al. (2005)J Ethnopharmacol 97:535–539.

3. Frédérich, M. et al. (1999) Antimicrob Agents Chemother 43:2328–2331.