Anti-inflammatory potency of the traditionally used antimalarial plant Fagraea fragrans

Fagraea fragrans Roxb. (Gentianaceae) was selected following an ethnopharmacological survey in Cambodia to treat fever or malaria. Little work has been done so far on this plant; only the presence of secoiridoids (gentiopicroside [1], [2], fagraldehyde, sweroside and swertiamarin [3]) has been described. Methanol and dichloromethane extracts have been prepared from bark and leaves to assess in vitro anti-plasmodial assays. The bioguided chromatographic fractionation against Plasmodium falciparum led to a spread of activity in different fractions. Multiple minor compounds acting in synergy could explain the activity provided in the crude CH₂Cl₂ extracts of the bark and the leaves.

On the other hand, fever symptom is not only displayed during malaria disease but also in various illnesses including inflammatory reaction. Thus, the different fractions of F. fragrans have been tested on inhibition of Nitric Oxide (NO) overproduction on LPS-stimulated murine macrophages. The best anti-inflammatory potency (10µg/ml=80% inhibition) was provided by a fraction coming from the leaf apolar extract. Further investigations will be carried out in our laboratory to identify the active compounds inhibiting NO.

Acknowledgements: the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS) (grant N° 3452005) and the Samuel de Champlain convention between France and Quebec (n° 62 103) are greatly acknowledged.

References: 1. Wan, A.S.C., Chow, Y.L. (1964) J.Pharma.Pharmacol. 16: 484–486.

2. Natarajan, P.N. et al. (1974) Planta Med. 25: 258–260.

3. Jonville, M.C. et al. (2008)J. Nat. Prod. 71: 2038–2040.