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DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1307590
Search for Antimalarial Candidates from Rhamnus staddo
Rhamnus staddo (Rhamnaceae) has been traditionally used in East Africa to treat malaria, venereal disease and anaplasmosis [1]. Methanol extract of the plant has been reported to show significant antiplasmodial activity [1,2] and its in vivo antimalarial activity in mice against a chloroquine (CQ)-tolerant Plasmodium berghei NK65, was recently reported. Methanolic extract of Rhamnus staddo had statistically significant parasitaemia suppressions of 31.7–59.3% and in combination with CQ, it gave statistically significant and improved suppressions ranging from 45.5 to 85.1% [3]. In a search for potential antimalarial candidates from the plants traditionally used to cure malaria in Africa, a new bianthraquinone,1,1',8,8'-tetrahydroxy-6-methoxy-3,3'-dimethyl-[2,2'-bianthracene]-9,9',10,10'-tetraone (1) together with known anthraquinone, flavonoids and benzofuranone were isolated from R. staddo and characterized using spectroscopic techniques.
Acknowledgement: The underlined author is thankful to US Department of States for Fulbright fellowship. The research was partially supported by USDA Agricultural Research Service Specific Cooperative Agreement No. 58–6408–2-0009. References: [1] Koch A, Tamez P, et al. (2005)J Ethnopharmacol 101: 95–99. [2] Muregi FW, Chhabra SC, et al. (2003)J Ethnopharmacol 84: 235–239. [3] Muregi FW, Ishih A, et al. (2007)J Ethnopharmacol 111: 190–195.