title: Antimalarial compounds containing an alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl moiety from Tanzanian medicinal plants.
abstract: Pure compounds were isolated from plant extracts with antimalarial activity. The extracts were obtained from the tubers of Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae), the rootbark of Zanthoxylum gilletii (De Wild) Waterm. (Rutaceae), and the rootbark of Margaritaria discoidea (Baill.) Webster (Euphorbiaceae). The most active compounds included (IC50 within brackets): alpha-cyperone (1) (5.5 micrograms/ml), N-isobutyldeca-2,4-dienamide (2) (5.4 micrograms/ml), and securinine (3) (5.4 micrograms/ml). A mixture of autoxidation products of beta-selinene was found to be the most active antimalarial substances obtained from C. rotundus (5.6 micrograms/ml.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weenen
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nkunya
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Bray
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Mwasumbi
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Kinabo
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Kilimali
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Wijnberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007659:Ketones; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000032:analysis*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects; D013636:Tanzania
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D007659:Ketones