Screening for antimalarial activity in the genus Potomorphe.
Ethanolic extracts (CEE) of leaves from Potomorphe umbellata and Potomorphe peltata, popularly said to have antimalarial capacity, were submitted to the 4-day suppressive test in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. The CEE of P. umbellata administered either orally (250 and 1250 mg/kg) or subcutaneously (100 and 500 mg/kg) evidenced strong antimalarial activity, significantly reducing the levels of parasitaemia in a dose-dependent manner. On the other hand, the CEE of P. peltata was ineffective in lowering the parasitemic levels in malarious mice, which had been treated either orally (500 mg/kg) or subcutaneously (20, 100 and 500 mg/kg). An ethanol extract of the dry whole plant of P. peltata was also inactive.
Amorim
C Z
CZ
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz I.O.C., Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacodinâmica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Flores
C A
CA
Gomes
B E
BE
Marques
A D
AD
Cordeiro
R S
RS
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D010962:Plasmodium berghei
D000962:Antimalarials; D010936:Plant Extracts