title: Screening for antimalarial activity in the genus Potomorphe.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz I.O.C., Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacodinâmica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: C Z
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Amorim
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D010936:Plant Extracts