title: Plants as sources of antimalarial drugs: in vitro antimalarial activities of some quassinoids.
abstract: Fourteen quassinoids, obtained from simaroubaceous plants, were tested for in vitro antimalarial activity. All of these inhibited the incorporation of [3H]hypoxanthine into Plasmodium falciparum in vitro at concentrations below 0.41 microgram ml-1. The two most potent quassinoids, bruceantin and simalikalactone D, showed 50% inhibitory concentration values of 0.0008 and 0.0009 microgram ml-1, respectively. The results are compared with the antiamoebic, antileukemic, and cytotoxic activities of these compounds reported in the literature.
mesh_terms: D000563:Amebicides; D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D005900:Glaucarubin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007941:Leukemia P388 / Q000188:drug therapy; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000032:analysis*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000563:Amebicides; D000962:Antimalarials; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D010936:Plant Extracts; D005900:Glaucarubin