title: Antiplasmodial agents from the Bhutanese medicinal plant Corydalis calliantha.
abstract: The alkaloidal components of the Bhutanese medicinal plant Corydalis calliantha Long, which is used for the treatment of malaria, have been assessed. Four known alkaloids, protopine (1), scoulerine (2), cheilanthifoline (3) and stylopine (4) are reported from this plant for the first time. The protopine alkaloid, protopine, and the tetrahydroprotoberine alkaloid, cheilanthifoline, showed promising in vitro antiplasmodial activities against Plasmodium falciparum, both wild type (TM4) and multidrug resistant (K1) strains with IC(50) values in the range of 2.78-4.29 microM. Such activity had not been demonstrated previously for cheilanthifoline. The results thus support, at a molecular level, the clinical use of this plant in the Bhutanese traditional medicine and identified cheilanthifoline as a potential new antimalarial drug lead.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical and Research Unit, Department of Medical Services, Ministry of Health, Institute of Traditional Medicine Services, Thimphu, Bhutan.
authors.forename: Phurpa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wangchuk
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Bremner
authors.forename: Roonglawan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rattanajak
authors.forename: Sumalee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamchonwongpaisan
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000032:analysis*; D001631:Bhutan; D031311:Corydalis / Q000737:chemistry*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006801:Humans; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D010936:Plant Extracts