Antimalarial compounds from the aerial parts of Flacourtia indica (Flacourtiaceae).
OBJECTIVE
In the Comoros Islands, the aerial parts of Flacourtia indica are used in traditional medicine to treat malaria. Because of the important use of this plant, the phytochemistry of the aerial parts was investigated.


METHODS
Three compounds were isolated from the decoction of this plant material, pyrocatechol, homaloside D and poliothrysoside. The in vitro antiplasmodial activity on the chloroquine-resistant strain (W2) of Plasmodium falciparum and the cytotoxicity on two complementary human cell lines (THP1, HepG2), of AcOEt extract obtained after liquid/liquid extraction of the decoction and pure compounds, were evaluated.


RESULTS
The poliothrysoside isolated from the AcOEt extract presented a strong antiplasmodial activity (IC(50)=7.4 microM) and a good selectivity index (>28) similar to chloroquine.


CONCLUSIONS
This study reports for the first time antiplasmodial activity for Flacourtia indica, for its AcOEt extract and the three major constituents and confirms its traditional use.
Kaou
Ali Mohamed
AM
Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie et Ethnopharmacologie, UMR-MD3, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de la Méditerranée (Aix-Marseille II), Marseille, France.
Mahiou-Leddet
Valérie
V
Canlet
Cécile
C
Debrauwer
Laurent
L
Hutter
Sébastien
S
Laget
Michèle
M
Faure
Robert
R
Azas
Nadine
N
Ollivier
Evelyne
E
D000962:Antimalarials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D001565:Benzoates / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D002396:Catechols / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005960:Glucosides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D031308:Salicaceae
D000962:Antimalarials; D001565:Benzoates; D002396:Catechols; D005960:Glucosides; C477961:poliothrysoside; D002738:Chloroquine; C034221:catechol