title: In vitro antiprotozoal, antimicrobial and antitumor activity of Pavetta crassipes K. Schum leaf extracts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the potential benefit of the traditional medicinal plant Pavetta crassipes K. Schum (Rubiaceae), which is widely distributed throughout West Africa, the methanol and dichloromethane extracts were isolated from the plant leaves to determine if they exhibited antiprotozoal, antibacterial, antifungal or antitumor activity in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  The methanol and dichloromethane extracts and their specific fractions were obtained using bioassay-guided fractionation and investigated for antiproliferative activity in vitro in microorganisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans), protozoans (Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei, Leishmania infantum and Plasmodium falciparum), and cancer (U373, PC3, MXT and A549) and normal cell lines (NHDF and MRC-5).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the alkaloid fractions investigated exhibited antiproliferative activity in all the cancer cell lines, microorganisms and protozoans studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The benefit of Pavetta crassipes as a traditional medicinal remedy was confirmed using antiprotozoal and cytotoxicity assays in vitro. These analyses revealed that the components present in the alkaloid extract of Pavetta crassipes are responsible for its antiprotozoal and cytotoxic efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Département de Pharmacie, Faculté de Médecine, Pharmacie et Odontostomatologie, Université de Conakry, Conakry, Guinea.
authors.forename: Elhadj S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Baldé
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Megalizzi
authors.forename: Mohamed S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Traoré
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cos
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Decaestecker
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pieters
authors.forename: Aliou M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Baldé
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D019666:Rubiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts