title: Analysis of additivity and synergism in the anti-plasmodial effect of purified compounds from plant extracts.
abstract: In the search for antimalarials from ethnobotanical origin, plant extracts are chemically fractionated and biological tests guide the isolation of pure active compounds. To establish the responsibility of isolated active compound(s) to the whole antiplasmodial activity of a crude extract, the literature in this field was scanned and results were analysed quantitatively to find the contribution of the pure compound to the activity of the whole extract. It was found that, generally, the activity of isolated molecules could not account on their own for the activity of the crude extract. It is suggested that future research should take into account the "drugs beside the drug", looking for those products (otherwise discarded along the fractionation process) able to boost the activity of isolated active compounds.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Pharmacochimie des Substances Naturelles et Pharmacophores Redox, UMR 152, UPS, Université de Toulouse, 118 Route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France. ericdeharo@gmail.com
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Deharo
authors.forename: Hagai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ginsburg
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055808:Drug Discovery; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D010936:Plant Extracts