title: Antimalarial activities of medicinal plants traditionally used in the villages of Dharmapuri regions of South India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An ethnopharmacological investigation of medicinal plants traditionally used to treat diseases associated with fevers in Dharmapuri region of South India was undertaken. Twenty four plants were identified and evaluated for their in vitro activity against Plasmodium falciparum and assessed for cytotoxicity against HeLa cell line.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This antimalarial in vitro study was planned to correlate and validate the traditional usage of medicinal plants against malaria.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ethnobotanical survey was made in Dharmapuri region, Tamil Nadu, India to identify plants used in traditional medicine against fevers. Selected plants were extracted with ethyl acetate and methanol and evaluated for antimalarial activity against erythrocytic stages of chloroquine (CQ)-sensitive 3D7 and CQ-resistant INDO strains of Plasmodium falciparum in culture using the fluorescence-based SYBR Green I assay. Cytotoxicity was determined against HeLa cells using MTT assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Promising antiplasmodial activity was found in Aegle marmelos [leaf methanol extract (ME) (IC(50)=7 μg/mL] and good activities were found in Lantana camara [leaf ethyl acetate extract (EAE) IC(50)=19 μg/mL], Leucas aspera (flower EAE IC(50)=12.5 μg/mL), Momordica charantia (leaf EAE IC(50)=17.5 μg/mL), Phyllanthus amarus (leaf ME IC(50)=15 μg/mL) and Piper nigrum (seed EAE IC(50)=12.5 μg/mL). The leaf ME of Aegle marmelos which showed the highest activity against Plasmodium falciparum elicited low cytotoxicity (therapeutic index>13).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results provide validation for the traditional usage of some medicinal plants against malaria in Dharmapuri region, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Nanotechnology and Bioactive Natural Products, Post Graduate and Research Department of Zoology, C. Abdul Hakeem College, Melvisharam 632509, Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Chinnaperumal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kamaraj
authors.forename: Naveen Kumar
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Kaushik
authors.forename: Abdul Abdul
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rahuman
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mohanakrishnan
authors.forename: Asokan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bagavan
authors.forename: Gandhi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Elango
authors.forename: Abdul Abduz
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Zahir
authors.forename: Thirunavukkarasu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Santhoshkumar
authors.forename: Sampath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marimuthu
authors.forename: Chidambaram
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jayaseelan
authors.forename: Arivarasan Vishnu
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Kirthi
authors.forename: Govindasamy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rajakumar
authors.forename: Kanayairam
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Velayutham
authors.forename: Dinkar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sahal
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D010936:Plant Extracts