title: Assessment of the in vitro antiprotozoal and cytotoxic potential of 20 selected medicinal plants from the island of Soqotra.
abstract: Malaria, leishmaniasis and human African trypanosomiasis continue to be major public health problems in need of new and more effective drugs. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro antiprotozoal activity of twenty endemic medicinal plants collected from the island of Soqotra in the Indian Ocean. The plant materials were extracted with methanol and tested for antiplasmodial activity against erythrocytic schizonts of Plasmodium falciparum, for antileishmanial activity against intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania infantum and for antitrypanosomal activity against intracellular amastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi and free trypomastigotes of T. brucei. To assess selectivity, cytotoxicity was determined against MRC-5 fibroblasts. Selective activity was obtained for Punica protopunica against Plasmodium (IC₅₀ 2.2 µg/mL) while Eureiandra balfourii and Hypoestes pubescens displayed activity against the three kinetoplastid parasites (IC₅₀ < 10 µg/mL). Acridocarpus socotranus showed activity against T. brucei and T. cruzi (IC₅₀ 3.5 and 8.4 µg/mL). Ballochia atrovirgata, Dendrosicycos socotrana, Dracaena cinnabari and Euphorbia socotrana displayed non-specific inhibition of the parasites related to high cytotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia. rmothana@ksu.edu.sa
authors.forename: Ramzi A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mothana
authors.forename: Nawal M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Al-Musayeib
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matheeussen
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cos
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D019156:Indian Ocean; D062312:Islands; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000187:drug effects; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000188:drug therapy; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000187:drug effects; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D003603:Cytotoxins; D010936:Plant Extracts