title: Chemical investigation of an antimalarial Chinese medicinal herb Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora.
abstract: An antimalarial medicinal plant Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora was chemically investigated as part of our ongoing research in traditional chinese medicines (TCM). Mass directed fractionation of the active part of the crude extract led to the isolation of ten main components, three new compounds (1-3) and seven known compounds (4-10). Compound 10 inhibited the growth of the Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 malarial parasite line, with an IC50 value of 8.3μM. This compound accounted for ∼95% of P. falciparum growth inhibitory activity in the crude extract confirming, for this TCM, that a single compound was responsible for the antimalarial activity.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Hongmin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Vanida
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Choomuenwai
authors.forename: Katherine T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: Yunjiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy; D032261:Picrorhiza / Q000737:chemistry*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Antimalarial; Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora; Traditional Chinese medicine