title: Antiplasmodial compounds from the stem bark of Neoboutonia macrocalyx pax.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The plant Neoboutonia macrocalyx has been reported in traditional medicine to be used in the treatment of malaria.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the in vitro antiplasmodial activity of compounds from the stem bark of Neoboutonia macrocalyx.
  
  
  METHODS
  Compounds were extracted and purified from stem bark of Neoboutonia macrocalyx and their structure identified and confirmed by spectroscopic methods. The crude ethyl acetate extract, aqueous extract and the isolated compounds were evaluated for antiplasmodial activity against the chloroquine sensitive Sierra Leone I (D6) and chloroquine-resistant Indochina I (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chemical investigation of the ethyl acetate extract of Neoboutonia macrocalyx bark resulted in the identification of one new diterpenoid; neoboutomacroin (1) in addition to the four known compounds which included, a phenanthrene; 3,6-dihyroxy-1,7-dimethyl-9-methoxyphenanthrene (2), a sterol; 3-O-Acetyloleuritolic acid (3) and two diterpenoids; simplexin (4) and montanin (5). Compounds 1 and 5 displayed good antiplasmodial activity of IC50 values less than 10 μg/mL against both strains. However, all the compounds tested displayed high cytotoxic activity against MRC5 cell line with IC50 less than 10 μM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite an indirect in vitro antiplasmodial activity of some compounds isolated from the stem bark of Neoboutonia macrocalyx, the identification of these bioactive compounds indicates that they may play a role in the pharmacological properties of this plant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Makerere University, PO Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Namukobe
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Makerere University, PO Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Bernard T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Kiremire
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Makerere University, PO Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Byamukama
authors.affiliation: Mountain of the Moon University, PO Box 837, Fortportal, Uganda.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kasenene
authors.affiliation: Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases-Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System (DEID-GEIS) Program, United States Army Medical Research Unit-Kenya (USAMRU-K), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Walter Reed Project, Kisumu, Kenya.
authors.forename: Hoseah M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Akala
authors.affiliation: Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases-Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System (DEID-GEIS) Program, United States Army Medical Research Unit-Kenya (USAMRU-K), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Walter Reed Project, Kisumu, Kenya.
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kamau
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche de Gif, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS-Avenue de la Terresse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France. Electronic address: vincent.dumontet@cnrs.fr.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dumontet
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019665:Euphorbiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry*; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials
keywords: Antiplasmodial activity; Diterpenoids; Euphorbaceae; Neoboutonia macrocalyx; Phenanthrene; Sterol