Evaluation of the Antimalarial Activity of Some Ethiopian Medicinal Plants Against Plasmodium Falciparum in Vitro
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Date
1994-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Thirty-three crude extracts from nine Ethiopian medicinal plants that are used to
treat malaria were screened for antimalarial activity against a chloroquine-resistant FCM-29
strain of Plasmodiumjaiciparum in vitro. The measurement of radiolabelled hypoxanthine
incorporation by P. jaiciparum was used to assess inhibition of growth of the parasite.
Three extracts, namely, chloroform and methanol extracts of leaves of Withania somnifera,
and chloroform extract of leaves of Vernonia amygdalina, showed substantial antimalarial
activity with IC", and Ie.., values less than 20 and 100 pg/ml, respectively. The IC", and
Ie.., values of the remaining extracts were out of this range. The antimalarial activity of
the three crude extracts improved by several-folds upon column-fractionation. These three
crude extracts were also tested for cytotoxicity against human HeLa cells in vitro; all of
them showed high cytotoxic activity. However, the antimalarial and cytotoxic components
of the extracts have not been determined.
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Biology