Studies on the in vitro antiplasmodial activity of endemic and native plants from Cabo Verde

Abstract BackgroundTraditional medicinal plants and other remedies are one of the many potential sources of new antimalarial drugs, there being an increasing interest in studying their potential for the treatment of malaria and other illnesses. The Cabo Verde archipelago harbors a rich native plant diversity, most of which are used with medicinal purposes. MethodsThe present study investigated the in vitro antiplasmodial activities of four native plants from Cabo Verde. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of these plants were tested in vitro against both chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) and chloroquine-resistant (Dd2) P. falciparum strains using a SYBR Green detection method, and their cytotoxicity was evaluated in Caco and PLP2 cells by using a sulforhodamine B colorimetric assay. ResultsAn ethanolic extract of Artemisia gorgonum and an aqueous extract of Tamarix senegalensis exhibited high antiplasmodial activity (EC50 < 5 μg/mL) without cytotoxicity. Extracts of Lavandula rotundifolia and Sideroxylon marginatum exhibited moderate activity, with EC50 values ranging from 10-30 μg/mL. The A. gorgonum ethanolic extract showed activity toward early ring stages, and parasites treated with the T. senegalensis aqueous extract progressed to early trophozoite stage but did not develop further to the late trophozoite or schizont stages.ConclusionsAntimalarial activities as well as the lack of toxicity of the extracts found in the present study support the claim by traditional practitioners for the use of the plants against malaria and suggests their ethnopharmacological usefulness as future antimalarials.