Novel Antiplasmodial Agents from Christia vespertilionis

Abstract

The roots, leaves and stems of Christia vespertilionis were separately and successively extracted with methanol and aqueous-methanol (1:4, v/v) and were evaluated in vitro for their antiplasmodial potential against Plasmodium falciparum NF-54. The aqueous-methanolic stem (AS) extract was the most active (IC₅₀ 7.5 μg/mL) followed by the methanolic leaf (ML) extract (IC₅₀ 32.0 μg/mL). The in vivo antimalarial activity of the combined plant extract of C. vespertilionis was also assessed in P. berghei infected mice, which showed 87.8% suppression of parasitaemia as compared with complete suppression by chloroquine on day 8. Finally, detailed chemical investigation of C. vespertilionis resulted in the isolation and characterization of fifteen compounds (1–15), of which two (1 and 4) are being reported for the first time from nature. The novel compound 1 possesses potent antiplasmodial activity (IC₅₀ = 9.0 μg/mL).