Antiplasmodial activity and phytochemical screening of Landolphia heudelotii, Mitragyna ledermannii and Spathodea campanulata, three traditional plants

Abstract

Plant extracts contain phytochemical constituents for miscellaneous medicinal activities which are bioactive in nature. There is growing interest in the use of plants for the treatment and prevention of malaria. Medicinal plants are currently being evaluated as source of promising antimalaria agents. In this study, we have evaluated the claimed antimalarial properties of six extracts from three plants used in traditional medicine against malaria and we have investigated phytochemical screening. Schizontocidal activity was measured using a standard in vitro assay, with NF54 and K1 Plasmodium falciparum strain. From the 6 extracts tested, four of them showed a promising activity (5 ≤ IC50 ≤ 15 µg/mL). All extracts contained Polyterpenes and sterols, Polyphenols, Flavonoids and Alkaloids.