Antimalarial Activity of Aspilia pruliseta, a Medicinal Plant from Uganda

Abstract

Aspilia pruliseta Schweinf. (Asteraceae) is a medicinal plant indigenous to Uganda and the neighboring countries of East Africa. It has been used extensively by the rural population for the treatment of fevers and malaria. During the antimalarial evaluation of this plant, four nontoxic diterpenes were isolated that possessed moderate activity against chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and chloroquine-resistant (W2) clones of Plasmodium falciparum, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 14 to 23 µM. These moderately active compounds included the previously undescribed diterpene, ent-15β-senecioyloxy-16,17-epoxy-kauran-18-oic acid that demonstrated an IC₅₀ value of 23.4 µM against clone D6, but was devoid of activity against clone W2. Four additional diterpenes were obtained from the aerial parts of A. pruliseta, but these known compounds were essentially inactive. The moderate activities of select diterpenes of A. pruliseta could account collectively for the historical and enduring use of this plant in traditional African medicine.

Key words

malaria - Plasmodium falciparum - Aspilia pruliseta - diterpenes - Asteraceae - ent‐15β‐senecioyloxy‐16,17‐epoxy‐kauran‐18‐oic acid

References

• 1 Kokwaro J O. Medicinal plants of East Africa. Kampala, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam; East African Literature Bureau 1976
• 2 Adjanohoun J E, Ahyi M R A, Aké Assi L, Alia A M, Amai C A, Gbile Z O, Johnson C L A, Kakooko Z O, Lutakome H K, Morakinyo O, Mubiru N K, Ogwal-Okeng J W, Sofowora E A. Traditional medicine and pharmacopoeia – contribution to ethnobotanical and floristic studies in Uganda. Scientific, Technical and Research Commission of the Organization of the African Unity (OAU/STRC) 1993
• 3 Lind E M, Tallantire A C. Some common flowering plants of Uganda. Nairobi; Oxford University Press 1971: 171
• 4 Watt J M, Breyer-Branndwijk M G. The medicinal and poisonous plants of southern and eastern Africa. Edinburgh; E. & S. Livingston Ltd. 1962
• 5 Ayensu E S. Medicinal plants of West Africa. Michigan; Reference Public Press 1979
• 6 Huffman M A, Seifu M. Observations on the illness and consumption of a possibly medicinal plant Vernonia amygdalina (DEL.), by a wild chimpanzee in the Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania.  Primates. 1989;  30 51-63
• 7 Wrangham R, Nishida T. Aspilia spp. leaves: a puzzle in the feeding behavior of wild chimpanzees.  Primates. 1983;  24 276-282
• 8 Cos P, Hermans N, Van Poel B, De Bruyne T, Apers S, Sindambiwe J B, Vanden Berghe D, Pieters L, Vlietinck A J. Complement modulating activity of Rwandan medicinal plants.  Phytomedicine. 2002;  9 56-61
• 9 Cos P, Hermans N, De Bruyne T, Apers S, Sindambiwe J B, Witvrouw M, De Clercq E, Vanden Berghe D, Pieters L, Vlietinck A J. Antiviral activity of Rwandan medicinal plants against human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1).  Phytomedicine. 2002;  9 62-68
• 10 Lwande W C, Okecj M, Macfoy F, Delle M, Marino Bettolo G B. Research on African medicinal plants. Part VIII. Kaurenoic acids from Aspilia pluriseta.  Fitoterapia. 1985;  56 126-128
• 11 Rodriguez E, Aregullin M, Nishida T, Uehara S, Wrangham R, Abramowski Z, Finlayson A, Towers G H N. Thiarubrine A, a bioactive constituent of Aspilia (Asteraceae) consumed by the wild chimpanzee.  Experientia. 1985;  41 419-420
• 12 Bohlmann F, Jakupovic J, Ates N, Schuster A, Pickardt J, King R M, Robinson H. Steiractinolides, a new group of sesquiterpene lactones.  Liebigs Ann Chem. 1983;  6 962-973
• 13 Bohlmann F, Zdero C. Eine neue diterpensäure aus Perymenium ecuadoricum.  Phytochemistry. 1977;  16 786-787
• 14 Bohlmann F, Ziesche J, King R M, Robinson H. Neue Melampolide aus Smallanthus fruticocus.  Phytochemistry. 1980;  19 973-974
• 15 Bohlmann F, Zdero C, King R M, Robinson H. Eudesmanolides and kaurene derivatives from Wedelia hookeriana.  Phytochemistry. 1982;  21 2329-2333
• 16 Bohmann F, Ziesche J, King R M, Robinson H. Eudesmanolides and diterpenes from Wedelia trilobata and an ent-kaurenic acid derivative from Aspilia parvifolia.  Phytochemistry. 1981;  20 751-756
• 17 Gao F, Wang H, Marbry J T. Diterpenoids and a sesquiterpene from Viguiera ladibracte.  Phytochemistry. 1987;  26 779-781
• 18 Herz W, Sosa E V. 10 α-methyl-eudesman-8 αH,12-olides and other constituents from Wedelia pinetorium.  Phytochemistry. 1986;  25 1481-1483
• 19 Trager W, Jensen J B. Human malaria parasites in continuous culture.  Science. 1976;  193 673-675
• 20 Desjardins R E, Canfield C J, Haynes J D, Chulay J D. Quantitative assessment of antimalarial activity in vitro by a semi-automated microdilution technique.  Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1979;  16 710-718
• 21 Ma C Y, Zhang H J, Tan G T, Hung N V, Cuong N M, Soejarto D D, Fong H H S. Antimalarial compounds from Grewia bilamellata.  J Nat Prod. 2006;  69 346-350
• 22 Zhang H J, Tamez P A, Aydogmus Z, Tan G T, Saikawa Y, Hashimoto K, Nakata M, Hung N V, Xuan L T, Cuong N M, Soejarto D D, Pezzuto J M, Fong H H S. Antimalarial agents from plants. III. Trichothecenes from Ficus fistulosa and Rhaphidophora decursiva.  Planta Med. 2002;  68 1088-1091
• 23 Skehan P, Storeng R, Scudiero D, Monks A, McMahon J, Vistica D, Warren J T, Boskesch H, Kenney S, Boyd M R. New colorimetric cytotoxicity assay for anticancer-drug screening.  J Natl Cancer Inst. 1990;  82 1107-1112
• 24 Rubinstein L V, Shoemaker R H, Paull K D, Simon R M, Tosini S, Skehan P, Scudiero D A, Monks A, Boyd M R. Comparison of in vitro anticancer-drug-screening data generated with a tetrazolium assay versus a protein assay against a diverse panel of human tumor cell lines.  J Natl Cancer Inst. 1990;  82 1113-1118
• 25 Zhang H J, Tamez P A, Hoang V D, Tan G T, Hung N V, Xuan L T, Huong L M, Cuong N M, Thao D T, Soejarto D D, Fong H H S, Pezzuto J M. Antimalarial compounds from Rhaphidophora decursiva.  J Nat Prod. 2001;  64 772-777