Antimalarial Activity of Aspilia pruliseta, a Medicinal Plant from Uganda

Abstract

Aspilia prulisetaSchweinf. (Asteraceae) is a medicinal plant in-digenous to Uganda and the neighboring countries of East Africa.It has been used extensively by the rural population for the treat-ment of fevers and malaria. During the antimalarial evaluation ofthis plant, four nontoxic diterpenes were isolated that possessedmoderate activity against chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and chloro-quine-resistant (W2) clones ofPlasmodium falciparum, with IC50values ranging from 14 to 23 μM. These moderately active com-pounds included the previously undescribed diterpene,ent-15β-senecioyloxy-16,17-epoxy-kauran-18-oic acid that demonstrat-ed an IC50value of 23.4 μM against clone D6, but was devoid ofactivity against clone W2. Four additional diterpenes were ob-tained from the aerial parts ofA. pruliseta, but these known com-pounds were essentially inactive. The moderate activities of se-lect diterpenes ofA. prulisetacould account collectively for thehistorical and enduring use of this plant in traditional Africanmedicine.

Description

Keywords

Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, Aspilia pruliseta, Diterpenes, Asteraceae

Citation

Sebisubi, F. M., Odyek, O., Anokbonggo, W. W., Ogwal-Okeng, J., Carcache-Blanco, E. J., Ma, C., ... & Tan, G. T. (2010). Antimalarial activity of Aspilia pruliseta, a medicinal plant from Uganda. Planta medica, 76(16), 1870.