Molecules 2010, 15, 7218-7226; doi:10.3390/molecules15107218 OPEN ACCESS molecules ISSN 1420-3049 www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules Article Anthraquinones with Antiplasmodial Activity from the Roots of Rennellia elliptica Korth. (Rubiaceae) Che Puteh Osman 1, Nor Hadiani Ismail 1,*, Rohaya Ahmad 1, Norizan Ahmat 1, Khalijah Awang 2 and Faridahanim Mohd Jaafar 1 1 Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia 2 Centre for Natural Product Research and Drug Discovery (CENAR), Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail:
[email protected]; Tel.: +603-55444591. Received: 24 August 2010; in revised form: 6 October 2010 / Accepted: 11 October 2010 / Published: 20 October 2010 Abstract: Dichloromethane root extract of Rennellia elliptica Korth. showed strong inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum growth in vitro with an IC50 value of 4.04 µg/mL. A phytochemical study of the dichloromethane root extract has led to the isolation and characterization of a new anthraquinone, 1,2-dimethoxy-6-methyl-9,10-anthraquinone (1), and ten known anthraquinones: 1-hydroxy-2-methoxy-6-methyl-9,10-anthraquinone (2), nordamnacanthal (3), 2-formyl-3-hydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone (4), damnacanthal (5), lucidin-ω-methyl ether (6), 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-9,10-anthraquinone (7), rubiadin (8), 3- hydroxy-2-methoxy-6-methyl-9,10-anthraquinone (9), rubiadin-1-methyl ether (10) and 3- hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-9,10-anthraquinone (11). Structural elucidation of all compounds was accomplished by modern spectroscopic methods, notably 1D and 2D NMR, IR, UV and HREIMS.