European Journal of Medicinal Plants 19(4): 1-9, 2017; Article no.EJMP.34523 ISSN: 2231-0894, NLM ID: 101583475 Antiplasmodial Potential and Phytochemical Screening of Ten Plants Used as Antimalarial in Mali Mamadou Wele 1* , Laura Kirkman 2, Nouhoum Diarra 1, Yaya Goita 1, Moriba Doumbia 1, Kassim Traore 3 and Drissa Diallo 4 1Laboratoire de Biologie Tropicale Intégrative et Exploratoire, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako, Université des Sciences, Mali. 2Department of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, United States of America. 3Department of Biochemistry, Genetics School of Osteopathic Medicine, Campbell University, North Carolina, United States of America. 4Département de Médecine Traditionnelle, Institut National de Recherche en Santé Publique, Bamako, Mali. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration between all authors. Author MW designed the study, performed the antiplasmodial activity statistical analyses while authors ND, YG and MD collected samples and performed extractions and chemical screening. Author LK supervised drug assay experiments at Well Cornell Medical School at NY. Author KT managed the literature searches and proofreading of the manuscript. Author DD supervised the entire work. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/EJMP/2017/34523 Editor(s): (1) Elena Maria Varoni, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche ed Odontoiatriche, University of Milan, Italy. (2) Marcello Iriti, Professor of Plant Biology and Pathology, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Milan State University, Italy. Reviewers: (1) Aina, Oluwagbemiga. Olanrewaju, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Nigeria. (2) Patrick Valere Tsouh Fokou, University of Yaounde1, Cameroon. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history/19715 Received 30 th May 2017 st Original Research Article Accepted 21 June 2017 Published 27 th June 2017 ABSTRACT Aim: This study was designed to determine in vitro antiplasmodial activities of extracts from ten Malian medicinal plants against P. falciparum strains. Place and Duration of Study: Collection of plant materials and basic phytochemical screening were done in Bamako, Mali and antiplasmodial activity assessment at Department of Microbiology _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]; Wele et al.; EJMP, 19(4): 1-9, 2017; Article no.EJMP.34523 and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, United States of America between September 2013 and February 2014. Methods: We collected leaves from ten commonly used medicinal plants and prepared ethanol and aqueous extracts. Antiplasmodial activities were evaluated against the chloroquine-sensitive 3D7 P. falciparum and chloroquine-resistant Dd2 P. falciparum strains, using the fluorescence- based SYBR® green I method. The interactions involving the di fferential extracts were further analyzed using a variable potency ratio drug combination approach. Chemical screening allowed us to identify the major secondary metabolites from those extract that were active against the parasite. Results: Plant extracts showed a range of antiplasmodial activity. The ethanol extracts of Annona senegalensis, Bauhinia thonningii , Maytenus senegalensis , and Fluenggea virosa showed moderate antiplasmodial activity against 3D7 P. falciparum (17.81±3.43 ≤IC 50 ≤ 37.64±0.83 µg/mL) and against Dd 2 P. falciparum strains (19.58±3.43 ≤ IC 50 ≤ 67.55±.1.76 µg/mL). Among aqueous extracts only extract from Bauhinia thonningii demonstrated moderate antiplasmodial activity against both strains. The results showed that the active extracts contained a group of alcaloids, flavonoids, sterols, saponosides, tannins, coumarins and triterpenoids Conclusion: Bauhinia thonningii , Maytenus senegalensis , Annona senegalensis and Fluenggea virosa possess antiplasmodial activity. These data confirm their use in traditional malaria therapy in Mali and provide evidence for further study for antimalarial drug discovery . Keywords: Antiplasmodial; phytochemistry; malaria; traditional medicinal plants; in vitro. 1. INTRODUCTION In Africa and other countries where malaria is endemic, traditional medicinal plants are Malaria remains one of the most devastating frequently used to treat or cure malaria [3]. It is a infectious diseases with approximately 212 fact that conventional antimalarials such as million infections and 429,000 deaths each year, quinine and artemisinin derivatives originated primarily children under the age of 5 in Sub- from plants. It is therefore important to Saharan Africa [1]. Plasmodium falciparum , the investigate the antimalarial activity of medicinal deadliest form of the malaria parasite, is plants in order to determine their potential as responsible for the vast majority of the mortality sources of new antimalarial agents [4]. and morbidity associated with malaria infection. Artemisinin Combination Therapies Annona senegalensis (Annonaceae ) is used for (ACTs) are currently the frontline treatments treating guinea worms and other worms, against P. falciparum malaria. Although these diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, snakebite, toothache treatments continue to be effective in many parts and respiratory infections. The leaves are used of the world, the emergence of the malaria for treating pneumonia and as a tonic to promote parasite resistance to ACTs is an urgent public general well-being [5]. Bambusa valgaris health concern [1]. (Poaceae ): Different extracts of the leaves are used against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, to The use of medicinal plants in the treatment of treat infantile epilepsy, fever and hematuria diseases has a long history worldwide. Indeed, and kidney troubles [6]. Bauhinia thonningii people from developing countries often do not (Cesalpiniaceae ) is rich in tannins and may be have access to modern therapeutics such as used for tanning skins, decoctions of the leaves ACT to treat malaria because of financial, have fever-repelling and expectoral properties, geographical and/or cultural obstacles. The WHO infusions of leaves and bark are used against estimates that up to 80% of the world’s worms, dysentery, diarrhoea and malaria [7]. population relies on traditional medicinal products for some aspects of primary health Cerathotheca sesamoides (Pedaliaceae ): care. Better knowledge of plants from traditional aqueous leaf extracts are used in the treatment pharmacopoeias and validated traditional of diarrhea, due to the alkaloids, phenolics, remedies in ITM ( Improved Traditional Medicine ) flavonoids and saponins found in the extract could lead to access to effective, standardized, [8].The leaf may be an effective oxidant, anti- available and affordable therapeutics inflammatory and anti-hypertensive agent while for management of malaria by local populations the mucilage can be used as an emollient and [2]. lubricant [9]. 2 Wele et al.; EJMP, 19(4): 1-9, 2017; Article no.EJMP.34523 Euphorbia hirta (Euphorbiaceae): It has many streptomycin, albumax, Trypsin, medicinal properties like Hypotensive, Ethylenediaminetetraacetc acid (EDTA) anticancer, tonic, exhibits anxiolytic, analgesic, were obtained from GIBCO/Invitrogen life antimalarial, antiasthmatic, and antidiarrheal, Technologies, USA. antioxidant, antiamoebic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, antiamoebic and 2.2 Selection, Collection and Preparation antispasmodic [10]. A methanol extract of the of Plant Materials dried fruit pulp and the ethanolic root extract of Fluenggea virosa (Phyllanthaceae) have The leaves of Annona senegalensis, Bambusa shown significant antifungal activities against valgaris , Bauhinia thonningii , Cerathotheca Trychophyton mentagrophytes and Candida sesamoides, Euphorbia hirta, Fluenggea virosa, albicans while methanol and water extracts of the Ficus plastyphyla, Gardenia aqualla, Maytenus leaves have shown strong antimalarial activity, senegalensis and Vitex cuneata (Table 1) were significantly inhibiting the growth of Plasmodium harvested from the forest around Bamako and falciparumin in vitro in a dose-dependent manner Koulikoro Districts, Mali in July 2013. They were [11]. selected because high percentage of herbalists uses them in the traditional treatment of malaria Ficus plastyphyla (Moraceae) a decoction of the in different parts of the country [16]. The plant bark is sometimes used in the treatment of materials were authenticated by the Department leprosy and stomach pains and decoction of the of Traditional Medicine, Public health Research leafy branch tips is said to be an antidote National Institute, Bamako, Mali and herbarium to arrow poisoning [12] Gardenia aqualla specimen with Voucher numbers (Table 1) were (Rubiaceae ): Its fruits are used as a yellow dye, deposited in the same Department. The as well as in traditional medicine for their harvested plant materials were air dried under clearing, calming and cooling properties [13]. shade at ambient temperature (28-35°C) for 7 days. They were then coarsely powdered Maytenus senegalensis : ( Celastraceae ) The using an electric mill and stored in airtight decoction of the stem bark and root is used containers at room temperature until required for traditionally in the folk medicine in Africa for the use. treatment of a number of diseases and health conditions, including malaria, fever, chest 2.3 Extraction