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Determination of the antiplasmodial activity, cytotoxicity and active compound of Pechuel‑loeschea leubnitziae O. Hofm. (Asteraceae) of Namibia
(2020) Kadhila, Nailoke P
Pechuel-loeschea leubnitziae is an aromatic and unpalatable shrub traditionally used to treat malaria and related symptoms in some regions of Namibia. Despite the importance of P. leubnitziae in the management of malaria, no studies have evaluated the antiplasmodial activities of this putative antimalarial plant. In this study, antiplasmodial activity was measured using parasite lactate dehydrogenase assay. The dichloromethane crude extract of the plant showed marginal antiplasmodial activity with an IC50 of 7.24 µg/ml against Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain. Two fractions, Npk1 F70-77 and Npk1 F78-90, isolated from the extract exhibited enhanced antiplasmodial activity with IC50 values of 2.42±0.48 µg/ml and 2.29±0.32 µg/ml, respectively. The fractions were cytotoxic to Chinese hamster ovary mammalian cells (IC50=2.75 µg/ml and 2.22 µg/ml for NPk1 F78 and Npk1 F70, respectively). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy confrmed that the antiplasmodial fractions of P. leubnitziae contain xerantholide (246 g/mol). This is the frst report linking xerantholide to antiplasmodial and cytotoxic fractions of P. leubnitziae. Results of this study may contribute to the discovery of new drugs from this indigenous Namibian plant.