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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Healthy Processed Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #217800
Title: Antimalarial Activity of Anthothecol Derived from Khaya anthotheca (Meliaceae)

Author
item LEE, SUNG-EUN - NANOTOXTECH, SOUTH KOREA
item KIM, MI-RAN - SEOUL UNIV, SOUTH KOREA
item KIM, JEONG-HAN - SEOUL UNIV, SOUTH KOREA
item Takeoka, Gary
item KIM, TAE-WAN - HANKYONG UNV, SOUTH KORE
item PARK, BYEOUNG-SOO - HANKYONG UNV, SOUTH KOREA

Submitted to: Phytomedicine
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/8/2007
Publication Date: 6/20/2008
Citation: Lee, S-E., Kim, M-R., Kim, J-H., Takeoka, G.R., Kim, T-W., Park, B-S. 2008. Antimalarial Activity of Anthothecol Derived from Khaya anthotheca (Meliaceae). Phytomedicine 15:533-535.

Interpretive Summary: Malaria is a serious disease affecting more than 500 million people worldwide every year. Recent estimates of the global malaria burden have shown increasing levels of malaria morbidity and mortality. The main factor contributing to the increasing malaria mortality and morbidity is the widespread resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to conventional antimalarial drugs such as chloroquine, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) and amodiaquine. Since the parasite’s resistance to medicines continues to undermine malaria control efforts, new antimalarial agents are needed. Anthothecol, a limonoid of Khaya anthotheca (Meliaceae), showed potent antimalarial activity against malaria parasites with IC50 values of 1.4 and 0.17 uM using two different assays. Anthothecol might be a useful product for developing new types of antimalarial drugs as a lead compound.

Technical Abstract: Antimalarial activity of anthothecol, a limonoid of Khaya anthotheca (Meliaceae) against Plasmodium falciparum was tested using a [3H]-hypoxanthine and 48 h culture assay in vitro. Anthothecol showed potent antimalarial activity against malarial parasites with IC50 values of 1.4 and 0.17 uM using two different assays. Also, gedunin had antimalarial activity with IC50 values of 3.1 and 0.14 uM. However, the citrus limonoids, limonin and obacunone did not show any antimalarial activity. The antimalarial activities were compared with the three currently used antimalarial medicines quinine, chloroquine and artemisinin.