Antiplasmodial and Radical Scavenging Activities of flavonoids from Kenyan Erythrina species
Date
2011Author
Waters, Norman C.
Midiwo, Jacob O.
Yenesewa, Abiy
Akala, Hoseah M
Kiremire, Bernard T.
Derese, Solomon
Evase, Fredrick L.
Twinomuhwezi, Hannington
Irungu, Beatrice
lnduli, Martha
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The success of quinine and artemisinin as potent natural antimalarial ,drugs demonstrates the
importance of plants, especially those used in traditional medicine, as potential source of
antimalarial agents. Erythrina abyssinica (Leguminosae) is one of the most widely used plants to
treat malaria in East Africa. The root bark of this plant showed antiplasmodial activity against the
chloroquine sensitive (06) and chloroquine resistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium JaJciparum, with
ICso values of 0.64 and 0.49 ug/ml, respectively (Yenesew et al., 2003). Several compounds isolated
from this plant (Kamat et al., 1981; Yenesew et aI., 2003) were also tested (Yenesew et aI., 2003;
2004). Activity was observed among pterocarpans (e.g. erythrabyssin-II, IC508.1 and 6.S ~lM against
the 06 and W2 strains, respectively), and flavanones (e.g. abyssinone-1V, ICso 9.0 and 7.7 ~lM
against 06 and W2 strains, respectively). However the activities of these compounds individually
are much lower than that of the crude extract, indicating-that these flavonoids and isoflavonoids
may be more effective as mixtures.
Citation
The 14th NAPRECA symposium and AAMPS Ethnoveterinary medicine symposium Nairpobi 2011Publisher
Department of Chemistry, University of Nairobi, United States Army Medical Research Unit-Kenya, Walter Reed Project, Kisumu, Department of Chemistry, Makerere University, Center for Traditional Medicine and Drug Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)' Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York,