A search for ant malarial activity in plants traditionally used in Kenya using an in vitro system to measure activity against p. Falciparum

Abstract

Three plants traditionally used in Kenya for the treatment of Malaria were screened for their activity against tvo - Kenyan strains of Plasmodium Falciparon by an invitio method. Both strains (K39 and K33) are chloroquin sensitive. The three plants were Catha edulis, Bidens pilosa and Caesaoinea Volkensii . A fourth plant Tidonia Diversifolia which belongs to the family compositae known to contain sesquiterpenes, was also screened. From each plant an acqueous and an ethanolic extract was prepared, thus there were eight compunds (A-H) to be screened. Suppression of the uptake and incoporation of a radiolabelled precursor (G-H3) hypoxanthine into nucleic acids by the parasites was used as an indicator of activity of the compunds being screened. It was found that there was a slight drop in the uptake of indicator in all the compunds tested, but at the concentrations used an endpoint could not be reached and an IB could not be determined.