Antiplasmodial activity of extracts of Khaya senegalensis (Ders.) A. Jus (Meliaceae) and Melia azedarach L., plants of senegalese traditional medecine

Abstract

Two medicinal plants (Khaya senegalensis and Melia azedarach), frequently used by a large part of the Senegalese population and in particular that of the natural region of Casamance in the traditional treatment of malaria, were selected to study phytochemistry and to compare the antimalarial activity of the different parts used (leaves, bark, and seeds). The extraction of these drugs was carried out successively following a gradient of increasing polarity with cyclohexane, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, and methanol. In-vitro antiplasmodial screening of the different fractions was performed on chloroquinesensitive and chloroquine - resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum (3D7 strain and W2 strain, respectively). The MDEK fraction is the most active on 3D7 strain with an IC50 = 1.81 ± 0.53 μg / ml (Selectivity index > 55.25). Invitro cytotoxicity assays on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC cells) were performed and the selectivity index was calculated. These tests reveal the non-toxicity of the fractions tested with high CC50 and very often greater than 100 μg / ml.