| Abstract: | Infusions of Aspidosperma nitidum (Apocynaceae) wood bark are usedto treat fever and malaria in the Amazon Region. Several species of this family areknown to possess indole alkaloids and other classes of secondary metabolites, whereasterpenoids, an inositol and the indole alkaloids harmane-3 acid and braznitiduminehave been described in A. nitidum . In the present study, extractsfrom the wood bark, leaves and branches of this species were prepared for assaysagainst malaria parasites and cytotoxicity testing using human hepatoma and normalmonkey kidney cells. The wood bark extracts were active against Plasmodiumfalciparum and showed a low cytotoxicity in vitro, whereas the leaf andbranch extracts and the pure alkaloid braznitidumine were inactive. A crude methanolextract was subjected to acid-base fractionation aimed at obtaining alkaloid-richfractions, which were active at low concentrations against P.falciparum and in mice infected with and sensitive Plasmodiumberghei parasites. Our data validate the antimalarial usefulness ofA. nitidum wood bark, a remedy that can most likely help tocontrol malaria. However, the molecules responsible for this antimalarial activityhave not yet been identified. Considering their high selectivity index, thealkaloid-rich fractions from the plant bark might be useful in the development of newantimalarials. |
