Antitrypanosomal and antiplasmodial activity of medicinal plants from Cote d'Ivoire

The antitrypanosomal activity of 101 crude ethanol extracts derived from 88 medicinal plants from Cote d'Ivoire was determined in vitro using Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. Of those extracts 8 showed good activity (IC50 values less than or equal to 8 mug/ml), 37 revealed a weak activity (IC50 values between 25 and 8.1 mug/ml) and 56 did not show any activity at all (IC50 values greater than or equal to 25 mug/ml). The extracts of Enantia polycarpa (Annonaceae) and Trichilia emetica (Meliaceae) were the most promising ones. Their IC50 values were 0.5 and 0.04 mug/ml, respectively, and the selectivity index 616 and 209, respectively. This is the first report of in vitro antitrypanosomal activity of these two plants. Their high activities render them candidates for the isolation of compounds which could develop into new lead structures for drug development programs against African trypanosomiasis. Seven of the tested extracts exhibited an antiplasmodial activity against Kl strain of Plasmodium falciparum with IC50 values below 4 mug/ml. The highest activity was found for Enantia polycarpa stem bark with an IC50 value of 0.126 mug/ml. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.