Study of the <em>in Vitro</em> Antiplasmodial, Antileishmanial and Antitrypanosomal Activities of Medicinal Plants from Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The present study investigated the <em>in vitro</em> antiprotozoal activity of sixteen selected medicinal plants. Plant materials were extracted with methanol and screened <em>in vitro</em> against erythrocytic schizonts of <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em>, intracellular amastigotes of <em>Leishmania infantum </em>and <em>Trypanosoma cruzi </em>and free trypomastigotes of<em> T. brucei</em>. Cytotoxic activity was determined against MRC-5 cells to assess selectivity<em>. </em>The criterion for activity was an IC₅₀ < 10 µg/mL (4. Antiplasmodial activity was found in the<em> </em>extracts of<em> </em><em>Prosopis juliflora</em> and <em>Punica granatum</em>. Antileishmanial activity<em> </em>against <em>L. infantum</em> was demonstrated in <em>Caralluma sinaica</em> and <em>Periploca aphylla.</em> Amastigotes of<em> T. cruzi </em>were affected by the methanol extract of<em> </em><em>Albizia lebbeck</em><em> </em>pericarp, <em>Caralluma sinaica</em>,<em> Periploca aphylla </em>and <em>Prosopius juliflora</em>. Activity against<em> T. brucei </em>was obtained in<em> </em><em>Prosopis juliflora</em>. Cytotoxicity (MRC-5 IC₅₀ < 10 µg/mL) and hence non-specific activities were observed for<em> </em><em>Conocarpus lancifolius</em>.<em></em>

Keywords

• medicinal plants
• antiprotozoal
• antiplasmodial
• antileishmanial
• antitrypanosomal
• crude extracts
• Saudi Arabia