Plants traditionally used against malaria: phytochemical and pharmacological investigation of Momordica foetida

Abstract

RESUMO: "Plantas tradicionalmente utilizadas contra malária: investigação fi toquímica e farmacológica de Momordica foetida". Folhas de Momordica foetida tradicionalmente usadas para tratar sintomas de malária em partes da África Oriental foram estudadas in vitro com respeito à sua atividade antimalárica. Utilizando-se o teste de incorporação de hipoxantina [ 3 H] a atividade antiplasmódica dos extratos hidrofílico e lipofílico contra a cepa sensíveis a cloroquina poW e o clone multiresistente Dd2 de Plasmodium falciparum foi determinada. O extrato éter de petróleo/ acetato de etila mostrou atividade signifi cativa com valores de CI 50 de 7,3 g/mL (poW) e 13,0 g/mL (Dd2). A citotoxicidade foi estimada em duas linhas de células humanas HepG2 e ECV-304 e o índice de seletividade (IS) foi calculado, variando entre 12 e 15. A análise fi toquímica levou ao isolamento de um número de glicosídeos fenólicos, por exemplo eriodictiol-, 5,7,4'-triidroxifl avanona, kaempferol e 5,7-diidroxicromona-7-O-ß-D-glicopiranosideo, descritos pela primeira vez de M. foetida. Na tentativa de provar um possível modo de ação foi avaliada a infl uência dos extratos brutos bem como dos compostos isolados sobre a degradação da heme usando-se cloroquina como composto de referência. O extrato acetato de etila mostrou inibição da degradação da heme em torno de 88%, bastante similar a cloroquina (84%) e também o eriodictiol-7-O-ß-D-glicopiranosideo (2) inibiu a degradação da heme em 86%. Unitermos:Momordica foetida, Cucurbitaceae, glicosídeos de fl avonóides, teste de GSH-haemin, malária, medicina tradicional. ABSTRACT:Leaves from Momordica foetida traditionally used to treat symptoms of malaria in parts of East Africa were studied for in vitro antimalarial activity. Using an [ 3 H] hypoxanthineincorporation assay the antiplasmodial activity of hydrophilic and lipophilic extracts against the chloroquine-sensitive strain poW and the multiresistant clone Dd2 of Plasmodium falciparum was determined. The petrol ether/ethyl acetate extract showed signifi cant activity with IC 50 values of 7.3 g/mL (poW) and 13.0 g/mL (Dd2). Cytotoxicity was estimated on two human cell lines HepG2 and ECV-304 and a selectivity index (SI) was calculated, ranging between 12 and 15. Phytochemical analysis led to the isolation of a number of phenolic glycosides, e.g. eriodictyol-, 5,7,4'-trihydroxyfl avanone-, kaempferol-and 5,7-dihydroxychromone-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside, not previously known from M. foetida. In order to prove one possible mode of action the infl uence of the crude extracts as well as the isolated compounds on the heme degradation with chloroquine as reference compound was evaluated. The ethyl acetate extract showed about 88% inhibition of heme degradation, quite similar to chloroquine (84 %), and also eriodictyol-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (2) inhibited heme degradation by 86 %.

Optimization of Pressurized Hot Water Extraction of Flavonoids from Momordica foetida Using UHPLC-qTOF-MS and Multivariate Chemometric Approaches

“…Other flavonoid molecules such as catechin, epicatechin, quercetin, apigenin, myricetin, luteolin, and kaempferol have been reported in other Momordica species (Kubola and Siriamornpun 2008;Horax et al 2010;Nagarani et al 2014). Interestingly, Froelich et al (2007) extracted some of the identified flavonoids in M. foetida using methanol as solvent, and this is an indication that PHWE technique is comparable to traditional solvent-based methods. Furthermore, the extracted molecules are known to exhibit a wide spectrum of health-promoting properties.…”

Antiplasmodial activity and phytochemical analysis of extracts from selected Ugandan medicinal plants

“…Stomach ache (Hamill et al, 2000). Antimalarial activity detected (Froelich et al, 2007;Waako et al, 2005). Roots for malaria, (Tabuti, 2008).…”

In vivo hypoglycemic effect of methanolic fruit extract of <i>Momordica charantia L</i>

“…Cucurbitaceae (African cucumber, bitter gourd, bitter melon) a medicinal plant used traditionally as an antidiabetic, an emetic, a laxative, a tonic, and to treat anaemia, arthritis, colds, fever, gout, infertility, kidney stones, peptic ulcers, stomach ache and intestinal helminthes 12 . It is also used as an antimalarial, together with related species, and as an abortifacient [13][14][15] . Some pharmacological and safety studies of this herb have been carried out 16,17 .…”