Screening of the antimalarial activity of plants of the Cucurbitaceae family

Abstract

Crude ethanolic extracts (CEEs) from two species of Cucurbitaceae, Cucurbita maxima and Momordica charantia (commonly called "abóbora moranga" and "melão de São Caetano", respectively) were assayed for antimalarial activity by the 4-d suppressive test. The CEE of dry C. maxima seeds showed strong antimalarial activity following oral administration (250 and 500 mg/kg), reducing by 50% the levels of parasitemia in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Treatment of normal animals with 500 mg/kg of the extract three days before intravenous injection of P. berghei caused a significant 30% reduction in parasitemic levels. No effect was observed when the animals were treated with the CEE only on the day of inoculation. Oral administration of the CEE of dry M. charantia leaves administered orally was ineffective up to 500 mg/kg in lowering the parasitemic levels of malarious mice.

Pharmacological actions and potential uses of Momordica charantia: a review

“…Munoz et al (2000) demonstrated moderate in vivo activity of MC extract against rodent malaria P. vinckei petteri 279. However, Amorim et al (1991) and Ueno et al (1996) did not observe in vitro antiplasmodial activity of ethanolic MC extract against P. berghei.…”

Antiplasmodial activity and cytotoxicity of plants used in West African traditional medicine for the treatment of malaria

“…A literature study of these species revealed that only seven species, Alstonia bonei (Gandhi and Vinayak, 1990;Wright et al, 1993), Abrus precatorius (Limmatvapirat et al, 2004), Cassia occidentalis (Addae- Kyereme et al, 2001;Gasquet et al, 1993;Tona et al, 1999;Tona et al, 2001), Momordica charantia (Amorim et al, 1991;Munoz et al, 2000;Ueno et al, 1996), Nauclea latifolia (Azas et al, 2002;Benoit-Vical et al, 1998), Vernonia colorata (Benoit et al, 1996) and Vismia guineensis (Francois et al, 1999), had previously been investigated for antiplasmodial activity. To our knowledge, this is the first time that Annona muricata, Cola caricaefolia, Canna indica, Desmodium adscendens, Erigeron floribundus, Hoslundia opposita, Mitragyna ciliata, Olax subscorpioidea, Parkia biglobosa, Parketina nigrescens and Uvaria afzelii are being assessed for their antiplasmodial properties.…”

In vitro antimalarial activity of medicinal plant extracts against Plasmodium falciparum

“…The water extract of Momordica foetida (Cucurbitaceae) was well tolerated and it delayed the development of P. berghei infection in C57BL mice (Waako et al 2005), the crude ethanolic extract of dry Cucurbita maxima seeds showed strong antimalarial activity following oral administration, reducing the levels of parasitemia in P. berghei-infected mice and the same extract of Momordica charantia was ineffective in lowering the parasitemic levels of malarious mice (Amorim et al 1991).…”