Antiplasmodial activity and cytotxicity of semi purified fractions from Zacthoxylum zanthoxyloïdes Lam. bark of trunk

The aim of the study is to investigate through traditional medicinal plants the possibility for discovery and development of new active and safe antimalarial drugs. For ecological reasons, bark of trunk of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides instead to roots was used by traditional healers in Burkina Faso to treat malaria or fever and recent study showed that crude alkaloid extract from the bark of trunk displayed good antiplasmodial activity. The bio-guided chromatographic fractionation of this crude alkaloid extract with solvents yielded 11 semi purified fractions which were tested for their antiplasmodial activity and cytotoxicity, respectively against Plasmodium falciparum W2 strains and K562S cells maintained in continuous culture and using flow cytometer. Non polar fractions 2, 3 and 4 displayed good antiplasmodial activity with IC50 ranging from 1.91 to 4.32 μg mL-1 and little toxicity with selectivity index ranging from 3.03 to 6.15. These data allow further investigations in terms of purification, isolation and development of new antiplasmodial compounds from these semi purified fractions and development of improved phytomedicine. © 2010 Asian Network for Scientific Information.