Antimalarial Activity of Aspilia pruliseta, a Medicinal Plant from Uganda

Abstract

Aspilia prulisetaSchweinf. (Asteraceae) is a medicinal plant in-digenous to Uganda and the neighboring countries of East Africa.It has been used extensively by the rural population for the treat-ment of fevers and malaria. During the antimalarial evaluation ofthis plant, four nontoxic diterpenes were isolated that possessedmoderate activity against chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and chloro-quine-resistant (W2) clones ofPlasmodium falciparum, with IC50values ranging from 14 to 23 μM. These moderately active com-pounds included the previously undescribed diterpene,ent-15β-senecioyloxy-16,17-epoxy-kauran-18-oic acid that demonstrat-ed an IC50value of 23.4 μM against clone D6, but was devoid ofactivity against clone W2. Four additional diterpenes were ob-tained from the aerial parts ofA. pruliseta, but these known com-pounds were essentially inactive. The moderate activities of se-lect diterpenes ofA. prulisetacould account collectively for thehistorical and enduring use of this plant in traditional Africanmedicine.