Abstract

ANTIPLASMODIAL FLAVANONOL FROM TEPHROSIA SUBTRIFLORA WITH RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITY

Lois M. Muiva-Mutisya, Charles Mutai* and Faith A. Okalebo

ABSTRACT

Medicinal plants play a key role in malaria control in Africa, especially in remote areas where health facilities are limited. Tephrosia subtriflora indigenous plant and of common use in Kenya folk-medicine, was examined in vitro for antimalarial activity against schizonts maturation of Plasmodium falciparum, the major human malaria parasite In order to assess their acclaimed potentials. The cytotoxicity estimated on mammalian cell lines, African monkey kidney (Vero), and human larynx carcinoma (HEp2) cell. The CH2Cl2/MeOH (1:1) extract of the aerial parts of Tephrosia subtriflora afforded a new flavanonol, trivial name subtriflavanonol (1), along with the known compounds spinosaflavanone B (2), 3-hydroxy-di-(2,2-dimethylchromene-5:6,7:8)flavanonol (3) and Mundulinol (4). The new compound 1 showed moderate radical scavenging activity against DPPH radical with IC50 value of 29.23 μg/mL. In the antiplasmodial assay, the new flavanonol together with the known compound, 3-hydroxy-di-(2,2-dimethylchromene-5:6,7:8)flavanonol (3) showed good antiplasmodial activity against KSM 009 strain of P. falciparum with IC50 values of 8.8±0.2 μΜ and 1.5±0.1 μΜ, respectively.

Keywords: Tephrosia subtriflora; Leguminosea; flavanonol;; subtriflavanonol; radical scavenger; DPPH, KSM 009.