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Screening of some Tanzanian medicinal plants for their trypanocidal and cytotoxic activities
Author(s) -
Nibret Endalkachew,
Ashour Mohamed L.,
Rubanza Chrispinus D.,
Wink Michael
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/ptr.3066
Subject(s) - traditional medicine , meliaceae , biology , pharmacognosy , medicinal plants , rutaceae , pharmacology , botany , biological activity , in vitro , medicine , biochemistry
The objective of the present study was to evaluate in vitro antitrypanosomal and cytotoxic activities of crude extracts of 20 traditionally used medicinal plants of Tanzania. A total of 40 extracts (dichloromethane and methanol) were screened for antiproliferative activity of bloodstream form of T . b . brucei and human leukaemia HL‐60 cell. Inhibition of cell proliferation was assessed using resazurin as vital stain. Of the 40 extracts tested, the dichloromethane extract from bark of Warburgia salutaris (Canellaceae) exhibited the most potent antitrypanosomal activity with an IC 50 value of 10.68 μg/ml. A dichloromethane extract from Lannea stuhlmannii (Anacardiaceae) was found to be the most cytotoxic extract against HL‐60 (IC 50 = 27.15 μg/ml). Out of the 20 plants tested, 5 plants exhibited trypanocidal activity with IC 50 values below 20 μg/ml. These 5 plants: Entandrophragma bussei (Meliaceae), Securidaca longepedunculata (Polygalaceae), Warburgia salutaris (Canellaceae), Zanha africana (Sapindaceae) and Zanthoxylum chalybeum (Rutaceae) could therefore serve as sources of lead compounds for treatment of trypanosomiasis. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.