Antiplasmodial Activity of Isolated Polyphenols from Alectryon serratus Leaves Against 3D7 Plasmodium falciparum

BACKGROUND: Alectryon serratus was selected from a screening program devoted to search naturally occurring antimalarial compound from plants in Alas Purwo National Park, Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. The previous studies showed that ethanol extract of A. serratus leaves contains some polyphenol compounds. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to isolate and investigate antiplasmodial activity of polyphenol compounds. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The ethanol extract of A. serratus leaves was fractioned using liquid–liquid fractionation and column chromatography. Isolated compounds were identified using High-performance liquid chromatography, ultraviolet-visible, nuclear magnetic resonance, and compared with references. The isolates were tested in vitro for antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine-sensitive 3D7 strain of Plasmodium falciparum. Thin blood smears were used to assess the levels of parasitemia and growth inhibition of the isolates. RESULT: Half maximal Inhibitory concentration of Gallic acid (1), methyl gallate (2), and kempferol-3-O-rhamnoside (3) were 0.0722 μM, 0.0128 μM, and 3.4595 μM, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that gallic acid, methyl gallate, and kempferol-3-O-rhamnoside isolated from A. serratus leaves have antiplasmodial activity and are potential to be developed as antimalarial drugs. SUMMARY: The ethanol extract of Alectryon serratus leaves was successively fractionated in CH(2)Cl(2), EtOAc, and n-butanol. EtOAc fraction was fractionated using column chromatography and purified using preparative thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Isolates were studied for their antiplasmodial activity on parasites culture of chloroquine-sensitive 3D7 strain of Plasmodium falciparum. Parasitemia percentages, growth percentages, and inhibition percentages of each group were calculated. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) values that represent the concentration required to inhibit 50% of Plasmodium growth were calculated from a calibration curve using linear regression. The results suggest that isolates have antiplasmodial activity and are responsible in the antimalarial activity of Alectryon serratus leaves. [Image: see text] Abbreviations Used: S.F: Subfraction, EGCG: Epigallocatechingallate, EGC: Epigallocatechin