Phytochemistry and antiplasmodial activity of Xylopia sericea leaves

Abstract

Aiming to investigate the antiplasmodial activity and the phytochemical composition of Xylopia sericea leaves, the essential oil and dichloromethane extract were analyzed by gas and liquid chromatography, respectively, both of them coupled to mass spectrometry, and were evaluated against the chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain (W2) and for cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells. Low growth inhibition of P. falciparum as well as low cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells were observed for the essential oil. The leaves dichloromethane extract showed moderate growth inhibition of P. falciparum and low cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells. Bioguided chromatographic fractionation of this extract led to fractions with increased antiplasmodial activity from which liriodenine (IC₅₀ 6.1 ± 0.1 μg/mL, CC₅₀ > 1000.0 μg/mL, SI > 164), an aporphine alkaloid, and an acetogenin-rich fraction containing mainly isomers of annomontacin and 4-deoxy-annomontacin (IC₅₀ 22.7 ± 1.9 µg/mL, CC₅₀ 336.1 ± 15.5 µg/mL, SI = 15) might be highlighted for their antiplasmodial activity.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Annonaceae
• antiplasmodial
• essential oil
• dichloromethane extract
• alkaloids
• acetogenins
• mass Spectrometry

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for financial support to ABO through PRONEX Rede Malária Processes No. APQ-01129-10 and Process 555655/2009-1, respectively. Also, they thank Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for PhD scholarship to DCG.

Disclosure statement

The authors confirm that this article content has no conflict of interest.