Antiplasmodial activity of sesquiterpene lactone from Carpesium rosulatum in mice.

In the previous work, methanol extracts of Carpesium rosulatum (Compositae) were found to have high antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro, this activity being largely attributable to a ineupatorolides A (I-A). In the present study, encouragingly, I-A was also found to have potential antimalarial activity in vivo when tested against Plasmodium berghei in mice. I-A (2, 5, 10 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) exhibited a significant blood schizontocidal activity in 4-day early infection, repository evaluation, and in established infection with a significant mean survival time comparable to that of the standard drug, chloroquine (5 mg kg(-1) day(-1)). The I-A possesses a promising antiplasmodial activity, which can be exploited in malaria therapy.