In vitro evaluation of the antiplasmodial activity of Dendropanax morbifera against chloroquine-sensitive strains of Plasmodium falciparum.

Dendropanax morbifera Leveille (Araliaceae) is well known in Korea traditional medicine for a variety of diseases. The methanol extract of the lower stem parts of D. morbifera was investigated for its activity against chloroquine-sensitive strains of Plasmodium falciparum using the parasite lactate dehydrogenase assay method. Two cycloartane-type glycosides oleifoliosides A (1) and B (2), and dendropanoxide (3), beta-amyrin (4), alpha-amyrin (5) have been isolated from the stem parts of D. morbifera. All five compounds were evaluated for in vitro antiplasmodial activities as well as their cytotoxic potential on SK-OV-3 cancer cell lines. Compounds 2 and 3 showed notable growth inhibitory activity against chloroquine-sensitive strains of Plasmodium falciparum with IC(50) values of 6.2 and 5.3 microm. This compound showed no significant cytotoxicity (IC(50) > 150 microm) evaluated using SK-OV-3 cancer cell lines. This is the first report on the antiplasmodial activity of the compounds from D. morbifera.