Seaweeds as a source of lead compounds for the development of new antiplasmodial drugs from South East coast of India.

The problems of resistant lines of Plasmodium falciparum are escalating. Twelve seaweeds species belong to five different families (Sargassaceae, Gracilariaceae, Hypneaceae, Corallinaceae and Halimedaceae) were collected from Mandapam coastal area, and the seaweeds extracts were tested for in vitro antiplasmodial activity against P. falciparum. Among the tested seaweeds, Gracilaria verrucosa (IC(50) 5.55 μg.ml(-1)) and Hypnea espera (IC(50) 8.94 μg.ml(-1)) showed good antiplasmodial activity, and these results are comparable with positive controls such as artemether (IC(50) 4.09 μg.ml(-1)) and chloroquine (IC(50) 19.59 μg.ml(-1)), respectively. Turbinaria conoides, Sargassum myriocystem, Hypnea valentiae and Jania rubens extracts showed IC(50) values between 5 to 50 μg.ml(-1). Sargassum sp., Turbinaria decurrens and Halimeda gracilis extracts showed IC(50) values between 50 to 100 μg.ml(-1). Gracilaria corticata, Jania adherens and Halimeda opuntia extracts showed IC(50) value of more than 100 μg.ml(-1). Statistical analysis reveals that significant in vitro antiplasmodial activity (P < 0.05) was observed between the concentrations and time of exposure. The chemical injury to erythrocytes was also carried out, and it shows that no morphological changes in erythrocytes by the ethanolic extract of seaweeds extracts after 48 h of incubation. The in vitro antiplasmodial activity might be due to the presence of sugars, proteins, phenols and carboxylic acid in the ethanolic extracts of seaweeds. It is concluded from the present study that the ethanolic extracts of seaweeds of G. verrucosa and Hypnea espera possess lead compounds for development of antiplasmodial drugs.