Antimalarial activity of simalikalactone E, a new quassinoid from Quassia amara L. (Simaroubaceae)

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2009 Oct;53(10):4393-8. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00951-09. Epub 2009 Aug 10.

Abstract

We report the isolation and identification of a new quassinoid named simalikalactone E (SkE), extracted from a widely used Amazonian antimalarial remedy made out of Quassia amara L. (Simaroubaceae) leaves. This new molecule inhibited the growth of Plasmodium falciparum cultured in vitro by 50%, in the concentration range from 24 to 68 nM, independently of the strain sensitivity to chloroquine. We also showed that this compound was able to decrease gametocytemia with a 50% inhibitory concentration sevenfold lower than that of primaquine. SkE was found to be less toxic than simalikalactone D (SkD), another antimalarial quassinoid from Q. amara, and its cytotoxicity on mammalian cells was dependent on the cell line, displaying a good selectivity index when tested on nontumorogenic cells. In vivo, SkE inhibited murine malaria growth of Plasmodium vinckei petteri by 50% at 1 and 0.5 mg/kg of body weight/day, by the oral or intraperitoneal routes, respectively. The contribution of quassinoids as a source of antimalarial molecules needs therefore to be reconsidered.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antimalarials / chemistry
  • Antimalarials / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Malaria / drug therapy
  • Malaria / parasitology
  • Molecular Structure
  • Plasmodium falciparum / drug effects*
  • Quassins / chemistry
  • Quassins / pharmacology*
  • Simaroubaceae / chemistry*
  • Vero Cells

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Quassins