Melicope madagascariensis (Rutaceae) is an endemic plant species of Madagascar that was first classified as a member of the genus Euodia J. R. & G. Forst (Rutaceae) under the scientific name Euodia madagascariensis Baker. Based on morphological characteristics, Thomas Gordon Hartley taxonomically revised E. madagascariensis Baker to be M. madagascariensis (Baker) T.G. Hartley. Chemotaxonomical studies have long been used to help the identification and confirmation of taxonomical classification of plant species and botanicals. Aiming to find more evidences to support the taxonomical revision performed on E. madagascariensis, we carried out phytochemical investigation of two samples of the plant. Fractionation of the ethanol extracts prepared from two stem bark samples of M. madagascariensis (Baker) T.G. Hartley led to the isolation of seven known furoquinoline alkaloids 1-7 and two known methoxyflavones 8 and 9. The presence of furoquinoline alkaloids and methoxyflavones in the title species is in agreement with its taxonomic transfer from Euodia to Melicope. Antiprotozoal evaluation of the isolated compounds showed that 6-methoxy-7-hydroxydictamnine (heliparvifoline, 3) showed weak antimalarial activity (IC50 = 35 µM) against the chloroquine-resistant strain Dd2 of Plasmodium falciparum. Skimmianine (4) displayed moderate cytotoxicity with IC50 value of 1.5 µM against HT-29 colon cancer cell line whereas 3,5-dihydroxy-3',4',7-trimethoxyflavone (9) was weakly active in the same assay (IC50 = 13.9 µM).
Keywords: Antimalarial activity; Chemotaxonomy; Cytotoxicity; Furoquinoline alkaloids; Melicope madagascariensis (Rutaceae); Methoxyflavones.