In Vitro and In Vivo Antimalarial Activity Assays of Seeds from Balanites aegyptiaca : Compounds of the Extract Show Growth Inhibition and Activity against Plasmodial Aminopeptidase

Abstract EN

Balanites aegyptiaca (Balanitaceae) is a widely grown desert plant with multiuse potential.

In the present paper, a crude extract from B.

aegyptiaca seeds equivalent to a ratio of 1 : 2000 seeds to the extract was screened for antiplasmodial activity.

The determined IC50 value for the chloroquine-susceptible Plasmodium falciparum NF54 strain was 68.26 μg/μL±3.5.

Analysis of the extract by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry detected 6-phenyl-2(H)-1,2,4-triazin-5-one oxime, an inhibitor of the parasitic M18 Aspartyl Aminopeptidase as one of the compounds which is responsible for the in vitro antiplasmodial activity.

The crude plant extract had a Ki of 2.35 μg/μL and showed a dose-dependent response.

After depletion of the compound, a significantly lower inhibition was determined with a Ki of 4.8 μg/μL.

Moreover, two phenolic compounds, that is, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-phenol and 2,4-di-tert-butyl-phenol, with determined IC50 values of 50.29 μM±3 and 47.82 μM±2.5, respectively, were detected.

These compounds may contribute to the in vitro antimalarial activity due to their antioxidative properties.

In an in vivo experiment, treatment of BALB/c mice with the aqueous Balanite extract did not lead to eradication of the parasites, although a reduced parasitemia at day 12 p.i.

was observed.