Chemical studies of some Tanzanian antimalarial plants

Extracts from seventeen plants collected in Tanzania, selected on the basis of their use as traditional medicines for malaria, or/and belonging to families known to be potential sources of antimalarial compounds, were tested against plaemodium falciparum malaria parasites in vitro. The majority of the extracts showed some activity at varying levels. The less polar and moderately polar compounds which are readily soluble in pet ether and dichloromethane exhibited more promising results than the more polar components which dissolved in methanol. Some of the constituents which dissolved in methano. Some of the constituents of Odyendyea zimmermannii, Artemisia afra and zanthodxylum gilletii were isolated, identified spectroscopically and then they were tested against P. falaiparum parasites in vitro. N-isobutyl-2. 4 - decadienamide and fagaramide, both obtained from z. gilletii, were the most active compounds, with 1C50 values of 3.69 and 12.34 µg/ml respectively, Scopoletin, which was isolated from A. afra showed mild activity (1C50 = 37.4 µg/ml). All the three compounds contain an µ, b - unsaturated carbonyl molety, which is believed to be responsible for the antimalaria activity of these compounds.