Abstract
Crude extracts (CH2 Cl2 and MeOH) of 20 plants in the family Acanthaceae were screened for their antiplasmodial,
cytotoxic, antioxidant, and radical scavenging activities. These plants included Asystasia nemorum, Barleria cristata, B. strigosa, Dicliptera burmanni, Eranthemum
tetragonum, Hygrophila ringens, Justicia balansae, J. procumbens, Lepidagathis incurva,
Peristrophe lanceolaria, Phaulopsis dorsiflora, Ruellia kerrii, Strobilanthes auriculata,
S. corrugata, S. cusia, S. dimorphotricha, S. karensium, S. maxwellii, S. pateriformis , and S. brandisii . CH2 Cl2 extracts of A. nemorum, S. corrugata, S. cusia, S. maxwellii, S. pateriformis , and S. brandisii , as well as MeOH extracts of J. balansae and J. procumbens , showed antiplasmodial activity with IC50 values of 10–100 µg/mL. CH2 Cl2 extracts of nine plants including D. burmanni, H. ringens, J. balansae, J. procumbens, L. incurva, P. lanceolaria, P.
dorsiflora, S. corrugata , and S. maxwellii showed cytotoxic activity with IC50 values of 3.5–46.0 µg/mL. MeOH extracts (at 100 µg/mL) of R. kerrii and S. auriculata could effectively scavenge DPPH free radicals (82–83 % inhibition) and superoxide
anion radicals (79 % and 88 % inhibition). In the ORAC antioxidant assay, MeOH extracts
of B. cristata, J. procumbens, R. kerrii , and S. auriculata exhibited activity with ORAC units of 3.1–3.9.
Key words
Acanthaceae - antiplasmodial activity - cytotoxic activity - radical scavenging -
antioxidant activity - cancer chemoprevention
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Dr. Prasat Kittakoop
Chulabhorn Research Institute
Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road
10210 Bangkok
Thailand
Phone: + 66 8 69 75 57 77
Fax: + 66 25 74 06 22 ext. 15 13
Email: prasatkittakoop@yahoo.com