ANTIMALARIAL ACTIVITY OF CASSIARIN A FROM THE LEAVES OF CASSIA SIAMEA

The extracts and cassiarin A from the leaves of Cassia siamea showed promising antimalarial activities. The ethanol and chloroform extracts, alkaloid fraction, cassiarin A, and chloroquine as a positive control exhibited the inhibition against Plasmodium falciparum (IC50: 7.06, 2.41, 0.24, 0.005, and 0.006 mu g/mL, respectively). The in vivo antimalarial activity was assessed using the 4-day suppressive test procedure. The ethanol, chloroform extracts, and alkaloid fraction were found to give an ED50 34.7, 19.59, and 0.47 mg/kg, respectively (p.o.). The ED50 values of cassiarin A and chloroquine were 0.17 and 0.21 mg/kg, respectively (i.p.). The result showed that cassiarin A deserved further investigation toward development of a promising antimalarial drug.