In vitro screening of Indian medicinal plants for antiplasmodial activity

Plants traditionally used in India to treat fever or malaria were examined in vitro for antiplasmodial properties against Plasmodium falciparum. Of 80 analysed ethanol extracts, from 47 species, significant effects were found for 31 of the extracts. These represent 23 different species from 20 famil ies. Of the active species 20 were tested against P. falciparum for the fir st time. The following five species seems to be of special interest for fur ther antimalarial studies, Casearia elliptica, Holarrhena pubesens, Pongami a pinnata, Soymida febrifuga, and Plumbago zeylanica. (C) 2001 Elsevier Sci ence Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.