In vitro antiplasmodial activity of callus culture extracts and fractions from fresh apical stems of Phyllanthus niruri L. (Euphorbiaceae): part 2

Abstract The ethanolic extracts from fresh apical stems of Phyllanthus niruri L. (Euphorbiaceae) cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with IBA/BAP/ Coco nucifera L. milk for 1, 2, 4 and 6 months were phytochemically and biologically investigated and compared with intact plant part and whole plant extracts. Results from the in vitro antiplasmodial testing indicated that the EtOH extract of a 1-month-old callus culture (IC 50 = 16.3 ± 2.5 μg/ml) exhibited a higher activity than the ethanolic extracts of the fresh apical stem (IC 50 = 18.2 ± 2.4 μg/ml) and callus cultures of 2-, 4- and 6-months-old (25 μg/ml 50 50 2 Cl 2 fraction rich in terpenic constituents (IC 50 = 9.2 ± 3.4 μg/ml) exhibited a higher antiplasmodial activity than its isoamylic alcohol fraction obtained at pH 2–3 (IC 50 = 25.6 ± 2.3 μg/ml) rich in flavonoids. The activity of these two fractions was lower than that displayed by the same fractions from the whole plant (2 μg/ml 50 50 > 100 μg/ml).