Antibabesial activity of protoberberine alkaloids and 20-hydroxyecdysone from Arcangelisia flava against Babesia gibsoni in culture.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the boiled extract from the stems of Arcangelisia flava led to the isolation of palmatine (1), berberine (2), jatrorrhizine (3), dihydroberberine (4) and 20-hydroxyecdysone (5). The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of their chemical and spectral evidence. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their growth inhibiting effects on Babesia gibsoni in culture for a week. Compounds (1-4) showed significant inhibitions at concentrations from 100 to 1.0 μg/ml, while compound 5 at a concentration of 100 μg/ml, only.