In vivo evaluation of the antimalarial activity of 25 plants from a Biological Conservation Reserve of Costa Rica

An evaluation of the antimalarial activity of the leaves, flowers, fruits, bark and roots of 25 plants from the Reserve Alberto Manuel Brenes Biological (REBAMB) was performed. The reserve is located in San Ramon, Alajuela, Costa Rica and the plants studied were Aphelandra aurantiaca (Scheidw.) Lindl., Aphelandra tridentata Hemsl. (Acanthaceae), Xanthosoma undipes (K. Koch & C.D. Bouche) K. Koch. (Araceae), Iriartea deltoidea Ruiz & Pay. (Arecaceae), Neurolaena lobata (L.) Cass. (Asteraceae), Lonchocarpus pentaphyllus (Poir.) Kunth ex DC., Pterocarpus hayesii Hemsl., Senna papillosa (Britton & Rose) H.S. Irwin & Barneby., Cinnamomum chavarrianum (Hammel) Kosterm. (Fabaceae), Nectandra membranacea (Sw.) Griseb., Persea povedae W.C. Burger. (Lauraceae), Hampea appendiculata (Donn. Sm.) Standl. (Malvaceae), Guarea glabra Vahl., Ruagea glabra Triana & Planch. (Meliaceae), Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae), Bocconia frutescens L. (Papaveraceae), Piper friedrichsthalii C. DC. (Piperaceae), Clematis dioica L. (Ranunculaceae), Prunus annularis Koehne. (Rosaceae), Siparuna thecaphora (Poepp. & Endl.) A. DC. (Siparunaceae), Solanum arboreum Dunal., Witheringia solanacea L'Her. (Solanaceae), Ticodendron incognitum Gomez-Laur. & L.D. Gomez. (Ticodendraceae), Heliocarpus appendiculatus Turcz. (Tiliaceae) y Myriocarpa longipes Liebm. (Urticaceae). The fresh and dry alcoholic extracts were evaluated in Swiss mice for their inhibitory activity on multiplication of Plasmodium berghei. When making the test IC50, the only plants whose activity (mg kg(-1) of body weight) was relevant were: 12 for bark in B. frutescens, 18 for root in H. appendiculata, 14 for root in I. deltoidea, 4 for unripe fruits in M. longipes, 21 for root in N. membranacea, 19 for young leaves in P. povedae and 16 for unripe fruits in S. tecaphora. The fresh extracts showed greater antimalarial activity than those previously dried. This study is a contribution to the knowledge of potential medicinal value of botanical biodiversity of Costa Rica.