Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 84 (1): 115-123, 2011
RESEARCH ARTICLE
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. Bouché)
K. Koch. (Araceae), Iriartea deltoidea Ruiz & Pav. (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’Hér. (Solanaceae), Ticodendron incognitum Gómez-Laur. & L.D. Gómez. (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.
Key words:
antimalarial,
Costa Rica, in vivo, plants, Plasmodium berghei
