Evaluation of antimalarial activity of Artemisia fragrans willd

Abstract

Introduction: Artemisia genus which is belonging to the family of Asteraceae, is a medicinal plant widely distributed in Iran. In this study, the anti-malarial activity of essential oil, different extracts and fractions of potent extract of Artemisia fragrans willd were screened. Scope: In the present study, the objectives of this study are the evaluation of the anti- malarial activity of different extracts obtained from the aerial parts of Artemisia fragrans willd. Material and method: The aerial parts of Artemisia fragrans willd were extracted by soxhlet extractor and the essential oil was extracted by Clevenger apparatus. In order to determine the anti-malarial activity of essential oil and extracts as well as VLC fractions of potent extract, cell free β-hematin formation assay was used. The GC-MS analysis was also used to identify the volatile compounds of essential oil and the potent fraction. The TLC method was used to detect secondary metabolites of the potent fraction. Results: Among the extracts, chloroform extract illustrated considerable anti-malarial activity in compare with control (p-value<0.0001), with IC50 value of 1.22 ± 0.05 mg/ml. Among the fractions, 100% EtOAC fraction of chloroform extract of aerial parts of A. fragrans showed potent anti-malarial effects in compare with control (p-value<0.0001). The essential oil showed moderate anti-malarial effects in compare with control (p-value<0.0001). In addition, by using the GC-MS, it was determined that the potent anti-malarial activity of this plant may be due to the presence of sesquiterpene in 100% EtOAC fraction of chloroform extract and the presence of oxygenated monoterpenes in the essential oil of this plant. Conclusion: The 100% EtOAC fraction of chloroform extract of A. fragrans showed potent anti-malarial activity. The essential oil which obtained from aerial parts of plant also had moderate antimalarial activity.