PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILING AND ANTIMALARIAL EVALUATION OF EUPHORBIA HETEROPHYLLA EXTRACTS LEADING TO THE ISOLATION OF 3-O-DIGLUCOPYRANOSYL-7,4'-O-DIMYCAROSYL-3’-METHOXY-5-HYDROXYFLAVONE

Abstract

The investigation of the acclaimed traditional antiplasmodial efficacy of Euphorbia heterophylla extracts and the subsequent phytochemical isolation of potential bioactive natural compounds is a step in the fight against the Plasmodium parasite, which causes malaria. In this research, ethanol, chloroform, and n-hexane extracts were phytochemically screened for alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenols, tannins, saponins, and cardiac glycosides. The results revealed the presence of all tested phytochemicals in the ethanol extract, whereas tannins and saponins were absent from the chloroform extract. The n-hexane extract of this plant confirmed the absence of alkaloids and tannins, thereby making the ethanol extract in this research of the highest quality. These extracts were further screened for antimalarial activity using the World Health Organization (WHO) in vitro (Mark III) Schizont maturation inhibition protocol 1996, modified in 2001. The ethanol extract showed the only promising result with an IC₅₀ of 10 μg/ml, while the chloroform and n-hexane extracts gave an IC50 of 15.3 μg/ml and 21.0μg/ml, respectively, as compared with the positive control, which showed an IC₅₀ of 2.8 μg/ml. The promising ethanol extract was used to isolate 3-O-Diglucopyranosyl-7,4'-O-dimycarosyl-3’-methoxy-5-hydroxyflavone. The research supported the traditional use of the plant for managing mild, uncomplicated malaria.