Ellagic Acid from <i>Geranium thunbergii</i> and Antimalarial Activity of Korean Medicinal Plants
This study investigates the antimalarial potential of extracts and compounds from various plants used in traditional Korean medicine, in response to the increasing resistance of <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> to standard treatments such as chloroquine and artemisinin. The antimalarial acti...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Hojong Jun Joon-Hee Han Min Hong Fadhila Fitriana Jadidan Hada Syahada Wang-Jong Lee Ernest Mazigo Johnsy Mary Louis Van-Truong Nguyen Seok Ho Cha Wanjoo Chun Won Sun Park Se Jin Lee Sunghun Na Soo-Ung Lee Eun-Taek Han Tae-Hyung Kwon Jin-Hee Han |
| author_facet | Hojong Jun Joon-Hee Han Min Hong Fadhila Fitriana Jadidan Hada Syahada Wang-Jong Lee Ernest Mazigo Johnsy Mary Louis Van-Truong Nguyen Seok Ho Cha Wanjoo Chun Won Sun Park Se Jin Lee Sunghun Na Soo-Ung Lee Eun-Taek Han Tae-Hyung Kwon Jin-Hee Han |
| author_sort | Hojong Jun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study investigates the antimalarial potential of extracts and compounds from various plants used in traditional Korean medicine, in response to the increasing resistance of <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> to standard treatments such as chloroquine and artemisinin. The antimalarial activity screening was conducted on 151 extracts, identifying the top seven candidates, including <i>Geranium thunbergii</i> (50% ethanol and 100% methanol extract), <i>Reynoutria japonica</i>, <i>Amomum villosum</i> (hot water and 50% ethanol extract), <i>Cinnamomum zeylanicum</i>, and <i>Platycodon grandiflorum</i>. Among these, <i>G. thunbergii</i> was identified as the top priority for further analysis due to its high antimalarial activity and high yield of bioactive compounds. The plant extracts were fractionated using ethyl acetate, chloroform, and hot water, and their efficacy against <i>P. falciparum</i> was evaluated through IC<sub>50</sub> determination and microscopic analysis. The compounds evaluated included ellagic acid, gallic acid, afzelin, quercetin, and protocatechuic acid. Among the tested compounds, ellagic acid showed the most potent antimalarial activity with an IC<sub>50</sub> of 1.60 ± 0.09 µM, followed by gallic acid (39.43 ± 1.48 µM) and afzelin (52.77 ± 1.84 µM). In contrast, quercetin (116.8 ± 3.78 µM) and protocatechuic acid (1.23 ± 0.02 mM) exhibited minimal antimalarial effects. Giemsa staining was employed to visualize parasite morphology and confirmed that ellagic acid is effective in inhibiting growth at the late trophozoite stage. These findings suggest that ellagic acid could serve as a promising lead compound for developing a novel antimalarial agent. This study highlights the importance of exploring plant-based compounds as alternative strategies against drug-resistant malaria. Further investigation into the mechanisms underlying the antimalarial activity of these compounds is necessary to fully validate their therapeutic potential. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2b1979d8ca634485a3df421c5a3b2a95 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-2b1979d8ca634485a3df421c5a3b2a952025-01-24T13:43:45ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-01-0130235910.3390/molecules30020359Ellagic Acid from <i>Geranium thunbergii</i> and Antimalarial Activity of Korean Medicinal PlantsHojong Jun0Joon-Hee Han1Min Hong2Fadhila Fitriana3Jadidan Hada Syahada4Wang-Jong Lee5Ernest Mazigo6Johnsy Mary Louis7Van-Truong Nguyen8Seok Ho Cha9Wanjoo Chun10Won Sun Park11Se Jin Lee12Sunghun Na13Soo-Ung Lee14Eun-Taek Han15Tae-Hyung Kwon16Jin-Hee Han17Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaInstitute of Biological Resources, Chuncheon Bioindustry Foundation, Chuncheon 24232, Republic of KoreaInstitute of Biological Resources, Chuncheon Bioindustry Foundation, Chuncheon 24232, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon 22212, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Physiology, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaInstitute of Biological Resources, Chuncheon Bioindustry Foundation, Chuncheon 24232, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaInstitute of Biological Resources, Chuncheon Bioindustry Foundation, Chuncheon 24232, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaThis study investigates the antimalarial potential of extracts and compounds from various plants used in traditional Korean medicine, in response to the increasing resistance of <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> to standard treatments such as chloroquine and artemisinin. The antimalarial activity screening was conducted on 151 extracts, identifying the top seven candidates, including <i>Geranium thunbergii</i> (50% ethanol and 100% methanol extract), <i>Reynoutria japonica</i>, <i>Amomum villosum</i> (hot water and 50% ethanol extract), <i>Cinnamomum zeylanicum</i>, and <i>Platycodon grandiflorum</i>. Among these, <i>G. thunbergii</i> was identified as the top priority for further analysis due to its high antimalarial activity and high yield of bioactive compounds. The plant extracts were fractionated using ethyl acetate, chloroform, and hot water, and their efficacy against <i>P. falciparum</i> was evaluated through IC<sub>50</sub> determination and microscopic analysis. The compounds evaluated included ellagic acid, gallic acid, afzelin, quercetin, and protocatechuic acid. Among the tested compounds, ellagic acid showed the most potent antimalarial activity with an IC<sub>50</sub> of 1.60 ± 0.09 µM, followed by gallic acid (39.43 ± 1.48 µM) and afzelin (52.77 ± 1.84 µM). In contrast, quercetin (116.8 ± 3.78 µM) and protocatechuic acid (1.23 ± 0.02 mM) exhibited minimal antimalarial effects. Giemsa staining was employed to visualize parasite morphology and confirmed that ellagic acid is effective in inhibiting growth at the late trophozoite stage. These findings suggest that ellagic acid could serve as a promising lead compound for developing a novel antimalarial agent. This study highlights the importance of exploring plant-based compounds as alternative strategies against drug-resistant malaria. Further investigation into the mechanisms underlying the antimalarial activity of these compounds is necessary to fully validate their therapeutic potential.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/2/359<i>Plasmodium falciparum</i>malariaplant extracts<i>Geranium thunbergii</i>ellagic acid |
| spellingShingle | Hojong Jun Joon-Hee Han Min Hong Fadhila Fitriana Jadidan Hada Syahada Wang-Jong Lee Ernest Mazigo Johnsy Mary Louis Van-Truong Nguyen Seok Ho Cha Wanjoo Chun Won Sun Park Se Jin Lee Sunghun Na Soo-Ung Lee Eun-Taek Han Tae-Hyung Kwon Jin-Hee Han Ellagic Acid from <i>Geranium thunbergii</i> and Antimalarial Activity of Korean Medicinal Plants Molecules <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> malaria plant extracts <i>Geranium thunbergii</i> ellagic acid |
| title | Ellagic Acid from <i>Geranium thunbergii</i> and Antimalarial Activity of Korean Medicinal Plants |
| title_full | Ellagic Acid from <i>Geranium thunbergii</i> and Antimalarial Activity of Korean Medicinal Plants |
| title_fullStr | Ellagic Acid from <i>Geranium thunbergii</i> and Antimalarial Activity of Korean Medicinal Plants |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ellagic Acid from <i>Geranium thunbergii</i> and Antimalarial Activity of Korean Medicinal Plants |
| title_short | Ellagic Acid from <i>Geranium thunbergii</i> and Antimalarial Activity of Korean Medicinal Plants |
| title_sort | ellagic acid from i geranium thunbergii i and antimalarial activity of korean medicinal plants |
| topic | <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> malaria plant extracts <i>Geranium thunbergii</i> ellagic acid |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/2/359 |
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