Phytochemistry and antiplasmodial activity of <i>Xylopia sericea</i> leaves

Aiming to investigate the antiplasmodial activity and the phytochemical composition of <i>Xylopia sericea</i> leaves, the essential oil and dichloromethane extract were analyzed by gas and liquid chromatography, respectively, both of them coupled to mass spectrometry, and were evaluated against the chloroquine-resistant <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> strain (W2) and for cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells. Low growth inhibition of <i>P. falciparum</i> as well as low cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells were observed for the essential oil. The leaves dichloromethane extract showed moderate growth inhibition of <i>P. falciparum</i> and low cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells. Bioguided chromatographic fractionation of this extract led to fractions with increased antiplasmodial activity from which liriodenine (IC₅₀ 6.1 ± 0.1 μg/mL, CC₅₀ &gt; 1000.0 μg/mL, SI &gt; 164), an aporphine alkaloid, and an acetogenin-rich fraction containing mainly isomers of annomontacin and 4-deoxy-annomontacin (IC₅₀ 22.7 ± 1.9 µg/mL, CC₅₀ 336.1 ± 15.5 µg/mL, SI = 15) might be highlighted for their antiplasmodial activity.