Evaluation of Myanmar medicinal plant extracts for antitrypanosomal and cytotoxic activities

Current chemotherapeutic options for African trypanosomiasis in humans and livestock are very limited. In the present study, a total of 71 medicinal plant specimens from 60 plant species collected in Myanmar were screened for antitrypanosomal activity against trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma evansi and cytotoxicity against MRC-5 cells in vitro. The methanol extract of dried rootbark of Vitis repens showed the highest antitrypanosomal activity with IC(50) value of 8.6 +/- 1.5 microg/ml and the highest selectivity index of 24.4. The extracts of Brucea javanica, Vitex arborea, Eucalyptus globulus and Jatropha podagrica had also remarkable activity with IC(50) values and selectivity indices in the range of 27.2-52.6 microg/ml and 11.4-15.1 respectively.