In vitro antiplasmodial activity of antimalarial medicinal plants used in Vietnamese traditional medicine.

Among 42 extracts, prepared from 14 medicinal plants used in Vietnamese traditional medicine to treat malaria, 24 were found to have antiplasmodial activity by inhibiting the growth of the chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain FCR-3 with EC(50) values less than 10 microg/ml. Each medicinal plant possessed at least one active extract. The methanol extract of Coscinium fenestratum had the strongest antiplasmodial activity with EC(50) value of 0.5 microg/ml. Activity-guided fractionation led to identification of berberine as the major active constituent.