Comparative analysis of active constituents in Centella asiatica samples from Madagascar: application for ex situ conservation and clonal propagation.

A comparative quantitative analysis of the active triterpenoids in Centella asiatica samples collected in different locations in Madagascar was carried out to evaluate the natural variability in triterpenoid content and to select elite samples for further ex situ germplasm conservation and clonal propagation. The highest asiaticoside content (6.42%) was measured in samples collected in Mangoro region.

Malagashanine potentiates chloroquine antimalarial activity in drug resistant Plasmodium malaria by modifying both its efflux and influx.

Malagashanine (MG) is the parent compound of the new N(b)-C(21) seco-curan alkaloids isolated hitherto from Madagascan Strychnos. On account of its promising chemosensitizing activity against chloroquine (CQ)-resistant Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) strains, we investigated its mechanism of action. One prominent result was the finding that MG significantly increased the accumulation of [3H]-chloroquine in chloroquine resistant (CQR) K1 and FCM29 Pf strains at mid and old trophozoite stages.