Antiprotozoal assessment and phenolic acid profiling of five Fumaria (fumitory) species

ObjectiveTo explore some Fumaria species which were recorded to be traditionally used against malaria and other protozoal diseases.MethodsConsequently, in the current study, antiprotozoal effect of the ethanol extracts obtained from five Fumaria species (Fumaria densiflora, Fumaria cilicica, Fumaria rostellata, Fumaria kralikii, and Fumaria parviflora) was investigated against the parasites; Plasmodium falciparum (malaria) and Trypanosoma bruceirhodesiense (human African trypanosomiasis) at 0.81 and 4.85 μg/mL concentrations.ResultsAmong them, Fumaria densiflora extract exerted the highest antiplasmodial (93.80%) and antitrypanasomal effect (55.40%), while the ethanol extracts of Fumaria kralikii (43.45%) and Fumaria rostellata (41.65%) showed moderate activity against Plasmodium falciparum. Besides, phenolic acid contents of the extracts were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and trans-cinnamic (4.32 mg/g) and caffeic (3.71 mg/g) acids were found to be the dominant phenolic acids in Fumaria densiflora.ConclusionsAccording to our results, Fumaria densiflora deserve further study for its promising antiprotozoal activity.