Chemical Composition and In Vitro Antiplasmodial Activity of the Total Alkaloids of the Bulbs of Two Amaryllidaceae Species from Northern Peru

Introduction: The amaryllidaceae family is characterized by presenting alkaloids with powerful pharmacological activities, including antiprotozoal activity. The aim of the present work was to determine the chemical composition and evaluate the in vitro antiplasmodial activity of the total alkaloids of the bulbs of two amaryllidaceae species from northern Perú. Methods: The total alkaloids were extracted from the bulbs using an acid-base extraction. The chemical composition of the total alkaloids was determined by GC-MS, using galantamine as a reference standard. It was investigated the in vitro antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum FCR-3 strain (chloroquine-resistant). Results: 8 alkaloids were identified in the bulbs of Clinanthus incarnatus: lycorine, galanthamine, galanthine, vittatine/crinine, hippamine, 3-O-acetylpowelline, 11,12-dehydroanhydrolycorine, 1-O-acetyllycorine with values of 19.73; 14.99; 10.36; 10.22; 10.16; 10.14; 10.04; 9.85 μg GAL/100 mg of total alkaloid (TA) respectively and 6 alkaloids in the bulbs of Clinanthus ruber: lycorine, anhydrolycorine, 11,12-dehydroanhydrolycorine, 2,4-didehydro-2-dehydroxylycorine, 8-0-dimethylmaritidine, hippamine, with values of 70.2; 18; 4.15; 3.45; 6.8 and 0.1 μg GAL/100 mg TA respectively. The total alkaloids of the species of C. incarnatus and C. ruber at concentrations of 1.0; 2.5; 5.0; 10.0; 25.0 and 50.0 μg/ml presented inhibition percentages of 23.5 ± 0.46% to 94 ± 0.56% against P. falciparum with (p <0.05). They also presented IC₅₀ 0.375 μg/ml (C. incarnatus) and IC₅₀ 0.241 μg / ml (C. ruber). Conclusion: The main component of total alkaloids of the bulbs of two species was lycorine, in adittion, these species showed in vitro antiplasmoidal activity against Plasmodium falciparum FCR-3 strain at the doses tested.