<p><em>Harmsiopanax aculeatus</em>, Harms, also known as <em>kapur</em>, have been traditionally used as medicinal plants to treat malaria in Maluku, Indonesia, although scientific evidence of the antimalarial active compounds of this plant has not been studied. This study was conducted to evaluate the anti-plasmodial and cytotoxicity activity of the active fraction of <em>H. aculeatu</em>s leaves. The fractions tested were FG2, FG3 and FG4 obtained by separation of methanol extract using Vacuum Liquid Chromatography (VLC) by gradually using n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol solvents. Anti-plasmodial activity in vitro was evaluated in <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> strain FCR3 which is chloroquine resistant using microscopic method. The activity of cytotoxicity against vero cells was evaluated using MTT colorimetric method. The anti-plasmodial activity and cytotoxicity were expressed by IC₅₀, inhibitory concentration of 50% <em>Plasmodium</em> or cells growth after incubation with the fraction tested, which calculated using probit regression analysis with SPSS.  The results showed that the fraction of FG2, FG3 and FG4 had a promising anti-plasmodial activity with IC₅₀ value of 7.48; 8.24 and 7.75 μg/mL, respectively. The cytotoxicity activity of the three fractions on vero cell were 5814.43; 7780.48 and 1022.44 μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the selectivity index (IC₅₀ Vero cells/IC₅₀<em>Plasmodium</em>) of those were 777.33,944.23 and 131.93, respectively indicated that the three fractions were active, non-toxic and selective against <em>P. falciparum</em>. Further study will be conducted to isolate the active compounds of the fraction.</p>

Harmsiopanax aculeatus leaf, locally name kapur, has been use traditionally to treat malaria in Maluku, Indonesia. However, the scientific evidences that support its use are still limited. This study aimed to investigate antiplasmodial activity of H. aculeatus leaf extract and its cytotoxicity on cancer cells line. Three extracts i.e. methanolic, n-hexanic and ethyl acetate extracts were evaluated for their in vitro activity against Plasmodium falciparum FCR3 strain using microscopic method. Cytotoxicity of the extracts on T47D, HeLa and Vero cells lines were determined using MTT assay method. The inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) against P. falciparum or the cells lines growth was determined using probit analysis. Furthermore, their selectivity index (SI) were determined. The results showed that the methanolic extract was the most active extract with an IC50value of 13.82 μg/mL and the most selective with a SI value of 172.84. The three extracts tested exhibited weak or no cytotoxicity against the cells lines used with IC50 values ranged 101-2388.69 μg/mL. Further study will be conducted to isolate active antiplasmodial compounds from the methanol extract.

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