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Malaria threatens the lives of more than one third of the world's population; it is a major cause of human deaths. As a result of the emergence of resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum to common antimalarial drugs, the search for new antimalarial drugs is urgently needed. Hemozoin synthesis is an indispensable process for the parasite survival and is the target of action for several known antimalarial drugs. Sage, Salvia palaestina, is an aromatic Mediterranean plant. Its leaves have been used over centuries in Palestinian traditional medicine and are now being investigated for potential antimalarial activity. This study reveals the antimalarial activity of crude and HPLC separated fractions tested using two methods; the inhibition of ferriprotoporphyrin IX (FP) biomineralization: semi-quantitative micro-assay used by Deharo and a previously self-developed quantitative in vitro method. Reversed phase preparative liquid chromatography coupled to Photo Diode Array (PDA) detector was used to isolate and enrich eight fractions. Three fractions showed promising antimalarial activity. The crude alcoholic extract of sage leaves seems to have the potential of an antimalarial drug; it prevents β-hematin formation with an efficiency of about 72% when compared to the standard Chloroquine which gave 93% at comparable concentrations of chloroquine and extract.

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Malaria remains one of the prominent public health problems that lead to severe morbidity and mortality in many developing countries around the globe. New antimalarial drugs are urgently needed due to the emergence of antimalarial-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. In previous studies, we tested several plants extracts that are capable of inhibiting β-hematin formation, with efficiency similar to chloroquine. In the current study, the effect of cinnamon ethanol and water extracts on inhibiting β-hematin formation was studied. Powdered cinnamon extracts and bark in a stick form were investigated using various extraction methods. A semi-quantitative in vitro method, based on the inhibition of ferriprotoporphyrin IX (FP) bio-crystallization developed by Deharo et al. (2002) was utilized. Water extracts of cinnamon revealed potential activity even at low concentration of infusions, which was manifested by a high capability to inhibit β-hematin formation in vitro.