Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry profiling and evaluation of in vitro anti-Plasmodium falciparum activity of extracts from a Congolese Ancistrocladus species

Malaria remains one of the leading causes of death globally, particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the antimalarial activity and UPLC-MS profiling of crude extracts from a new Ancistrocladus species collected in Banalia village (Tshopo province, D.R. Congo). Extracts from the leaves, stem bark, and roots indicated through the UPLC-MS profile a significant abundance of secondary metabolites, especially naphthyl isoquinoline alkaloids, which are known to be prevalent in the Ancistrocladaceae family. Deductions from the mass spectrometry data revealed the presence of eight molecules that may belong to the broader class of naphthyl isoquinoline alkaloids. Except for one extract prepared with a non-polar solvent (n-hexane), all extracts demonstrated strong in vitro antiplasmodial potential against the P. falciparum NF54 parasite at 10 and 20 µg/mL concentrations. The findings of this study establish a foundation for future investigations into the potential discovery of antimalarial compounds from the plant.