In Vivo Antimalarial Activity of Crude Fruit Extract of Capsicum frutescens Var. Minima (Solanaceae) against Plasmodium berghei-Infected Mice

Antimalarial Efficacy and Safety of Senna occidentalis (L.) Link Root Extract in Plasmodium berghei-Infected BALB/c Mice

Background

Emergence of Plasmodium resistance to antimalarial drugs presents a major drawback in efforts to control malaria. To address this problem, there is an urgent and continuous need for the development of new and effective antimalarial agents. Senna occidentalis (L.) link extract has exhibited in vitro antiplasmodial activity in many pharmacological studies. To our knowledge, data on its in vivo antimalarial efficacy is still very limited. A recent study demonstrated that polar extracts from the plant roots inhibit Plasmodium berghei proliferation in a mouse model. This study further describes the efficacy and safety of a methanolic root extract of the plant as an antimalarial agent by demonstrating its effect on hematological, biochemical, and histological parameters of Plasmodium berghei-infected BALB/c mice.

Methods

Rane's test, a curative approach, was used to evaluate the antimalarial efficacy of Senna occidentalis methanolic root extract in Plasmodium berghei-infected BALB/c mice. The effect of the extract on both hematological and biochemical parameters was evaluated using automated analyzers. Kidney, liver, lung, spleen, and brain tissues were harvested from euthanized mice and examined for changes in organ architecture.

Results

This study demonstrates that methanolic root extract of Senna occidentalis significantly inhibited Plasmodium berghei parasitemia in BALB/c mice (p < 0.01). Infected mice that were treated with the extract depicted a significantly low level of total leucocytes (p < 0.01), red blood cell distribution width (p < 0.01), and a significantly high hemoglobin concentration (p < 0.001) compared to the infected animals that were administered with the vehicle only. The infected animals that were treated with the extract exhibited a significantly low level of urea, creatinine, bilirubin, and alkaline phosphatase (p < 0.05), compared to the infected animals that were given the vehicle only. The level of sodium, potassium and chloride ions, lymphocytes, granulocytes, hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, total protein, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total platelets, mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width of the infected animals treated with the extract was not significantly different from those of the infected animals that were given the vehicle only (p > 0.05). The extract alleviated organ pathological changes in the infected mice. The extract did not induce any remarkable adverse effect on the growth, hematological, and biochemical parameters of uninfected animals (p > 0.05). In addition, administration of the extract did not alter the gross appearance and histological architecture of the organs, implying that the extract was well tolerated in mice.

Conclusions

Senna occidentalis methanolic root extract exhibited good antimalarial activity against Plasmodium berghei and may be safe in mice.

In vivo antimalarial activity of the 80% methanolic crude fruit extract of Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. against Plasmodium berghei infected mice

Background

Malaria is a public health menace. Resistance to therapeutic armamentarium is impeding its control. Therefore, research targeting the discovery of novel antimalarial drug arsenals is a priority. The important point to begin the search for such drugs is the folkloric medicinal plants. Ripe fruit of Lagenaria siceraria is bored, rinsed with cold water, and one glass is used as a drink early in the morning for the treatment of malaria in Ethiopian folk medicine. In vivo antimalarial efficacy of the plant was not affirmed scientifically, though. Consequently, the present study was conducted to assess the in vivo antiplasmodial effect of Lagenaria siceraria in P. berghei infected mice.

Methods

The fruits were extracted using 80% methanol in water. Acute toxicity test was conducted on the extract. Secondary phytochemicals were assessed. The four day suppressive test was employed in mice infected with P. berghei. Thirty mice were grouped in to five and inoculated with P. berghei. After 3 h, three of the groups received the extract at doses 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg. The remaining groups served as negative (2% Tween80) and positive control (chloroquine). Parasitemia, packed cell volume, weight, temperature and survival time were monitored. SPSS version 22 was used for data analysis.

Results

No toxicity was seen in mice. The crude extract elicited significant suppression (p < 0.05) of the parasite compared to the negative control. The highest parasite suppression (77.37%) was measured at the upper dose. Furthermore, the crude extract significantly (p < 0.05) prevented body weight loss, anemia, reduction in temperature and prolonged the survival time compared to the negative control.

Conclusion

This study asserted that the fruit of Lagenaria siceraria is enriched with in vivo antimalarial activity. Hence, further in depth antimalarial investigations on the plant is strongly recommended.

In vivo antiplasmodial activities of stem bark extracts of Avicennia marina in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice

Introduction

malaria remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developing tropical and subtropical nations. Due to the emergence and spread of drug resistance to currently available drugs, there is a need for the search of novel, safe, and reasonably affordable anti-malarial medications. The objective of this study was to assess the in vivoanti-malarial effectiveness of Avicennia marina stem bark extracts in a mice model.

Methods

guidelines 425 of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development were used to determine the extracts' acute toxicity. Mice infected with chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei (ANKA strain) were tested for in vivoanti-plasmodial activity, and by giving oral doses of 100 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg, and 500 mg/kg body weight of extracts, the plant's suppressive, curative, and preventive effects were assessed.

Results

mice treated with dosages of up to 5000 mg/kg showed no evidence of acute toxicity or mortality. Consequently, it was determined that the acute lethal dosage of Avicennia marina extracts in swiss albino mice was greater than 5000 mg/kg. All doses of the extracts exhibited significant (p<0.05) dose-dependent suppression of P. berghei in the suppressive tests compared to the control group. At the highest dose (500 mg/kg), Methanolic crude extracts exerted the highest (93%) parasitemia suppression during the 4-day suppressive test. The extracts also displayed significant (p<0.001) prophylactic and curative activities at all doses compared to the control.

Conclusion

results from this study ascertained the safety and promising curative, prophylactic and suppressive anti-plasmodial capabilities of the stem bark extracts of Avicennia marina in mice model.

Medicinal plants used in traditional treatment of malaria in Ethiopia: a review of ethnomedicine, anti-malarial and toxicity studies

Background

Malaria is extremely common in Ethiopia, and it is one of the country's most serious public health and economic problems. Traditional medicines have long been utilized in Ethiopia by people of various ethnic groups. As a result, the goal of this study is to record the use of Ethiopian medicinal herbs that have been used to treat malaria. Also, a critical review of the literature on the therapeutic properties of these and other Ethiopian medicinal plants that have been tested against Plasmodium spp. parasites was conducted with the goal of highlighting neglected studies and fostering further research in this area.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was performed in Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) from August 2021 to October 2021. The study databases included original articles published in peer reviewed journals covering anti-malarial plants, dated until October 2021.

Results

The review looked at 51 plant species (28 families) that have been used to treat malaria in Ethiopia. The most often used ethnobotanical plant species for the treatment of malaria were Allium sativum, Croton macrostachyus, Carica papaya, and Lepidium sativum. Leaves were used more frequently as a therapeutic preparation than other parts. Plant extracts were found to have very good, good, and moderate anti-malarial activity in mice with rodent Plasmodium species. The most active species were Ajuga remota and Capsicum frufescens, which suppressed parasitaemia by 77.34% and 72.65%, respectively, at an oral dose of 100 mg/kg and an LD50 of above 2000 mg/kg. The compound Aloinoside reported from Aloe macrocarpa leave latex was the most potent; it suppressed parasitaemia by 100% at 400 mg/kg oral dose of Plasmodium berghei infected mice, and its LD50 was above 2000 mg/kg. Toxicity was shown to be safe in 84% of the plant extracts.

Conclusion

In Ethiopia, medicinal plants have a significant part in reducing the severity of malaria due to their widespread use. As a result, more studies are needed to identify and develop effective novel drugs that could be employed in broader malaria eradication efforts.

Medicinal plants as a fight against murine blood-stage malaria

OBJECTIVE

Malaria is an infectious parasitic disease affecting most of countries worldwide. Due to antimalarial drug resistance, researchers are seeking to find another safe efficient source for treatment of malaria. Since many years ago, medicinal plants were widely used for the treatment of several diseases. In general, most application is done first on experimental animals then human. In this article, medicinal plants as antimalarial agents in experimental animals were reviewed from January 2000 until November 2020.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this systematic review published articles were reviewed using the electronic databases NCBI, ISI Web of knowledge, ScienceDirect and Saudi digital library to check articles and theses for M.Sc/Ph.D. The name of the medicinal plant with its taxon ID and family, the used Plasmodium species, plant part used and its extract type and the country of harvest were described.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The reviewed plants belonged to 83 families. Medicinal plants of families Asteraceae, Meliaceae Fabaceae and Lamiaceae are the most abundant for use in laboratory animal antimalarial studies. According to region, published articles from 33 different countries were reviewed. Most of malaria published articles are from Africa especially Nigeria and Ethiopia. Leaves were the most common plant part used for the experimental malaria research. In many regions, research using medicinal plants to eliminate parasites and as a defensive tool is popular.