In vivo antimalarial activity of extracts of Tanzanian medicinal plants used for the treatment of malaria
Loading...
Date
2016
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology & Research
Abstract
Plants used in traditional medicine have been the source of a number of currently used
antimalarial medicines and continue to be a promising resource for the discovery of
new classes of antimalarial compounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vivo
antimalarial activity of four plants; Erythrina schliebenii Harms, Holarrhena pubescens
Buch‑Ham, Phyllanthus nummulariifolius Poir, and Caesalpinia bonducella (L.) Flem
used for treatment of malaria in Tanzania. In vivo antimalarial activity was assessed
using the 4‑day suppressive antimalarial assay. Mice were infected by injection via tail
vein with 2 × 107 erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA. Extracts were
administered orally, once daily, for a total of four daily doses from the day of infection.
Chloroquine (10 mg/kg/day) and solvent (5 mL/kg/day) were used as positive and negative
controls, respectively. The extracts of C. bonducella, E. schliebenii, H. pubescens, and
P. nummulariifolius exhibited dose‑dependent suppression of parasite growth in vivo
in mice, with the highest suppression being by C. bonducella extract. While each of the
plant extracts has potential to yield useful antimalarial compounds, the dichloromethane
root extract of C. bonducella seems to be the most promising for isolation of active
antimalarial compound(s). In vivo antimalarial activity presented in this study supports
traditional uses of C. bonducella roots, E. schliebenii stem barks, H. pubescens roots,
and P. nummulariifolius for treatment of malaria.
Key words: In vivo, malaria, medicinal plants, Plasmodium berghei
Description
Keywords
In vivo, malaria, Medicinal plants, Plasmodium berghei
Citation
Nondo, R.S., Erasto, P., Moshi, M.J., Zacharia, A., Masimba, P.J. and Kidukuli, A.W., 2016. In vivo antimalarial activity of extracts of Tanzanian medicinal plants used for the treatment of malaria. Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology & Research, 7(2), p.59.