scholarly journals EFFECTIVENESS OF USING SPIRULINA IN CONJUNCTION WITH ARTEMISININ COMBINATION THERAPY AS AN ANTIMALARIAL TREATMENT

Author(s):  
Najma Assegaf ◽  
HENDRI ASTUTY

Objective: This study investigated whether the herbal plant Spirulina could be used in crude form as an alternative therapy to artemisinin combinationtherapy (ACT) for the treatment of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum.Methods: Mice infected by Plasmodium berghei were treated orally with a single dose of Spirulina (200 or 400 mg/kg body weight [BW]),dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine as a type of ACT, or a combination of the two. The level of parasitemia was then compared between the groups duringthe 4-day post-infection period.Results: There was a significant difference in the change in the level of parasitemia from day 0 to day 4 between groups (Kruskal–Wallis test, P < 0.05).Mice that were treated with both doses of Spirulina alone had a significantly higher parasitemia density than those treated with ACT alone. However,the combination of Spirulina and ACT had a synergistic effect, with 200 mg/kg BW Spirulina + ACT giving significantly better results than ACT alone.Conclusion: These findings indicate that treatment with Spirulina alone cannot be used as antimalarial medication, but its combination with ACT canlead to enhanced antimalarial activity.

Author(s):  
NURINDAH SALOKA TRISNANINGRUM ◽  
HENDRI ASTUTY

Objective: This study aimed to ascertain the effectiveness of combination treatment with propolis and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT)in avoiding further resistance to ACT.Methods: A total of 35 mice were injected with Plasmodium berghei and divided into six equal groups: No treatment (negative control), ACT alone(positive control), 75-mg propolis/kg body weight (BW), 150-mg propolis/kg BW, ACT with 75-mg propolis/kg BW, and ACT with 150-mg propolis/kg BW. After 7 days of therapy, parasite density was calculated using a thin blood smear.Results: Parasite density significantly declined after combination treatment with ACT and 150-mg propolis/kg BW.Conclusion: Therapy with propolis alone showed no inhibitory effect on parasites, although its 150-mg/kg-BW dose was effective as an ACT adjuvantmalaria therapy in mice.


Author(s):  
E. N. Ekene ◽  
O. M. Odigie

Through bite from a female Anopheles mosquito, Malaria is transmitted by infection with single-celled parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Studies have shown it to be characterized by periodic bouts of severe chills, accompanied with high fever. It has been suggested that Pennisetum purpureum possess antiplasmodial effects, however, no scientific record(s) yet exist(s) to validate this claim. This study was therefore undertaken to determine the anti-malaria and haematological properties of ethanol leaf extract of P. purpureum in Plasmodium berghei -infected mice. Thirty-Five (35) albino mice (20g) were procured, acclimatized (for two weeks) and assigned to five groups of 7 mice each. With group I receiving standard rat feed ad-libitum (control), Groups II through V were respectively infected with Plasmodium berghei (malaria infected, untreated), Plasmodium berghei infected + treated with 5mg/kg body weight of Artesunate (malaria infected, Artesunate treated), infected with Plasmodium berghei + treated with 200mg/kg body weight of Pennisetum  purpureum (malaria infected, low dose extract treated), and infected with Plasmodium berghei + treated with 400mg/kg body weight of Pennisetum  purpureum (malaria infected, high dose extract treated). After 21 days of administration, mice were sacrificed, blood samples collected, centrifuged for 10 minutes at 300g, and resulting supernatant biochemically analysed for hematologic changes. Result showed a significant increase in initial parasite count across groups except control. Administration of Artesunate also caused a significant (p < .05) reduction in parasite counts upon comparison with control. More so, administration of low and high dose extract caused a significant (p < .05) reduction in parasite count following comparison with control. Administration of 200mg/kg caused the highest parasitemia suppression than high dose. We recommend for further evaluation of the plant in other to identify active ingredients responsible for the observed antimalarial activity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agumas Alemu Alehegn ◽  
Jibril Seid Yesuf ◽  
Eshetie Melese Birru

Background. Treatment of malaria has been compromised by the emergence of drug-resistant parasites. Consequently, novel agents are urgently needed from different sources including from medicinal plants. Thus, the current study aimed at evaluating the antimalarial activity of crude extract and solvent fractions of the leaves of Bersama abyssinica (B. abyssinica) against Plasmodium berghei infection in Swiss Albino mice. Method. A 4-day suppressive test was employed to evaluate the antimalarial effect of crude extract and solvent fractions against early infection. The curative and prophylactic effects of crude extract and fraction with the highest chemosuppression were further tested by Rane’s test and residual infection procedure. Parasitemia, survival time, packed cell volume (PCV), body weight, and rectal temperature of mice were used as evaluation parameters. Windows SPSS version 20 was used to analyze the data and analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s post hoc test was used to compare data between groups. Results. The crude extract and aqueous fraction significantly (P<0.05 to 0.001) suppressed parasitemia followed by protection of PCV reduction resulting in prolonging the survival time but failed to protect body weight and rectal temperature reduction in all tested models. The ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions also showed significant chemosuppression and PCV protection in the 4-day suppressive test. The crude extract exhibited a chemosuppression of 49.51%, 57.94%, and 44.11% while the aqueous fraction showed suppression of 47.69%, 51.62%, and 37.07% in 4-day suppressive, curative, and prophylactic tests, respectively, at 400 mg/kg. Conclusion. The crude extract and fractions showed fairly moderate antimalarial activity, and the finding supports the traditional claims and previous in vitro studies. Thus, this may call for further studies to isolate chemical entities for additional safety and efficacy tests.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prapaporn Chaniad ◽  
Tachpon Techarang ◽  
Arisara Phuwajaroanpong ◽  
Chuchard Punsawad

The resistance of malaria parasites to the current antimalarial drugs has led to the search for novel effective drugs. Betula alnoides has been traditionally used for the treatment of malaria, but the scientific evidence to substantiate this claim is still lacking. Therefore, the present study aimed at evaluating the antimalarial activity and toxicity of an aqueous stem extract of B. alnoides in a mouse model. The in vivo antimalarial activity of an aqueous stem extract of B. alnoides was determined by a 4-day suppressive test in mice infected with chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei ANKA. The B. alnoides extract was administered orally at different doses of 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight. The levels of parasitaemia, survival time, body weight change, and food and water consumption of the mice were determined. The acute toxicity of the extract was assessed in the mice for 14 days after the administration of a single oral dose of 5000 mg/kg. An aqueous stem extract of B. alnoides exhibited a significant dose-dependent reduction of parasitaemia in P. berghei-infected mice at all dose levels compared to the reduction in the negative control. Extract doses of 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight suppressed the levels of parasitaemia by 46.90, 58.39, and 71.26%, respectively. The extract also significantly prolonged the survival times of the P. berghei-infected mice compared to the survival times of the negative control mice. In addition, at all dose levels, the extract prevented body weight loss in P. berghei-infected mice. For the acute toxicity, there were no significant alterations in the biochemical parameters and in the histopathology. In conclusion, the aqueous stem extract of B. alnoides possesses antimalarial properties. A single oral dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight had no significant toxic effects on the function and structure of the kidneys and liver. These results support its use in traditional medicine for the treatment of malaria.


Author(s):  
NUR HASANAH ◽  
HENDRI ASTUTY

Objective: Malaria infection remains a global concern due to increasing resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapy. This study examinedthe antimalarial effects of propolis extract alone and in combination with pasak bumi root extract.Methods: In the study, 30 mice were divided into six groups including two control groups, two groups of mice treated with propolis aloneat concentrations of 90 and 180 mg/kg body weight (BW), and two combination groups of mice treated with 90 or 180 mg/kg BW propolis incombination with 60 or 75 mg/kg BW pasak bumi, respectively. Plasmodium berghei 2% was injected into each mouse, and blood smears wereprepared after 8 days to assess parasitemia.Results: The results revealed no significant difference in parasitemia levels between the positive control and the two combination groups (p=0.136 and0.289, respectively). However, superior growth inhibition (GI) results were observed in the combination groups (97.97% and 97.83%, respectively)than in the propolis monotherapy groups, whereas better outcomes were observed in the positive control group (98.63% GI) than in the propolismonotherapy groups (23.88% and 51.66%, respectively).Conclusion: These results illustrate that combination therapy is superior to propolis monotherapy in inhibiting parasitemia.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peace Mayen Edwin Ubulom ◽  
Chinweizu Ejikeme Udobi ◽  
Mark Iheukwumere Madu

Objective. The study was designed to determine the efficacy of combined Amodiaquine and Ciprofloxacin in plasmodiasis therapy.Method. The in vivo antiplasmodial effect of different dosage levels of Amodiaquine, Ciprofloxacin, and their combinations againstPlasmodium berghei bergheiwas evaluated using Swiss albino mice.Results. Amodiaquine (a known antiplasmodial agent) had a fairly significant antiplasmodial effect reducing the parasites for every 100 red blood cells (RBC) from 66 to 16 (75.75%) at the tolerable dosage level of 7.5 mg/kg body weight while Ciprofloxacin (an antibiotic known to have antimalarial effect) showed an insignificant antiplasmodial effect reducing the parasites for every 100 RBC from 65 to 64 (1.53%) at the tolerable dosage level of 10.7 mg/kg body weight. Conversely, the combination therapy of Amodiaquine and Ciprofloxacin had a significant antiplasmodial effect at all the doses administered. The combination of 7.5 mg/kg of Amodiaquine and 12.8 mg/kg of Ciprofloxacin, however, showed the most significant antiplasmodial effect of the doses used reducing the number of parasites per 100 RBC from 60 to 10 (83.33%).Conclusions. Appropriate Amodiaquine and Ciprofloxacin combination will be effective for the treatment of malaria and better than either Amodiaquine or Ciprofloxacin singly at their recommended dosage levels.


Author(s):  
Johnson Oshiobugie Momoh ◽  
Olanrewaju Anthony Damazio ◽  
Omolayo Monsurat Oyegbami

Aim: The study determines the GC-MS and the anti-malarial activity of methanolic leaf extract of Carica papaya in Swiss mice infected with Plasmodium berghei NK65. Study Design: The experimental study lasted for five weeks. Place of Study: Department of Chemical Sciences (Biochemistry Unit) and animal House unit in Department of Biological Sciences (Environmental Biology Unit), School of Pure and Applied Sciences, Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, Lagos, Nigeria. Study Design and Methodology: AAS, GC-MS and phytochemical analyses were determined in the plant extract using standard procedures. Thirty-six Swiss mice of both sexes (26–32g) were divided into six groups of six mice each. Group A (normal control) was untreated and uninfected. Groups B–F were intraperitoneally inoculated with P. berghei NK65, while group B (disease control) was untreated-infected group, group C and D (standard drugs) received standard drugs, chloroquine (10 mg/kg B.WT) and artesunate (10 mg/kg B.WT); groups E and F received methanolic leaf extract of C. papaya at 400 and 600 mg/kg B.WT respectively. WBC, HCT and HGB were determined in the whole blood using BC-3200 Auto Hematology Analyzer. MDA, TP, SOD % inhibition, SOD unit, CAT and GSH were all determined in the liver homogenate using standard procedures. Results: The AAS analysis shows that the extract contains minerals like: potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and sodium. Twenty-six compounds were identified to be present in the extract using GC-MS analysis. The active compounds with their retention time, molecular weight, molecular formula, peak area and activities were predicted. The three major prevailing compounds and their percentage abundance are: squalene (27.28%), neophytadiene (12.71%) and phytol (10.16%) respectively. The phytochemical analysis indicates the presence of tannins, saponins, alkaloids, phenolic compounds etc. The C. papaya extract caused 56.76% and 75.53%  significant (P<0.05) reduction in parasitemia at 400 and 600 mg/kg body weight respectively while chloroquine exerted 92.86% and artesunate exerted 90.67% reduction at 10 mg/kg body weight respectively carried out during  curative test. The extract significantly (P<0.05) reduced WBC count and increase HGB and HCT concentration in the treated mice compared to the infected untreated mice. There were significant (p<0.05) increase in the TP, SOD % inhibition, SOD unit, GSH and CAT levels in the liver homogenate of animals treated with chloroquine, artesunate and extract of C. papaya compared to the untreated mice. MDA level was significantly decreased in the malaria treated mice compared to the untreated mice. Conclusions: The study shows that methanolic leaf extract of Carica papaya possess antimalarial activity in Swiss mice infected with Plasmodium berghei NK 65.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Uchechi E. Enenebeaku ◽  
Nnamdi C. Ukwandu ◽  
Ifeyinwa C. Mgbemena ◽  
Harriet C. Nwigwe ◽  
Conrad K. Enenebeaku ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Malaria is one of the tropical diseases of universal concern particularly with continuous appearance of resistant strains of P.falciparum. This calls for continous screening of traditional plants such that new and effective antimalarial agents will be developed. This study therefore explored the oral acute toxicity and antimalarial potentials of aqueous and methanolic extracts of roots, leaves and stem of Dictyandra arborescens on Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Results No mortality was recorded in any of the experimental animal groups even at the highest tested dose (5000 mg/kg b.wt) of the extract after monitoring them for 4hrs and subsequently for 7 days. Out of the six extracts, methanolic extracts of the roots and leaves exhibited more antimalarial activity than others. A significant difference (P < 0.05) was statistically observed in the parasite count of groups that received methanol extracts of roots and leaves of D. arborescens. This observation was made when these two extracts were compared with other groups as well as the negative control. However, activity of the standard antimalarial drug (artesunate) was higher (p˂0.05) than those of the extracts. Phytochemicals such as tannins, alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids, flavonoids etc. were present in the extracts in varying quantities. GC–MS analysis of methanol extract of the root of this plant showed different chemical compounds. Conclusion Administration of aqueous and methanol extracts of roots, leaves and stem of D. arborescens in mice is not harmful at any dose less than or equal to 5000 mg/kg. Methanol extracts exhibited more antimalarial activity than aqueous extracts suggesting that antimalarial activity of the plant parts could be affected by the solvent used for extraction and antimalarial activity may be more in a particular part of a plant. The presence of different bioactive compounds identified in phytochemical and GC–MS analysis could be the fundamental scientific evidence for the antimalarial activity exhibited by this plant especially in the root.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 2515690X2092053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zemene Demelash Kifle ◽  
Getnet Mequanint Adinew ◽  
Mestayet Geta Mengistie ◽  
Abyot Endale Gurmu ◽  
Engidaw Fentahun Enyew ◽  
...  

Background. The management and control of malaria has become gradually challenging due to the spread of drug-resistant parasites, lack of effective vaccine, and the resistance of vector to insecticides. Consequently, novel agents are urgently needed from different sources including from medicinal plants. In Ethiopia and Uganda, Myrica salicifolia root is traditionally claimed for the treatment of malaria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo antimalarial activity of root crude extract of M salicifolia. Methods. The parasite, Plasmodium berghei was used in this study since it is an appropriate parasite that is most commonly used because of its higher accessibility. A 4-day suppressive test was employed to evaluate the antimalarial effect of crude extract against early infection. The curative and prophylactic effect of the crude extract was further tested by Rane’s test and residual infection procedure. Parasitemia, survival time, packed cell volume, body weight, and rectal temperature of mice were used as evaluation parameters. Windows SPSS version 24 was used to analyze the data and analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s honestly significant difference to compare results between groups. Results. The root crude extract of M salicifolia significantly ( P < .05-.0001) suppressed parasitemia. The crude extract exhibited a chemosuppression of 40.90. Conclusion. The development of new antimalarial agents and the finding supports the traditional claims and previous in vitro studies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sakaewan Ounjaijean ◽  
Manas Kotepui ◽  
Voravuth Somsak

Plant species of the genus Tinospora (Menispermaceae) possess several pharmacological properties, and T. crispa has been reported to have antimalarial activity. T. baenzigeri (Chingcha Chalee) is a rich source of terpenes and quinoline alkaloids; however, it still has not yet been investigated the antimalarial activity of this plant extract. Hence, this study was aimed to evaluate the antimalarial activity of T. baenzigeri stem extract against Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. The aqueous crude extract of T. baenzigeri stem was prepared using a microwave-assisted method and tested for acute toxicity in mice. For evaluating the antimalarial activity in vivo, the standard 4-day test was carried out using groups of ICR mice infected with P. berghei ANKA administered orally by gavage with the extract (100, 250, and 500 mg/kg) for 4 consecutive days. Parasitemia, body weight, packed cell volume, and mean survival time were then measured. It was found that the aqueous crude extract of T. baenzigeri stem did not exhibit any sign of toxicity up to the dose of 2,000 mg/kg. The extract significantly (P<0.01) inhibited parasitemia in a dose-dependent manner, with 22.02%, 50.81%, and 74.95% inhibition. Moreover, the marked prevention of body weight loss and packed cell volume reduction was observed at doses of 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg of extract-treated mice. Additionally, the extract prolonged the mean survival time of P. berghei-infected mice, compared to the untreated group. In conclusion, the aqueous crude extract of T. baenzigeri stem has demonstrated potent antimalarial activity against P. berghei-infected mice with prolonged mean survival time and prevention of body weight loss and packed cell volume reduction.


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