Antiplasmodial activity of leaf extract and fractions of Hiern (Rubiaceae)
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Resistance to malaria infection has been of great public health concern all over the world especially in developing countries thus there is need for development of new antimalarial drugs. Natural products including medicinal plants are veritable sources for drug discovery hence their investigation for possible antimalarial effects. Rutidea smithii is a woody climbing plant used traditionally in treatment of headache, cold and fever.
Objective: To investigate the in vivo antimalarial activity of ethanol leaf extract and fractions of Rutidea smithii in chloroquine sensitive Plasmodium berghei infected mice.
Methods: Swiss albino mice were intraperitoneally infected with chloroquine sensitive P. berghei (ANKA strain). The mice were treated orally using suppressive and curative models with graded doses of extract of R. smithii (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg), fractions (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) and standard antimalarial drug; chloroquine (10 mg/kg). Preliminary phytochemical screening and acute toxicity study were also carried out.
Results: In the suppressive and curative tests, the extract demonstrated significant dose reduction in parasite level (p < 0.05) in infected mice and the survival time was also prolonged. The antimalarial activity of the fractions increased in the order hexane < butanol < aqueous < ethylacetate. The extract was devoid of toxicity up to the highest dose tested (2000 mg/kg).
Conclusion: Rutidea smithii has potent in vivo antiplasmodial activity against P. berghei which resides mainly in ethylacetate fraction thus is a veritable source of new antimalarial agents.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
Share
References
WHO (2013). World malaria report. World Health organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
WHO (2011). World malaria report. World Health organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
Salihu, OM, Sanni NA (2013). Malaria burden and the effectiveness of malaria control measures in Nigeria: A case study of Asa local government area of Kwara state. Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development 4:295-308.
Bhagavathula AS, Elnour AA, Shehab A (2016). Alternatives to currently used antimalarial drugs: in search of a magic bullet. Infectious Diseases of Poverty 5: 103-14
WHO (2002). World malaria report. World Health organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
Burkill HM (1997). The useful plants of West Tropical Africa, Vol 4, Family M-R, Royal Gardens, Kew; 611 p.
De Oliveira BH, Nakashima T, Filho JD, Frehse FL (2001). HPLC analysis of flavonoids in Eupatorium littorale. Journal of Brazilian Chemical Society 12:243-246.
The Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (2001). The OECD Guideline for Testing of Chemical 420, Acute oral toxicity.
Knight JD, Peters W (1980). The antimalarial action of N-benzoyloxy-dihydrotriazines. The action of cycloguanil (BRL50216) against rodent malaria and studies on its mode of action. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 74: 393-404.
Ryley JF, Peters W (1995). The antimalarial activity of some quinoline esters. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 84: 209-222.
Sofowora A (1993). Screening Plants for bioactive agents; In Medicinal plants and traditional medicine in Africa, 2nd ed., Sunshine House,
Ibadan, Nigeria, Spectrum Books Ltd; p. 134-156.
Shankar R, Deb S, Sharma BK (2012). Antimalarial plants of northeast India: An overview. Journal of Ayurveda Integrative Medicine 3:10-16.
Dikasso D, Mekonnen E, Debella A, Abebe D, Urga K, Menonnen W, Melaku D, Assefa A, Meknonnnen Y (2006). In vivo antimalarial activity of hydroalcoholic extracts from Asparagus africanus Lam in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei. Ethopian Journal of Health Development 20:112-118.
Thomas AM, Van Der Wel AM, Thomas AW, Janse CJ, Water AP (1998). Transinfection systems for animal models of malaria. Parasitology Today 14:248-249.
Kumar KA, Singn S, Babu PP (2006). Studies on the glycoprotein modification in erythrocytic membrane during experimental cerebral malaria. Experimental Parasitology 114:173-179.
Martins D, Veronica C (2015). Secondary metabolites of Rubiaceae species. Molecules 20:13422-13495.
Milliken A, Castelli F (1997). Malaria and antimalarial plants in Roraima Brazil. Tropical Doctor 27:20-25.
David AF, Phillip JR, Simon LC, Reto B, Solomon N (2004). Anti-malarial drug discovery: Efficacy models for compound screening. Nature Reviews 3:509-520.
Oliveira AB, Dolabela MI, Braga FC, Jacome RLRP, Varotti FP, Povoa MM (2009). Plant derived antimalarial agents: new leads and efficient
phytomedicines: Part I Alkaloids. Annals of Brazil Academy of Science 81:715-740.
Kaur K, Jain M, Kaur T, Jain R (2009). Antimalarial from nature. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry 17:3229-3256.
Dong J, Cai I, Zhu X, Huang X, Yin T, Fang H, Ding Z (2014). Antioxidant activities and phenolic compounds of cornhusk, corncob and Stigma maydis. Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society 25:1956-1964.
Abad MJ, Bedoya LM, Apaza L, Bermejo P (2012). The Artemisia L. Genus: A review of bioactive essential oils. Molecules 17:2542-2566.
Akuodor GC, Usman IM, Anyalewechi NA, Eucheria O, Ugwu TC, Theresa C, Akpan JL, Gwotmot MD, Osunkwo UA (2010). In vivo antimalarial activity of the crude leaf extract and solvent fractions of Croton macrostachyus Hocsht. (Euphorbiaceae) against Plasmodium berghei in mice. Journal of Herbal Medicine and Toxicology 4:17-23.