Due to the emergence and spread of malaria parasite with resistance to antimalarial drugs, discovery and development of new, safe, and affordable antimalarial are urgently needed. In this respect, medicinal plant extracts are targets to optimize antimalarial actions and restore efficacy of standard antimalarial drugs. The present study was aimed at determining the antimalarial activities of Gynostemma pentaphyllum and Moringa oleifera leaf extracts in combination with artesunate against Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. P. berghei ANKA maintained by serial passage in ICR mice were used based on intraperitoneal injection of 1 × 107 parasitized erythrocytes and subsequent development of parasitemia. These infected mice were used to investigate the antimalarial activity of artesunate (6 mg/kg) in combination with 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/kg of G. pentaphyllum and M. oleifera leaf extracts using 4-day suppressive test. It was found that these extracts showed significant (P < 0.05) antimalarial activity in dose-dependent manner with percentage of suppression of 45, 50, and 55% for G. pentaphyllum leaf extract and 35, 40, and 50% for M. oleifera leaf extract. Additionally, artesunate combined with these extracts presented higher antimalarial activity, compared to extract treated alone with percentage of suppression of 78, 91, and 96% for G. pentaphyllum leaf extract and 73, 82, and 91% for M. oleifera leaf extract. The results indicated that combination treatment of G. pentaphyllum or M. oleifera leaf extracts with artesunate was able to increase the antimalarial activity by using low dose of artesunate. Hence, these results justified the combination of these extracts and artesunate in antimalarial herbal remedies.
Hemolysis is one manifestation of Plasmodium parasite infection and well-known causes of death in severe malaria. The present study was aimed to investigate protective effect of Gynostemma pentaphyllum extract on hemolysis-induced by Plasmodium berghei infection in mice. Aqueous crude extract of G. pentaphyllum leaves was prepared using hot water method. Standard 4-day test was used to evaluate the efficacy of this extract on hemolysis during malaria infection. Groups of ICR mice (5 mice of each) were inoculated with 1x107 parasitized erythrocytes of P. berghei ANKA (PbANKA) by intraperitoneal injection, and subsequently given the extract (100, 1,000, and 3,000 mg/kg) orally by gavage twice a day for 4-consecutive days. The results showed that aqueous crude extract of G. pentaphyllum leaves exhibited significant (p<0.05) dose-dependent protection of hemolysis-induced by PbANKA. The maximum activity was observed at a dose of 3,000 mg/kg extract. Additionally, no any toxicities were found in normal mice treated with this extract. It can be concluded that aqueous crude extract of G. pentaphyllum leaves exerted protective effect on hemolysis-induced by malaria infection.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.