Antimalarial Activity of Traditionally Used Western Ghats Plants from India and Their Interactions with Chloroquine Against Chloroquine-Tolerant Plasmodium berghei

Abstract

An ethnopharmacological investigation was undertaken on Western Ghats plants traditionally used to treat malaria; 50 plants were very carefully selected from total of 372 plants, and 216 extracts were prepared and tested for in vivo antiplasmodial activity alone and in combination with chloroquine (CQ) against CQ-tolerant Plasmodium berghei (strain NK65). In in vivo antiplasmodial activity when plant extract alone is used, 81 extracts (or 37.5%) gave 52.90% significant parasitemia inhibition on day 4 postinfection and 39 extracts (or 18%) gave 41-89% mouse survival on day 9 postinfection. In combination with CQ on day 11 postinfection, 103 extracts (or 47.68%) gave mouse survival rate of 92% and on day 14 gave maximum mouse survival up to 70-79%. The fact that these activities were up to fourfold higher with CQ mostly resulted in longer mouse survival because of significant parasitemia inhibition. Our investigation have confirmed that above 70% of the plant extracts showed moderate to high in vivo antimalarial activity when used alone and in combination with CQ, and most of the extracts showed border line to good synergistic activity.

In vitro and in vivo antimalarial activity of the volatile oil of Cyperus articulatus (Cyperaceae)

“…In addition to the in vitro efficacy, our in vivo results also showed VOCA to be active in reducing malarial parasitemia levels, as 48.9% suppression at 10 mg kg -1 and >74% at 100 and 200 mg kg -1 are above the threshold of 40% parasite suppression in vivo proposed for a compound to be considered active (Coutinho et al 2013;Rezende et al 2013). Samy and Kadarkari (2011) evaluated the antimalarial potential of extracts from C. rotundus leaves from western India, alone or in combination with chloroquine, against P. berghei tolerant to chloroquine (NK65 strain). Mice treated with a dose of 500 mg kg -1 of crude extract (CE), methanolic extract (ME) and the cyclohexane (CH) and methylene chloride (MC) fractions showed 84, 87, 85 and 80% parasitemia inhibition, respectively.…”

Prospective Plants with Corroborated Antimalarial Actions: A Review

“…In another study, 200 mg/kg of R. serpentina leaf ethanol extract showed antimalarial activity in P. berghei NK65 strain infected mice model with 84.14% chemo suppression, while 400 mg/kg R. serpentina leaf hot water extract showed 82.53% chemo suppression (Omoya et al, 2019). In another in vivo study, a dose of 500 mg/kg of cyclohexane and methylene chloride extracts of R. serpentina root displayed moderate antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine-resistant P. berghei NK65 strain with 20% survival on 9 th day of post-infection (Samy and Kadarkari, 2011).…”

Antimalarial herbal drugs: a review of their interactions with conventional antimalarial drugs

“…Suppression at the combined doses (20 and 10 mg/kg) ranged from 70 to 95.98% in suppressive, prophylactics and curative tests [5]. Moderate to high in vivo antimalarial activity [30] 11 Carica papaya leaf (50 mg/kg) ART (15 mg/kg) Antagonism [31] Vernonia amygdalina (VA); Artesunate (ART); Plasmodium berghei (P.berghei); Chloroquine (CQ).↓ (Decreased activity), ↑ (Increased activity) Enhanced antiplasmodial activity and mean survival time [11] Vernonia amygdalina (VA); Artesunate (ART); Plasmodium berghei (P. berghei); Chloroquine (CQ). Amodiaquine (AQ).…”

“…A total of 216 extracts from 50 Western Ghats traditionally used to treat malaria were tested for in vivo antiplasmodial activity alone as well as in combination with CQ against CQ-tolerant P. berghei strain. The study revealed that more than 70% of the plant extracts displayed moderate to high in-vivo antimalarial activity when used separately as well as in combination with CQ [30].…”