In Vivo antimalarial activity of aqueous extracts from Kenyan medicinal plants and their Chloroquine (CQ) potentiation effects against a blood‐induced CQ‐resistant rodent parasite in mice

Abstract

Hot water extracts from eight medicinal plants representing five families, used for malaria treatment in Kenya were screened for their in vivo antimalarial activity in mice against a chloroquine (CQ) resistant Plasmodium berghei NK65, either alone or in combination with CQ. Extracts of three plants, Toddalia asiatica (root bark), Rhamnus prinoides (leaves and root bark) and Vernonia lasiopus (root bark) showed high chemosuppression in the range 51%-75%. Maytenus acuminata, M. heterophylla, M. senegalensis and Rhamnus staddo had moderate activities of 33%-49% parasitaemia suppression in the root bark and/or leaf extracts, while Withania somnifera (root bark) had a non-significant suppression (21%). In combination with CQ, extracts of V. lasiopus (all parts), leaf extracts of M. senegalensis, R. prinoides and T. asiatica as well as root barks of M. heterophylla, R. staddo and T. asiatica had improved parasitaemia suppression in the range 38%-66%, indicating synergistic interactions. Remarkable parasitaemia suppression by the extracts, either alone or in combination with CQ resulted into longer survival of mice relative to the controls, in some cases by more than 2 weeks. Plants, which showed significant antimalarial activity including V. lasiopus, T. asiatica and R. prinoides, should further be evaluated in the search for novel agents against drug-resistant malaria.

Antimalarial properties of crude extracts of seeds of Brucea antidysenterica and leaves of Ocimum lamiifolium

“…The difference between the antimalarial activities of extracts of both plants in all the three solvents may indicate differences in the level and composition of active compounds [29]. The difference may also be due to differences between the solvents used for the extraction of the plant materials as the secondary metabolites/compounds could be different.…”

Evaluation of herbal antimalarial MAMA decoction-amodiaquine combination in murine malaria model

“…Therefore, there is an urgent need for innovative and alternative strategies to combat the resistant strains of the parasite. Some studies have shown that plant-based preparations, co-administered with orthodox drugs, produced better antimalarial activities on both chloroquine (CQ)-sensitive and CQ-resistant Plasmodium strains (Ahorlu et al 1997;Muregi et al 2003Muregi et al , 2007Adibe 2009;Anagu et al 2014). MAMA decoction (MD), an herbal remedy prepared from a mixture of the leaves of Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae), Alstonia boonei De Wild (Apocynaceae), Morinda lucida Benth (Rubiaceae) and Azadirachta indica A. Juss (Meliaceae) in equal proportions, has been reported to possess antimalarial activities on CQ-sensitive P. berghei NK65 in rodents with acceptable safety (Akanmu et al 2013;Adepiti et al 2014;Odediran et al 2014).…”

Growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis in human cancerous HeLa cells by Maytenus procumbens

“…M. heterophylla and M. senegalensis are used to treat respiratory ailments and inflammation (da Silva et al, 2011). The in vivo antiplasmodial (Muregi et al, 2007) and in vitro antileishmanial activities (Matu and van Staden, 2003) of different species of the genus Maytenus have been reported previously. Antimicrobial activities of various Maytenus ssp.…”