Screening of antiplasmodial efficacy of Ajuga bracteosa Wall ex. Benth

Abstract

The rising problem of Plasmodium resistance to the classical antimalarial drugs stresses the need to look for newer antiplasmodial components with effective and new mode of action. In the present study, the traditional medicinal plant Ajuga bracteosa has been screened for its antiplasmodial efficacy. The extract was found to possess significant in vitro antiplasmodial efficacy with an IC(50) of 10.0 μg/ml. Thus, the extract was further evaluated for its in vivo schizontocidal activity and efficacy in terms of survival time in Plasmodium berghei infected BALB/c mice. The extract at 250, 500, and 750 mg/kg/day exhibited significant (p<0.0001) blood schizontocidal activity during established infection with enhanced mean survival time comparable to that of standard drug chloroquine, 5 mg/kg/day. The significant schizontocidal activity and enhanced mean survival time of mice stress the need to identify and characterize active antiplasmodial principle from this plant.

Antiplasmodial activity of Xanthium strumarium against Plasmodium berghei-infected BALB/c mice

“…There are approximately 300-500 million clinical cases and 1.2-2.8 million deaths each year due to this devastating disease (Chandel and Bagai 2011). The rising problem of resistance to the classical drugs (chloroquine and sulphadoxine/ pyrimethamine) and the problem of recrudescence of artemisinin stress the need to look for new antimalarial agents (Giha 2011).…”

Antiarthritic effects of Ajuga bracteosa Wall ex Benth. in acute and chronic models of arthritis in albino rats

“…The effect of EEAB at 20 mg/kg was found to be slightly more than that of aspirin after 6 h of treatment (Table 1). Table 1 also summarized the effect of EEAB (5,10,20 mg/ kg) and aspirin on formaldehyde induced arthritis. EEAB significantly suppressed the joint oedema when compared with control between day 2 and day 10 post formaldehyde Table 2 showed the time course of oedema due to CFA and inhibition rate after the administration of EEAB.…”

“…The left footpad of each rat was injected subcutaneously with 0.05 mL (0.5% w/v) of CFA. Different groups of animal (n=6) received control vehicle (normal saline, 3 mL/kg), EEAB (5,10,20 mg/ kg, i.p.) and standard drug (aspirin, 100 mg/kg, i.p.…”

“…The herb has also been credited for its astringent, febrifugal, stimulant, tonic, and diuretic properties [1] . The previous pharmacological investigations on A. bracteosa have reported the antifeedant activity against Spodoptera littoralis larvae [2] , cancer chemopreventive [3] , and antiplasmodial [4,5] activities. A. bracteosa was also reported to inhibit the acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and lipoxygenase activity [6] .…”

Induction of Mitotic Delay in Pharyngeal and Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells Using an Aqueous Extract of Ajuga bracteosa

“…Bractin A, bractin B, and bractic acid, a long-chain polyhydroxy acid, were isolated from the whole plant of Ajuga bracteosa (AB) along with four known diterpenoids 10. AB has been widely used in folk medicine in Asian countries against gout, hepatitis, pneumonia, rheumatism, various neuro-inflammatory disorders 11, and as an antiplasmodial agent 12, 13.…”