In-vivo antimalarial activity of aqueous leaf and bark extracts of Trema orientalis against Plasmodium berghei in mice

In Vitro and in Vivo Antimalarial Activity, Cytotoxicity and Phytochemical HRMS2 Profile of Plants from the Western Pará State, Brazilian Amazonia

Ethnopharmacology and botanical taxonomy are valid criteria used to selecting plants for antimalarial bioprospection purposes. Based on these two criteria, ethanol extracts of 11 plants from Santarém City vicinities, Western Pará State, Brazilian Amazonia, had their in vitro antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum (W2 clone) assessed by the PfLDH method, whereas their cytotoxicity to HepG2-A16 cells was assessed through MTT assay. Acmella oleracea, Siparuna krukovii and Trema micrantha extracts disclosed the highest rate of parasite growth inhibition (90 %) in screening tests. In vivo antimalarial assays were conducted with these extracts against Plasmodium berghei (NK 65 strain) infected mice. Inhibition rate of parasite multiplication ranged from 41.4 % to 60.9 % at the lowest extract dose (25 mg/kg). HPLC-ESI-HRMS2 analyses allowed the putative identification of alkylamides, fatty acids, flavonoid glycosides and alkaloids in ethanol extracts deriving from these three plant species. Results pointed towards A. oleracea flowers ethanol extract as the most promising potential candidate to preclinical studies aiming the development of antimalarial phytomedicine.

A review on anti-peptic ulcer activities of medicinal plants used in the formulation of Enterica, Dyspepsia and NPK 500 capsules

Peptic ulcer disease affects many people globally. With the increasing resistance to some orthodox antibiotics such as Clarithromycin and Metronidazole, it is important that new acceptable, safer and effective therapies are developed to manage this disease. Various herbal medicines have been used traditionally for the remedy of peptic ulcer disease (PUD), however scientific information with regards to their anti-peptic ulcer both in-vivo and in-vitro as well as clinical studies supporting their use is still inadequate. The Centre for Plant Medicine Research, (CPMR) Mampong-Akuapem, Ghana manufactures three herbal Products namely Enterica, Dyspepsia and NPK 500 capsules which are currently used for the remedy of PUD as a triple therapy at its out-patient clinic with promising effects. The aim of this review is to gather information from literature on the anti-ulcer properties, pharmacological, phytochemical constituents and related activities of herbal plants used at the CPMR for formulation of the triple herbal therapy. This review may, provide some scientific bases for the use of Enterica, Dyspepsia and NPK 500 capsules in the management of Peptic ulcer at the CPMR out-patient clinic.

METHODS

Organization for the review involved the on and/or offline search for information from available literature using electronic data and scientific research information resources such as PubMed, Science Direct and Google scholar.

RESULTS

In this review, fifteen ethno-medicinal plants used for the formulation of Enterica, Dyspepsia and NPK capsules have been discussed, presenting the description of the plants, composition and pharmacological activity.

INTERPRETATION

Tables with the summary of reviewed medicinal plants with their anti-ulcer models and inference on possible mechanisms of action were drawn up. The mechanism(s) of action of individual plants and products (Enterica, Dyspepsia and NPK 500 capsules) must be further investigated and established experimentally in-vitro in addition to in-vivo pharmacological and clinical activity studies to confirm their use in the remedy of PUD.

Potential antimalarial activity of Coccinia barteri leaf extract and solvent fractions against Plasmodium berghei infected mice

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Coccinia barteri (Hook. F.) is traditional used in Southeast of Nigeria in management of fever. This study aimed to evaluate the antimalarial activities of hydro-methanol crude extract and solvent fractions of Coccinia barteri leaf.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two animal models employed for the study were, 4-day suppressive and curative assays against chloroquine sensitive Plasmodium berghei NK65. Level of parasitaemia, mean survival time (MST), anal temperature and weight loss were measured to assess antimalarial efficacy of the extract/fractions. Chloroquine (10 mg kg^-1) was used as positive control. Chemo-profile of extract was evaluated using GC-MS, HPLC techniques and standard phytochemical analysis. Preliminary toxicity test was done using modified Lorke's method.

RESULTS

The crude extract (100-400 mg kg-¹) and solvent fractions (20-80 mg kg-¹) demonstrated antimalarial activity in both models compared to controls. Semi purified fractions of the extract produced stronger percentage chemosuppression and inhibition of parasite. The % inhibition of the fractions, hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous at 80 mg kg^-1 were 96.0 0, 95.29, 89.86 and 96.00% respectively on day 8 (D₈). While on D₁₄, 100% parasite clearance, indicating cure was obtained for hexane, chloroform and aqueous fraction treatment groups, no death occurred in these groups. Ethyl acetate fraction treated groups lived longer but were not fully protected. Some marker compounds were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

These results support the use of C. barteri as malaria remedy and potential source of antimalarial templates. Long acting parasitaemia reduction effect indicates its possible combination potential in poly-herbal combination therapy.

Trema orientalis (Linn.) leaves promotes anticancer activity in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in Swiss albino mice

Background The in vivo anticancer effect of the Trema orientalis leaves crude methanol extract (TLME) was screened against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in Swiss albino mice. Materials and methods The cytotoxic activity of TLME was determined in vitro by the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The growth inhibitory activity and morphological alterations were determined by the hemocytometer counting of the EAC cells using trypan blue dye. The apoptotic cells were assessed by DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining. The hematological and biochemical parameters of experimental mice were also estimated. Results After treatment with the TLME, the viable tumor cell count, morphological changes and nuclear damages of the EAC cells were observed along with the hematological parameters of the experimental mice. The LD50 of TLME was 3120.650 mg/kg body weight, and this extract was proven to be safe at a dose of as high as 800 mg/kg body weight. The oral administration of the TLME at 400 mg/kg body weight resulted in approximately 59% tumor cell growth inhibition compared with the control mice, with considerable apoptotic features, including membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation and aggregation of the apoptotic bodies in DAPI staining under a fluorescence microscope. The TLME also dose-dependently restored the altered hematological parameters to approximately normal levels. The TLME exhibited bolstering cytotoxic effect against the EAC cell with the IC50 value of 29.952 ± 1.816 μg/mL. Conclusion The TLME has potential as a natural anti-cancer product with apoptosis induction property and cytotoxicity against carcinoma cells.