Alaribe SC, Oladipupo AR, Uche GC, Onumba MU, Ota D, Awodele O, Oyibo WA. Suppressive, curative, and prophylactic potentials of an antimalarial polyherbal mixture and its individual components in Plasmodium berghei-Infected mice.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2021;
277:114105. [PMID:
33961995 DOI:
10.1016/j.jep.2021.114105]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE
Malaria remains one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in tropical regions of the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where it remains epidemiologically holoendemic. The absence of effective vaccines and Plasmodium resistance to antimalarial drugs have been the major challenges to malaria control measures. An alternative strategy could be the application of validated and standardized herbal formulations.
AIM OF THE STUDY
To evaluate the antimalarial activity of a polyherbal mixture (APM) and compare it to those of its individual constituent plants.
METHODS
APM consisted of stem barks of Mangifera indica (MI), Azadirachta indica (AI), Nauclea latifolia (and roots, NL) and roots of Morinda lucida (ML). Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHP) and pyronaridine-artesunate (PA) served as positive controls. Antimalarial activity was evaluated using suppressive, curative and prophylactic assays in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei.
RESULTS
All the herbal mixtures, individually and in combination, showed significant (p < 0.05) antiplasmodial activities in the various assays. They produced considerable parasite suppression (>50%), substantial clearance (>70%), and notable prophylaxis (>60%, except for NL: 35%). APM (95.4-98.7%) and AI (92%), respectively, elicited greater and comparable suppression relative to DHP (88%) and PA (87.3%). However, all the herbal decoctions, individually (72-93.6%) and in combination (82.5-91%), showed lower parasite clearance than DHP (100%) and PA (99.5%). Meanwhile, APM showed relatively greater suppression and prophylaxis than its constituent plants, suggesting that the combination produced synergistic or additive effects.
CONCLUSION
These findings could substantiate the use of these plants, singly or in combination, as traditional remedies for malaria. Further studies are recommended to evaluate their clinical usefulness.
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