Antiplasmodial activity of aqueous extract of Berberis aristata roots against Plasmodium berghei-infected BALB/c mice.

CONTEXT: The rising problem of resistance to present antimalarial drugs stresses the need to look for newer antiplasmodial components with effective modes of action. The roots of Berberis aristata DC. (Berberidaceae) are used in the traditional medicine for malaria in various parts of India. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate antiplasmodial activity of B. aristata roots extract for the validation of its traditional medicinal use. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Aqueous root extract of Berberis aristata (AREBA) was screened for its in vitro as well as in vivo antiplasmodial activity against lethal rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei NK65. In vitro activity was evaluated against schizont maturation of P. berghei using various concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 µg/mL. For in vivo studies, AREBA at the doses of 150, 250, 350, and 650 mg/kg/d was administered to P. berghei infected BALB/c mice orally for 4 consecutive days (D0-D3). RESULTS: AREBA showed in vitro antiplasmodial activity with an IC50 value of 40 µg/mL. In vivo studies demonstrated a variable dose-dependent chemosuppression with higher efficacy at lower doses. At a dose of 350 mg/kg/d, the suppressive and preventive activities were found to be 67.1% and 53.9%, respectively, followed by enhancing mean survival period up to 12.8 d for the curative assay versus 7.5 d for the untreated mice. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These results provide relevant scientific evidences for the traditional medicinal use of this plant as malaria remedy and further advocates the isolation and characterization of active antiplasmodial principle from this plant.

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

The present work was undertaken to evaluate the antiplasmodial activity of ethanolic leaves extract of traditional medicinal plant Xanthium strumarium in Plasmodium berghei-infected BALB/c mice along with phytochemical screening and acute toxicity test to support its traditional medicinal use as a malaria remedy. The ethanolic leaves extract of X. strumarium (ELEXS) 150, 250, 350 and 500 mg/kg/day demonstrated dose-dependent chemosuppression during early and established infection long with significant (p < 0.001) repository activity. The oral administration of 500 mg/kg/day concentration showed a maximum of 88.6% chemosuppression during early infection, which was more than that of the standard drug chloroquine (5 mg/kg/day) with 88.3% chemosuppression. However, 60% mortality has been found in this group. The LD(50) of ELEXS was found to be 1.5 g/kg/mouse. The administration of 350 mg/kg/day concentration of extract have been found to exert 90.40% chemosuppression during repository infection, which was well comparable to standard drug pyrimethamine (1.2 mg/kg/day) exerting 92.91% chemosuppression. The extract has been found to enhance mean survival time of mice from 21 to 26 days with 250 and 350 mg/kg/day concentrations, while 150 mg/kg/day concentration has been found to sustain all the mice up to 29 days which was similar to the employed standard drug chloroquine (5 mg/kg/day). All these findings support the ethanopharmacological use of X. strumarium as malarial remedy and indicate the potential of plant for active antiplasmodial components.

Screening of antiplasmodial efficacy of Ajuga bracteosa Wall ex. Benth.

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.