In vivo Antimalarial, Antioxidant Activities and Safety of Carapa procera DC. (Meliaceae).

Background and Objectives: Carapa procera is a popular herb used by traditional healers in the western part of Burkina Faso. In a previous study, Carapa procera showed interesting antiplasmodial activity in vitro against P. falciparum. The present study aimed to evaluate its in vivo potential against malaria parasites and its safety in mice. Materials and Methods: The antimalarial activity of the ethanolic extract was evaluated on Plasmodium berghei Anka in the Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mice using the Peters 4-day suppressive test. The acute toxicity was performed according to the Lorke method and sub-acute toxicity following the Seewaboon method. The polyphenols and flavonoids were determined by colorimetric methods. The antioxidant activity of the extract was evaluated in vitro by Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAPP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) methods. Results: Carapa procera had a good antiplasmodial activity at a dose of 250 mg kg¹ b.wt. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of polyphenols and flavonoids in the extracts. Soxhlet ethanolic extracts had the highest content in polyphenols and flavonoids. The antioxidant activity of Soxhlet ethanolic extracts was better than macerated extract by DPPH method and FRAP method. Besides, no mortality in mice was recorded with the soxhlet ethanolic extract. No toxic signs were observed in animals in the sub-acute toxicity test. Conclusion: Carapa procera soxhlet ethanolic stem bark extract had a good in vivo antimalarial activity against Plasmodium berghei infection in mice and the extract was relatively safe when administered orally in mice.

Assessment of a combined strategy of seasonal malaria chemoprevention and supplementation with vitamin A, zinc and Plumpy'Doz™ to prevent malaria and malnutrition in children under 5 years old in Burkina Faso: a randomized open-label trial (SMC-NUT).

BACKGROUND: Malaria and malnutrition represent major public health concerns worldwide especially in Sub-Sahara Africa. Despite implementation of seasonal malaria chemoprophylaxis (SMC), an intervention aimed at reducing malaria incidence among children aged 3-59 months, the burden of malaria and associated mortality among children below age 5 years remains high in Burkina Faso. Malnutrition, in particular micronutrient deficiency, appears to be one of the potential factors that can negatively affect the effectiveness of SMC. Treating micronutrient deficiencies is known to reduce the incidence of malaria in highly prevalent malaria zone such as rural settings. Therefore, we hypothesized that a combined strategy of SMC together with a daily oral nutrients supplement will enhance the immune response and decrease the incidence of malaria and malnutrition among children under SMC coverage. METHODS: Children (6-59 months) under SMC coverage receiving vitamin A supplementation will be randomly assigned to one of the three study arms (a) SMC + vitamin A alone, (b) SMC + vitamin A + zinc, or (c) SMC + vitamin A + Plumpy'Doz™ using 1:1:1 allocation ratio. After each SMC monthly distribution, children will be visited at home to confirm drug administration and followed-up for 1 year. Anthropometric indicators will be recorded at each visit and blood samples will be collected for microscopy slides, haemoglobin measurement, and spotted onto filter paper for further PCR analyses. The primary outcome measure is the incidence of malaria in each arm. Secondary outcome measures will include mid-upper arm circumference and weight gain from baseline measurements, coverage and compliance to SMC, occurrence of adverse events (AEs), and prevalence of molecular markers of antimalarial resistance comprising Pfcrt, Pfmdr1, Pfdhfr, and Pfdhps. DISCUSSION: This study will demonstrate an integrated strategy of malaria and malnutrition programmes in order to mutualize resources for best impact. By relying on existing strategies, the policy implementation of this joint intervention will be scalable at country and regional levels. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04238845 . Registered on 23 January 2020 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04238845.

In Vivo Antiplasmodial Activity of Two Sahelian Plant Extracts on Plasmodium berghei ANKA Infected NMRI Mice.

Up to now, the control of malaria remains a challenge. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) for uncomplicated malaria treatment. Despite this guideline, many people in Burkina Faso use herbal medicine as primary treatment against malaria. The aim of this study was to assess the in vivo activity of Guiera senegalensis J. F. Gmel and Bauhinia rufescens Lam. leaves extracts against Plasmodium berghei ANKA. A four-day treatment of leaves decoction of each plant was administrated orally to 7 groups of six NMRI (Naval Medical Research Institute) mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA strain. The control group received distilled water as treatment while the treated groups each received daily 100, 250, and 500 mg extract/kg body weight. Thin blood smears were performed on day five and the percentage of reduction of parasitaemia was determined compared to the control. The percentages of reduction of the parasitaemia at the doses of 100, 250, and 500 mg extract/kg body weight were, respectively, 57.5%, 35.9%, and 44.9% for Guiera senegalensis and 50.6%, 22.2%, and 25.7% for Bauhinia rufescens. Our findings on antiplasmodial activity of these two plants justify the traditional use by local populations against malaria. Thus, the isolation of the active compounds from these two plants is suggested for possible antimalarial candidate drugs.