Chemotherapeutic Interaction of Vernonia Amygdalina (Delile) Leaf Extract with Artesunate and Amodiaquine in Murine Malaria Model
Loading...
Date
2020-03-27
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International
Abstract
Aim of the Study: Conventional antimalarial drugs are used concurrently with herbal remedies in
malarial endemic developing countries. Vernonia amygdalina is one of such popular herbs used in
the treatment of malaria. This study aimed at investigating the antimalarial chemotherapeutic
interaction of Vernonia amygdalina (VA) when combined with Amodiaquine (AQ) and/or Artesunate
(AS) in a murine Plasmodium berghei malaria model.
Methodology: Various doses of aqueous VA leaf extract (100-500 mg/kg/day), AQ (2-10
mg/kg/day) and AS (0.8-4 mg/kg/day) were administered orally to P berghei.-infected Swiss albino mice to determine their sub-therapeutic doses. These doses were subsequently used to investigate
the chemotherapeutic interactions of VA with AQ and/or AS in both early and established malaria
infection test models. The survival of animals with established infections that received different
drug/herb treatments were determined using their mean survival time (days) and Kaplan-Meier
survival curves (percentage). Using GraphPad Instat (version 3.10) and PrismR (version 5.01) the
data obtained were subjected to One-way ANOVA, followed by Student-Newman-Keuls test.
P < .05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The sub-therapeutic doses of VA, AQ and AS were found to be 100 mg/kg, 2 mg/kg and
2.4 mg/kg, respectively. The chemosuppressive effect of AQ or AS was significantly increased
(p< 0.05) when administered in combination with the VA extract. Similarly, combination of VA
extract with AQ or AS resulted in significant (P < .05) parasite clearance when compared to the
effects of the herb or the conventional drugs administered separately. The mean survival period of
animals with established infection was also significantly enhanced by the VA alone or with AQ
(or AS) compared to placebo.
Description
Keywords
Chemotherapeutic interaction, Murine malaria model, Vernonia amygdalina, Artesunate, Amodiaquine