Seeds of Asparagus schweinfurthii (Liliaceae) Protects Mice from Fatal Murine Experimental Cerebral Malaria
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: Most people die in Africa due to plasmodium with lead to complication cases principally in Plasmodium falciparum infection. For unknown reasons, P. falciparum progress to severe malaria resulting in high mortality rate in children mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. Difficulties in severe malaria therapy result in complexity to predict early symptoms and when people can develop severe malaria. For adjunctive therapy, New drug are need, to improve outcome in cerebral malaria. Asparagus schweinfurthii is a perennial plants with multiple proprieties including antiprotozoal, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties with emerging antimalarial potential. The influence of A. schweinfurthii administration to rescue and prior to Plasmodium berghei infection on parasitemia induction is there reported. Extract of A. schweinfurthii was administered at doses of 38. 12, 19.06, 9. 5 and 3. 8 mg/kg to mice (15–18 g) 72h before intraperitoneal infection with P. berghei (prophylaxis test) or days 6 post-infection (pi) (rescues therapy). Parasitemia induction and progression, clinical signs of experimental cerebral malaria and temperature were recorded during sub-chronic studies (18 days). Administration of A. schweinfurthii in pre-infected animals preserved significantly temperature loss (p<0,001). The plant extract also abolish significantly (p<0, 001) parasitemia and clinical signs of experimental cerebral malaria while oral Cofantrine (10 mg/kg) failed to prevent malaria induction. Administered orally, prior to the infestation of mice with plasmodium berghei; A. schweinfurthii administration influenced parasitemia patency and parasitemia progression as well as temperature loss. This may suggest possible chemoprophylaxis effects of A. schweinfurthii on malaria parasite.
Institution: University of Ngaoundéré
Language: English
Topic: Malaria Research and Control
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3047985186