Top

Published in:

01-07-2007 | Original Paper

In vitro anti-plasmodial and in vivo anti-malarial activity of some plants traditionally used for the treatment of malaria by the Meru community in Kenya

Authors: James W. Gathirwa, Geoffrey M. Rukunga, Eliud N. M. Njagi, Sabah A. Omar, Anastasia N. Guantai, Charles N. Muthaura, Peter G. Mwitari, Cecilia W. Kimani, Peter G. Kirira, Festus M. Tolo, Teresia N. Ndunda, Isaiah O. Ndiege

Published in: Journal of Natural Medicines | Issue 3/2007

Abstract

Extracts of seven medicinal plant species used for treatment of malaria in traditional/cultural health systems of the Ameru people in Kenya were tested in vitro and in vivo against Plasmodium falciparum (D6 and W2 strains) and P. berghei, respectively. Of the plants tested, 28.57% were highly active (IC₅₀ <10 μg/ml) and 42.86% moderately active (IC₅₀ 10–50 μg/ml), while 28.57% had weak activity of 50–125 μg/ml in vitro. The water and methanol extracts of Boscia salicifolia Oliv. and Artemisia afra Jacq. (ex-Willd.) were the most active against both the chloroquine (CQ)-sensitive (D6) and the CQ-resistant (W2) P. falciparum strains. Artemisia afra and Rhus natalensis Bernh. (ex-Krauss) exhibited the highest parasite clearance and chemo-suppression (>70%) in vivo (in mice). The plants with high in vitro anti-plasmodial (low IC₅₀ values) and high anti-malarial activity (high chemo-suppression) in vivo are potential sources of novel anti-malarial drugs.

Breman JG (2001) The ears of the hippopotamus: manifestations, determinants, and estimates of the malaria burden. Am J Trop Med Hyg 64:1–11PubMed

WHO (2000) Global surveillance on control of leishmaniasis. A report of the scientific group. Technical report series, no. 529. WHO, Geneva

Trape JF (2001) The public health impact of chloroquine resistance in Africa. Am J Trop Med Hyg 64:12–17PubMed

Snow RW, Trape JF, Marsh K (2001) The past, present and future of childhood malaria mortality in Africa. Trends Parasitol 17:593–597PubMedCrossRef

Olliaro PL, Bloland PB (2001) Clinical and public health implications of anti-malarial drug. In: Rosenthal PJ (ed) Drug discovery. Humana, Totowa, pp 65–83

Ridley RG (1997) Plasmodium. Drug discovery and development; an industrial perspective. Exp Parasitol 87:293–304PubMedCrossRef

Harald N, Chansuda W, Walther H (2003) Malaria drug-sensitivity testing: new assays, new perspectives. Trends Parasitol 19:175–178CrossRef

Majori G (2004) Combined anti-malarial therapy using artemisinin. Parasitologia 46:85–87

Trape JF (2002) Combating malaria in Africa. Trends Parasitol 18:224–230PubMedCrossRef

10.

Bloland P (2001) Drug resistance in malaria. WHO/CDS/DRS.4. WHO, Geneva

11.

Mueller MS, Karhagomba IB, Hirt HM, Wemakor E (2000) The potential of Artemisia annua L. as a locally produced remedy for malaria in the tropics: agricultural, chemical and clinical aspects. J Ethnopharmacol 73:487–493PubMedCrossRef

12.

Tagboto S, Townson S (2001) Anti-parasitic properties of medicinal plants and other naturally occuring products. Adv Parasitol 50:199–295PubMedCrossRef

13.

Garham PCC (1966) Malaria parasites and other haemosporidia. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 470

14.

Meshnick SR (2001) Artemisinin and its derivatives. In: Rosenthal PJ (ed) Anti-malarial chemotherapy: mechanisms of action, resistance, and new directions in drug discovery. Humana, Totowa, pp 191–201

15.

Njoroge GN, Bussmann RW (2006) Diversity and utilization of anti-malarial ethno-phytotherapeutic remedies among the Kikuyus (Central Kenya). J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2:1–8CrossRef

16.

Wanyonyi AW, Chhabra SC, Mkoji G, Eilert U, Njue WM (2002) Bioactive steroidal alkaloid glycosides from Solanum aculeastrum. Phytochemistry 59:79–84PubMedCrossRef

17.

Muregi FW, Chhabra SC, Njagi ENM, Lang’at-Thoruwa CC, Njue W.M, Orago ASS, Omar SA, Ndiege IO (2004) Anti-plasmodial activity of some Kenyan medicinal plant extracts singly and in combination with chloroquine. Phytother Res 18:379–384PubMedCrossRef

18.

Muregi FW, Chhabra SC, Njagi ENM, Lang’at-Thoruwa CC, Njue WM, Orago ASS, Omar SA, Ndiege IO (2003) In vitro anti-plasmodial activity of some plants used in Kisii, Kenya against malaria and their chloroquine potentiation effects. J Ethnopharmacol 84:235–239PubMedCrossRef

19.

Wanyoike GN, Chhabra SC, Lang’at-Thoruwa CC, Omar SA (2004) Brine shrimp toxicity and anti-plasmodial activity of five Kenyan medicinal plants. J Ethnopharmacol 90:129–133PubMedCrossRef

20.

Kirira PG, Rukunga GM, Wanyonyi AW, Muregi FM, Gathirwa JW, Muthaura CN, Omar SA, Tolo F, Mungai GM, Ndiege IO (2006) Anti-plasmodial activity and toxicity of extracts of plants used in traditional malaria therapy in Meru and Kilifi districts of Kenya. J Ethnopharmacol (in press)

21.

Houghton PJ (2001) Old yet new-pharmaceuticals from plants. J Chem Ed 78:175–184CrossRef

22.

Dominique D, Karine LR, Pina S, Pietro A, Daniel P, Patrick P, Laurent M, Christian D (2001) Pfnek-1, a NIMA-related kinase from the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum; biochemical properties and possible involvement in MAPK regulation. Eur J Biochem 268:2600–2608CrossRef

23.

Trager W, Jensen JB (1976) Human malaria parasites in continuous culture. Science 193:673–675PubMedCrossRef

24.

Schlichtherle M, Wahlgren M, Perlmann H, Scherf A (2000) Methods in malaria research, 3rd edn. MR4/ATCC, Manassas, pp 1–74

25.

Desjardins RE, Canfield C, Haynes J, Chulay J (1979) Quantitative assessment of anti-malarial activity in vitro by a semi-automated microdilution technique. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 16:710–718PubMed

26.

Azas N, Laurencin N, Delmas F, Giorgio C, Gasquet M, Laget M, Timon-David P (2001) Synergistic in vitro anti-malarial activity of plant extracts used as traditional herbal remedies in Mali. Parasitol Res 88:165–171

27.

Sixsmith DG, Watkins WM, Chulay JD, Spencer HC (1984) In vitro anti-malarial activity of tetrahydrofoliate dehydrogenase inhibitors. Am J Trop Med Hyg 33:772–776PubMed

28.

Peters W, Portus JH, Robinson BL (1975) The chemotherapy of rodent malaria, XXII. The value of drug-resistant strains of Plasmodium berghei in screening for blood schizontocidal activity. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 69:155–171PubMed

29.

Gessler MC, Tanner M, Chollet J, Nkunya MHH, Heinrick M (1995) Tanzanian medicinal plants used traditionally for the treatment of malaria: in vivo anti-malarial and in vitro cytotoxic activities. Phytother Res 9:504–508CrossRef

30.

Ajaiyeoba EO, Abalogu UI, Krebs HC, Oduola AMJ (1999) In vivo anti-malarial activities of Quassia amara and Quassia undulata plant extracts in mice. J Ethnopharmacol 67:321–171PubMedCrossRef

31.

Tona L, Mesia K (2001) In-vivo antimalarial activity of Cassia occidentalis, Morinda morindoides and Phyllanthus niruri. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 95:47–57PubMedCrossRef

32.

Armitage P, Berry G (1991) Statistical methods in medicinal research. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 90–92

33.

Kurokawa M, Nagasaka K, Hirabayashi T, Uyama S, Sato H, Kageyama T, Kadota S, Ohyama H, Hozumi T, Namba T, Shiraki K (1995) Efficacy of traditional herbal medicines in combination with acyclovir against herpes simplex virus type 1 infection in vitro and in vivo. Antiviral Res 27:19–37PubMedCrossRef

34.

Wright CW, Phillipson JD (1990) Natural products and the development of selective anti-protozoal drugs. Phytother Res 4:4–10CrossRef

35.

Dunnett CW (1964) New tables for multiple comparisons with a control. Biometrics 1:482–491CrossRef

36.

Benoit F, Robert A, Meunier B (2000) In vitro and in vivo potentiation of artemisinin and synthetic endoperoxide anti-malarial drugs by metalloporphyrins. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 44:2836–2841CrossRef

37.

Kingsbury JM (1964) Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, pp 626

38.

Collu G, Unver N, Peltenburg-looman AG, Van der Heijden R, Verpoorte R, Memelink J (2001) Geraniol 10-hydroxylase1, a cytochrome p450 enzyme involved in terpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthesis. FEBS Lett 508:215–220PubMedCrossRef

39.

Vimala Y, Jain R (2001) A new flavone in mature Catharanthus roseus petals. Indian J Plant Physiol 6:187–189

40.

Hirose F, Ashihara H (1984) Metabolic regulation in plant cell culture-fine control of purine nucleotide biosynthesis in intact cells of Catharanthus roseus. J Plant Physiol 116:417–423

41.

Kraft C, Jenett-Siems K, Siems K, Jakupovic J, Mavi S, Bienzle U, Eich E (2003) In vitro anti-plasmodial evaluation of medicinal plants from Zimbabwe. Phytother Res 17:123–128PubMedCrossRef

42.

Verotta L, Dell’agli M, Giolito A, Guerrini M, Cabalion P, Bosisio E (2001) In vitro antiplasmodial activity of extracts of tristaniopsis species and identification of the active constituents: ellagic acid and 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl-(6′-o-galloyl)-o-β-d-glucopyranoside. J Nat Prod 64:603–607PubMedCrossRef

43.

Benoit F, Valentin A, Pelissier Y, Diafouka F, Marion C, Kone-Bamba D, Kone M, Mallie M, Yapo A, Bastide JM (1996) In vitro anti-malarial activity of vegetal extracts used in West African traditional medicine. Am J Trop Med Hyg 54:67–71PubMed

44.

Mainen JM, Joseph CC, Zakaria H, Mbwambo MK, Nkunya HHM (2004) Testing beyond ethno-medical claims: brine shrimp lethality of some Tanzanian plants. Pharm Biol 42:547–551CrossRef

Title: In vitro anti-plasmodial and in vivo anti-malarial activity of some plants traditionally used for the treatment of malaria by the Meru community in Kenya
Authors: James W. Gathirwa
Geoffrey M. Rukunga
Eliud N. M. Njagi
Sabah A. Omar
Anastasia N. Guantai
Charles N. Muthaura
Peter G. Mwitari
Cecilia W. Kimani
Peter G. Kirira
Festus M. Tolo
Teresia N. Ndunda
Isaiah O. Ndiege
Publication date: 01-07-2007
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: Journal of Natural Medicines / Issue 3/2007
Print ISSN: 1340-3443
Electronic ISSN: 1861-0293
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-007-0140-0

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

In vitro anti-plasmodial and in vivo anti-malarial activity of some plants traditionally used for the treatment of malaria by the Meru community in Kenya

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 3/2007

Microvascular protective activity in rabbits of triterpenes from Hylocereus undatus

Comparison of Curcuma sp. in Yakushima with C. aeruginosa and C. zedoaria in Java by trnK gene sequence, RAPD pattern and essential oil component

Survey of Ephedra resources in the Northern Areas of Pakistan and their genetic diversity

Stimulating effects of Grifola frondosa (Maitake) on human osteoblastic cell cultures

A new kaempferol trioside from Solidago altissima L.

Chemical constituents of Polyalthia parviflora stem