ln vitro inhibition of beta-hematin formation and in vivo effects of Diospyros mespiliformis and Mondia whitei methanol extracts on chloroquine-susceptible Plasmodium berghei-induced malaria in mice.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: This study was carried out to investigate antiplasmodial activities of Diospyros mespiliformis (DM) and Mondia whitei (MW) in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Air-dried stem of DM and root of MW were soaked in methanol, decanted and concentrated to give extracts. Parts of these extracts were partitioned successively to give dichloromethane, ethylacetate and methanol fractions. Mice (18 ± 3 g) were infected with Plasmodium berghei-infected erythrocytes from a donor mouse and were treated with the extracts, while the drug control group received 10 mg/kg body weight of artesunate and the parasitized control received the vehicle (5% v/v DMSO). Percentage parasitemia and clearance were estimated from thin films of blood smear. Hematological parameters were determined using standard methods. Both extracts were also tested on in vitro inhibition of β-hematin formation.

RESULTS DISCUSSION AND

CONCLUSION

Results showed that DM had the least percentage parasitemia (0.67%) and highest percentage parasite clearance (84.7%) while the MW had 0.89% percentage parasitemia and 79.7% clearance at the highest dose used after the seventh day relative to untreated control. The cell free antiplasmodial activity of the fractions and extracts of both DM and MW revealed that DM significantly inhibited β-hematin formation than MW. The packed cell volume, white blood cell count, Lymphocyte, Eosinophil, Monocyte and Neutrophil significantly increased in the treated groups compared with the control. The results showed that the DM had higher antiplasmodial activity.