ABSTRACT
The effect of chloroquine, folic and ascorbic acid on malaria parasite induced oxidative stress was the focus of this study. The study relevance derives from the need to understand the specific roles of these individual organic acids used in combination with chloroquine. Study Design: The design involves five groups of control (non-parasitized-nontreated), parasitized nontreated (PnT), parasitized chloroquine and ascorbic acid treated (Pcq+asT), parasitized chloroquine and folic acid treated (Pcq+faT) and parasitized chloroquine, ascorbic and folic acid treated (Pcq+asT+faT). Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biochemistry Ambrose Alli University (Faculty of Natural Sciences). This study is part of a research that lasted three years. Materials and Methods: Treatment regime was for three days after parasitemia in mice was established with Gemsa stain. All biochemical and haematological parameters assayed for in this project were conducted using standard procedures. Result: Chloroquine and vitamin treatments significantly (P=.05) reduced erythrocyte fragility (EF), total bilirubin and increased packed cell volume (PCV) when compared with PnT parameters of mice. Treatments significantly (P=.05) increased serum albumin compared with control and had no effect on the serum albumin levels of PnT mice. Treatment with cq+asa and cq+as+fa resulted in significant (P=.05) oxidative stress in mice compared to control but reduced (P=.05) oxidative stress in comparison with PnT mice. Exceptionally, chloroquine and folic acid treatment did not show any significant change in oxidative stress and superoxide dismutase activity in mice when compared with control. Conclusion: The results suggest chloroquine and folic acid treatment to be more effective than ascorbic acid or other combination treatment employed in this study in the management of malaria induced oxidative stress.
ABSTRACT
This research attempts to examine the effects of ascorbic and folic acid intervention on the haematology, antioxidants molecules and enzymes of mice exposed to malaria infection. The study involves three groups of control (non-parasitized-nontreated), parasitized-nontreated (PnT) and parasitized ascorbic and folic acid treated (P+as+faT). Intervention with ascorbic and folic acids commenced for three days after parasitemia had been established in mice. Results from this study showed that ascorbic and folic acid intervention in malaria condition reduced (P<0.05) total protein, erythrocyte fragility (EF), increased (P<0.05) packed cell volume (PCV) in comparison with PnT and control mice groups. Lipid peroxidation product in serum, Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and Catalase (CAT) activity and reduced glutathione (GSH) reduced in parasitized mice administered with ascorbic and folic acid doses, as against those of control, whereas SOD activity in Control and CAT activity in PnT observed to increase and decrease, respectively. The extent of lipid peroxidation in kidney was effectively reduced by ascorbic and folic acid compared to PnT. In liver SOD activity, CAT activity, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity significantly (P<0.05) reduced in P+as+faT as against PnT and control groups. From these observations therefore, we draw the conclusion that ascorbic and folic acids combination in malaria infection may reduce lipid peroxidation and stimulate cellular pathways that enhance the production of high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide.
ABSTRACT
In this investigation extracts of leaves and barks from five tropical antimalarial plants namely; Magnifera indica, Anacardium occidentale, Azachiractha indica, Carica papaya Linn and Cymbopogm citrates were studied in vitro for their total phenolics, total flavonoids and inhibition of lipid peroxidation abilities. Crude extracts from each plant material were obtained by maceration in ethanol and water respectively. The FolinCiocalteu procedure was used to assess the total phenolic concentrations of the extracts and results expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE). Total flavonoid contents in extracts were determined by the aluminium chloride colorimetric assay and expressed as quercetin equivalents (QAE). The percentage inhibition of lipid peroxidation was assayed by estimating the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS). The phenolic contents in water extracts of Anacardium occidentale leaves was 452.57 ± 8.08mg/gGAE and that of bark was recorded as 267.15 ± 6.06mg/gGAE. The ethanolic and water extracts of Azachiractha indica bark were found to be 310.71 ± 7.07mg/gGAE and 390.64 ± 6.97mg/gGAE respectively. The extracts of Magnifera indica leaves had the highest flavonoid content of 139.08 ± 0.77mg/100gQAE in ethanol and 69.55 ± 0.39 mg/100gQAE in water. The least values observed were 21.19 ± 0.64 mg/100gQAE for water extract of Anacardium occidentale leaves and 30.73 ± 0.26 mg/100gQAE for ethanolic extract of Anacardium occidentale bark. Inhibition of lipid peroxidation in liver and kidney were observed as 15.92 ± 3.01% and 17.10 ± 3.48% in ethanolic extracts of Anacardium occidentale bark and leaves respectively while it was 30.67 ± 0.47% for Carica papaya Linn. The water extract of Azachiractha indica bark inhibited liver lipid peroxidation by 8.70 ± 0.32% while that of Anacardium occidentale bark inhibited kidney lipid peroxidation by 11.78 ± 1.08%. These results suggest a need for further examination of the water extract of Anacardium occidentale bark as this part of the plant appears to be critical in the phytotherapy of malaria infection.