Anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and anti-malarial activities of a West African medicinal plant--Picralima nitida.
A preliminary pharmacological screening of the methanolic extract of Picralima nitida fruit was carried out. The extract showed potent and dose-dependent anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and anti-malarial activities. Given intraperitoneally, it inhibited carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema with IC50 of 102mg/kg, and with the highest dose tested (300mg/kg) producing 72.2% inhibition. On the LPS-induced pyrexia in rabbits, 50mg/kg of the extract produced a mean percentage antipyrexia of (38.7%) compared with (29.0%) by 200mg/kg of aspirin. In a 4-day in vivo schizontocidal test in mice infected with P. berghei berghei, up to 300mg/kg daily for 4 days was ineffective in preventing the development of parasitaemia or the consequent mortality. However, marked inhibitory activity was obtained on multi-drug resistant human P. falciparium parasites cultured in in vitro. The dose causing 50% inhibition of parasite growth was 1.75 micrograms/ml compared with (0.14 microgram/ml for chloroquine. The results confirm the medicinal value of this plant and thus justify its use by natives of W. Africa.
Ezeamuzie
I C
IC
Department of Pharmacology, College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt.
Ojinnaka
M C
MC
Uzogara
E O
EO
Oji
S E
SE
D000349:Africa; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000502:physiology*; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000187:drug effects; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects*; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000962:Antimalarials; D002738:Chloroquine; D001241:Aspirin