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.
Department of Pharmacology, College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt.
I C
IC
Ezeamuzie
M C
MC
Ojinnaka
E O
EO
Uzogara
S E
SE
Oji
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