title: In vivo antimalarial activity of essential oils from Cymbopogon citratus and Ocimum gratissimum on mice infected with Plasmodium berghei.
abstract: The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from fresh leaves of Cymbopogon citratus and Ocimum gratissimum growing in Cameroon were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The main constituents of the oil of Ocimum gratissimum were gamma-terpinene (21.9 %), beta-phellandrene (21.1 %), limonene (11.4 %) and thymol (11.2 %), while the oil of Cymbopogon citratus contained geranial (32.8 %), neral (29.0 %), myrcene (16.2 %) and beta-pinene (10.5 %). The effects of these oils on the growth of Plasmodium berghei were investigated. Both oils showed significant antimalarial activities in the four-day suppressive in vivo test in mice. At concentrations of 200, 300 and 500 mg/kg of mouse per day, the essential oil of C. citratus produced the highest activity with the respective percentages of suppression of parasitaemia: 62.1 %, 81.7 % and 86.6 %. The corresponding values for the oil of O. gratissimum at the same concentrations were 55.0 %, 75.2 % and 77.8 %, respectively. Chloroquine (10 mg/kg of mouse, positive control) had a suppressive activity of 100 %.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tchoumbougnang
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Zollo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dagne
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mekonnen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D031743:Cymbopogon; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D031339:Ocimum; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; D008517:Phytotherapy; D018515:Plant Leaves; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D010938:Plant Oils