Effect of Aristolochia petersiana on the efficacy of fansidar.
This study sought to determine the effect of the traditional antimalarial plant, Aristolochia petersiana (Malundu) extract on the efficacy of fansidar, a pharmaceutical antimalarial drug. A. petersiana is used by traditional healers for the treatment of malaria and sore throat, as well as snakebite antivenom. It grows wild in the south eastern areas of Zimbabwe (Chimanimani and Chipinge) and in the north and north western regions (Binga and Lupane). The effect of the methanolic extract of the roots of A. petersiana, fansidar, and the extract fansidar mixture were compared on malaria parasites, revealing that the inhibition of growth of the malaria parasite was greater for the mixture than for either A. pertesiana extract or fansidar individually. Fansidar is a known inhibiter of protozoal growth, hence it was used as a positive control and the culture in which no drug was applied was used as a negative control. The results were suggestive of a synergistic relationship between A. petersiana and fansidar in their inhibition of the malaria parasite growth. The study could be extended to the establishment of formulations for use in the treatment of malaria.
Kazembe
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T
Department of Science and Mathematics Education, Faculty of Education, University of Zimbabwe, P 0 Box MP167, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Munyarari
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D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D030022:Aristolochia; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004357:Drug Synergism; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects*; D011739:Pyrimethamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013413:Sulfadoxine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015030:Zimbabwe
D000962:Antimalarials; D004338:Drug Combinations; D028321:Plant Preparations; C001205:fanasil, pyrimethamine drug combination; D013413:Sulfadoxine; D011739:Pyrimethamine