Antimalarial plant remedies from Burkina Faso: their potential for prophylactic use.
BACKGROUND
Saye, a combination remedy prepared from Cochlospermum planchonii Hook.f. (Cochlospermaceae), Cassia alata L. (Fabaceae) and Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. et Thonn. (Euphorbiaceae), N'Dribala, a Cochlospermum planchonii root decoction, and a fruit preparation of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (Meliaceae) are plant remedies of the folk medicine in Burkina Faso and are commonly used by traditional healers for the treatment of malaria.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed at validating the antiplasmodial activity of the preparations and at estimating their potential for prophylaxis, using the murine malaria system Plasmodium berghei/Anopheles stephensi.


METHODS
Aqueous extracts were orally administered to mice (6 animals per treatment group) at a daily dose of 200mg/kg body weight for nine days, applying protocols that mimic as much as possible traditional recipes and treatment schemes.


RESULTS
Saye, N'Dribala and Azadirachta indica preparations revealed prophylactic activity, reducing parasitaemia in treated mice, with respect to controls, by 52.0% (CI(95) 46.1-57.9), 45.5% (CI(95) 44.5-46.5) and 45.0% (CI(95) 41.1-48.9), respectively. No evidence of transmission blocking effects was detected with any of the tested remedies.


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms, in the murine malaria system, the antiplasmodial properties of the examined remedies on the Plasmodium stages developing in the vertebrate host, thus encouraging studies aiming at identifying the active fractions and compounds responsible for the described activity and to develop standardized prophylactic remedies.
University of Camerino, School of Pharmacy, Piazza dei Costantini, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy. yerbanga.rakiswende@unicam.it
Rakiswendé Serge
RS
Yerbanga
Leonardo
L
Lucantoni
Giulio
G
Lupidi
Geme Urge
GU
Dori
Nzangue Roselyne
NR
Tepongning
Jean Baptiste
JB
Nikiéma
Fulvio
F
Esposito
Annette
A
Habluetzel
D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000187:drug effects; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D031601:Azadirachta; D031212:Bixaceae; D002050:Burkina Faso; D002366:Cassia; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D008288:Malaria / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D029803:Phyllanthus; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000187:drug effects*
D000962:Antimalarials; D010936:Plant Extracts