Pre-infection administration of asiatic acid retards parasitaemia induction in Plasmodium berghei murine malaria infected Sprague-Dawley rats.
BACKGROUND
Malaria prevention has remained a critical area in the absence of efficacious vaccines against malaria. Drugs currently used as chemotherapeutics are also used in chemoprophylaxis increasing possible drug resistance. Asiatic acid is a natural phytochemical with oxidant, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties with emerging anti-malarial potential. The influence of asiatic acid administration prior to Plasmodium berghei infection of Sprague-Dawley rats on parasitaemia induction is here reported.


METHODS
Sprague-Dawley rats (90-120 g) were administered with asiatic acid (10 mg/kg) 48 h before intraperitoneal infection with P. berghei. Parasitaemia induction and progression, food and water intake as well as weight were compared to 30 mg/kg chloroquine-treated and infected control rats during sub-chronic studies (21 days).


RESULTS
Asiatic acid pre-infection administration preserved food and water intake as well as increase in percentage weight gain of infected animals. In pre-infection treated animals, the pre-patent period was extended to day 6 from 72 h. Asiatic acid suppressed parasitaemia while oral chloroquine (30 mg/kg) did not influence malaria induction.


CONCLUSIONS
Per-oral, pre-infection, asiatic acid administration influenced parasitaemia patency and parasitaemia progression, food, water, and weight gain percentage. This may suggest possible chemoprophylaxis effects of asiatic acid in malaria.
Discipline of Human Physiology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 4000, South Africa. greaniousa@gmail.com.
Greanious Alfred
GA
Mavondo
Discipline of Human Physiology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 4000, South Africa.
Blessing Nkazimulo
BN
Mkhwananzi
Discipline of Human Physiology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 4000, South Africa.
Musa Vuyisile
MV
Mabandla
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008288:Malaria / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D065129:Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000962:Antimalarials; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D002738:Chloroquine; C017032:asiatic acid
Asiatic acid; Malaria parasitaemia; Plasmodium berghei; Prophylaxis treatment