In vivo assessment of the antimalarial and spleen-protective activities of the Saudi propolis methanolic extract.
Antimalarial drug resistance is the main therapeutic challenge to the control of the disease, making the search for new compounds as alternative treatments of central importance. Propolis has a long history of medicinal use due to its antifungal, antibacterial and antiprotozoal properties. The present study therefore aimed to evaluate the antimalarial activity of the Saudi propolis methanolic extract against Plasmodium chabaudi infection in mice. To this end, albino mice were divided into five groups: the first group was the normal control; the second, third, fourth and fifth groups were infected intraperitoneally with 106P. chabaudi-parasitized erythrocytes. The last three groups of mice were gavaged with 100 μl of propolis extract (PE) at a dose of 25, 50 and 100 mg PE/kg, respectively, once daily for 7 days. PE significantly suppressed the parasitaemia and showed significant efficacy in ameliorating anaemic conditions in P. chabaudi-infected mice in a dose-dependent manner. Histological investigation of the spleen tissue of treated and untreated mice further supports the antimalarial potential of PE. In addition, our study proved that Saudi PE reduced oxidative damage by decreasing the malondialdehyde (MDA) and increasing the catalase (CAT) activity and the glutathione (GSH) levels. Also, Saudi PE increased the level of some pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ, TNF-α, GM-CSF and G-CSF, with the most effective dose being 100 mg PE/kg. In conclusion, PE showed antimalarial and antioxidant activities and provided protection against spleen tissue damage in P. chabaudi-infected mice.
Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.|Department of Biology, College of Sciences and Humanities, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.
Qwait
Q
AlGabbani
Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.|Unité de Recherche de Biologie intégrative et Ecologie évolutive et Fonctionnelle des Milieux Aquatiques, Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Lamjed
L
Mansour
Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Yasser A
YA
Elnakady
Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Saleh
S
Al-Quraishy
Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Suliman
S
Alomar
Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Esam M
EM
Al-Shaebi
Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia. azema1@yahoo.com.|Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt. azema1@yahoo.com.
Abdel-Azeem S
AS
Abdel-Baki
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016788:Plasmodium chabaudi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011429:Propolis / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D000962:Antimalarials; D010936:Plant Extracts; D020011:Protective Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D011429:Propolis; D005978:Glutathione
Cytokines; Histopathology; Oxidative stress; Plasmodium; Propolis; Spleen