Antiplasmodial and antiulcer activities of Melanthera scadens

• Published in: Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine 2012, Vol.2 (1), p.16-20
• Main Authors: Okokon, Jude E, Etebong, Ette O, Udobang, John A, Obot, Jackson
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: activity; Animals; Anti-Ulcer Agents - isolation & purification; Anti-Ulcer Agents - therapeutic use; Antimalarial; Antimalarial activity; Antimalarials - isolation & purification; Antimalarials - therapeutic use; Antiplasmodial; Antiplasmodial activity; Antiulcer; Antiulcer activity; Antiulcerogenic; Antiulcerogenic activity; Artesunate; Asteraceae - chemistry; berghei; Chemical; Chemical constituent; constituent; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Indomethacin; Malaria - drug therapy; Malaria - prevention & control; Male; Melanthera; Melanthera scadens; Mice; Original; Parasitaemia; Peptic Ulcer - drug therapy; Peptic Ulcer - prevention & control; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Plasmodium; Plasmodium berghei; Plasmodium berghei - drug effects; Pyrimethamine; Rats; scadens; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 2221-1691; 2588-9222
• DOI: 10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60182-2

Objective:To evaluate the antimalarial and antiulcerogenic activities ofleaf exlracl and fractions of Melanthera scandens(M.scandens).Methods:The crude leaf extract(37-111 mg/kg)and fractions(chloroform,ethylacetale and methanol;78 mg/kg)of M.scadens were investigated for antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei infections in mice and for antiulcer activity against experimentally-induced ulcers.The antimalarial activity during early and established infections as well as prophylactic was investigated.Artesunate(5 mg/kg)and pyrimethamine(1.2 mg/kg)were used as positive controls.Thin films made from tail blood of each mouse were used to assess the level of parasitaemia of the mice.Antiulcer activity of the crude extract was also evaluated against indomethacin,ethanol and histamine induced ulcers.Results:The extract and its fractions dose-dependently reduced parasitaemia induced by chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei infection in prophylactic,suppressive and curative models in mice.These reductions were statistically significant(P<0.00l),They also improved the mean survival time(MST)from 9.28 to 17.73 days as compared with the control(P<0.0l-0.001).The activities of extract/fractions were incomparable to that of the standard drugs ie.artesunate and pyrimethamine.On experimentally-induced ulcers,the extract inhibited indomethacin,ethanol and histamine induced ulcers.These inhibitions were statistically significant(P<0.001)and in a dose-dependent fashion.Conclusions:The antiplasmodial and antiulcerogenic effects of this plant may in part be mediated through the chemical constituents of the plant.