A Pilot Study on Antimalarial Effects of Moringa oleifera Leaf Extract in Plasmodium berghei Infection in Mice

Abstract

The emergence and spread of antimalarial drug resistance of Plasmodium parasites, as well as hypoglycemia, during malaria infection, and subsequent death, are critical problems in malaria-endemic areas. Hence, finding new compounds, especially plant extracts having antimalarial and anti-hypoglycemic activities, are urgently needed. The present study aimed to investigate the antimalarial and anti-hypoglycemic effects of Moringa oleifera leaf extract in Plasmodium berghei infection in mice. Aqueous crude extract of M. oleifera leaves was freshly prepared and used for an efficacy test in vivo. Groups of ICR mice (5 mice in each) were infected with 1´107 infected red blood cells of P. berghei ANKA by intraperitoneal injection and given the extract orally with doses of 100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg for 4 consecutive days. Parasitemia and plasma glucose levels were subsequently measured. The results showed that M. oleifera leaf extract presented significant (p < 0.001) inhibition of parasitemia in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, this extract exerted anti-hypoglycemia effects in infected mice in a dose-dependent manner. The highest degrees of activity were found at a dose of 1000 mg/kg of the extract. Additionally, no effect on plasma glucose was found in normal mice treated with this extract. It can be concluded that aqueous crude extract of M. oleifera leaves exerted antimalarial and anti-hypoglycemic effects in P. berghei infection in mice.