Abstract
Background Gardenia ternifolia is utilized in traditional medicine of Ethiopia for malaria treatment and possessing in vitro antimalarial activity. However, no in vivo study was conducted to substantiate the claim. The aim of this study was to judge the antimalarial activity of Gardenia ternifolia extract in vivo in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Methods Plasmodium berghei was inoculated to healthy mice, and hydromethanolic crude extract and chloroform fraction of G. ternifolia leaves at 100 mg/kg/day, 200 mg/kg/day, and 400 mg/kg/day were administered. Percent parasitemia inhibition, percent change in bodyweight, hemoglobin level, and mean survival time were determined. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by post hoc Tukey HSD test with IBM SPSS software version 20.0 statistical package and P < 0.05 considered as statistically significant. Results The chemosuppressive test of hydromethanolic crude extract at 100 mg/kg/day, 200 mg/kg/day, and 400 mg/kg/day ranged from 27.09% to 67.72%, and chloroform fraction had 35.21%–78.19% parasitemia suppression, respectively. For curative test on day 5, hydromethanolic crude extract at 100 mg/kg/day, 200 mg/kg/day, and 400 mg/kg/day ranged from 25.58% to 48.76%, chloroform fraction at 100 mg/kg/day, 200 mg/kg/day, and 400 mg/kg/day and chloroquine base at 10 mg/kg showed 46.36%–74.42% and 92.87% percent parasitemia inhibition, respectively, and also the results to both tests were highly significant (P < 0.001) compared to the negative control. Maximum effects on chemosuppressive, curative, prevention of weight loss, and reduction in hemoglobin were observed at higher doses of the hydromethanolic crude extract and chloroform fraction. Conclusion From this study, hydromethanolic crude extract and chloroform fraction of G. ternifolia leaves have shown promising antimalarial activity. The findings support the traditional claim of G. ternifolia leaves for malaria treatment; however, species variation could also limit such a straightforward extrapolation of the findings of this study in humans.
Highlights
Gardenia ternifolia is utilized in traditional medicine of Ethiopia for malaria treatment and possessing in vitro antimalarial activity
Fresh leaves of G. ternifolia were collected on October 13, 2016, from Gondar Zuria district, Degola Chinchaye kebele, about 45 km south of the town, northwest Ethiopia. e collected material was wrapped and covered with plastic sheets during transportation. e specimen of the plant was authenticated as Gardenia ternifolia by a botanist (Getnet Chekole), in the Department of Biology, the University of Gondar, and was deposited in the herbarium with a voucher specimen (No KA1784) for future reference
Preparations of Hydromethanolic Crude Extract. e leaves of G. ternifolia were dried under shade, grounded to a course powder using hand compression, and stored in glass jars at room temperature until extraction. 400 g of G. ternifolia leaves powder was macerated in 2400 ml in 80% hydromethanol and shook frequently
Summary
In 2019, there were an estimated 229 million malaria cases of which an estimated 94% (215 million) cases occurred in Africa [1]. Resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to the cheap and safe chloroquine (CQ) and to sulfadoxinepyrimethamine (SP) caused a major drawback in effective malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa [2, 3]. Ethnomedical information indicates that G. ternifolia (Rubiaceae) has been utilized by traditional healers to palliate malaria and its related fevers [6, 7]. Fresh leaves and edible fruit extracts that are accustomed in managing hemorrhoid lesions showed an antidiabetic activity [8]. E crude acetone extract of G. ternifolia showed IC50 values of 1.06 and 0.94 μg/ml against chloroquine-resistant Indochina (W2) and chloroquine sensitive to Sierra-Leone (D6) strains of Plasmodium falciparum [10]
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