Antiplasmodial Activity of β-Ionone and the Effect of the Compound on Amelioration of Anaemia and Oxidative Organ Damage in Mice Infected with Plasmodium berghei.

Abstract

Owing to evolution of parasite strains that are resistant to existing antimalarial drugs, research for novel antimalarial medicines is progressing on numerous fronts. Herein, we evaluated the in vivo anti-Plasmodium berghei activity of β-ionone including its ameliorative potential towards P. berghei-associated anaemia and oxidative organ damage. Mice were infected with chloroquine-sensitive strain of P. berghei and then treated with β-ionone at doses of 10 and 20mg/kg body weight (BW) for seven days. The parasitemia, packed cell volume and redox sensitive biomarkers in the liver, brain and spleen were estimated. Our result showed that β-ionone, in a dose-dependent fashion, significantly (p < 0.05) repressed the multiplication of P. berghei. More so, the compound, at doses of 10 and 20mg/kg BW, significantly (p < 0.05) mitigated anaemia and organ damage induced by P. berghei. Overall, the findings demonstrated that β-ionone has antiplasmodial actions and plays a mitigative role against P. berghei-induced anaemia and oxidative organ damage.