In vivo anti-malarial activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of rhizomes of Kniphofia foliosa and its constituents

Yonatan Alebachew,Kaleab Asres,Daniel Bisrat,Solomon Tadesse

doi:10.1186/s12936-020-03552-7

Abstract

BackgroundKniphofia foliosa is a flamboyant robust perennial herb which has dense clumps and tick upright rhizomes with leaves at the base. In Ethiopia, it has several vernacular names including Abelbila, Ashenda, Amelmela, Yeznjero Ageda, Shemetmetie and Yezinjero Ageda. The plant is endemic to Ethiopian highlands, where its rhizomes are traditionally used for the treatment of malaria, abdominal cramps and wound healing. In the present study, the 80% methanol extract of K. foliosa rhizomes and its constituents are tested against Plasmodium berghei in mice.MethodsIsolation was carried out using column and preparative thin layer chromatography (PTLC). The chemical structures of the compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods (ESI–MS, 1D and 2D-NMR). Peters’ 4-day suppressive test against P. berghei in mice was utilized for in vivo anti-malarial evaluation of the test substances.ResultsTwo compounds, namely knipholone and dianellin were isolated from the 80% methanolic extract of K. foliosa rhizomes, and characterized. The hydroalcoholic extract (400 mg/kg) and knipholone (200 mg/kg) showed the highest activity with chemosuppression values of 61.52 and 60.16%, respectively. From the dose–response plot, the median effective (ED50) doses of knipholone and dianellin were determined to be 81.25 and 92.31 mg/kg, respectively. Molecular docking study revealed that knipholone had a strong binding affinity to Plasmodium falciparum l-lactate dehydrogenase (pfLDH) target.ConclusionResults of the current study support the traditional use of the plant for the treatment of malaria.

Highlights

Kniphofia foliosa is a flamboyant robust perennial herb which has dense clumps and tick upright rhizomes with leaves at the base
Trisodium citrate was obtained from BDH Chemicals Ltd, England, Giemsa was purchased from ESJAY Chemicals, Maharashtra 401,504, India, and pure chloroquine phosphate was supplied by Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Factory (EPHARM, Ethiopia)
Plant material The rhizomes of K. foliosa were collected in February 2017 from Mount Kundi near the city of Ankober in Shewa region of Central Ethiopia and identified by Professor Sebsibe Demisew at the National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University (AAU), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where voucher specimens were deposited (Collection number: YA01/2017)

Summary

Introduction

Kniphofia foliosa is a flamboyant robust perennial herb which has dense clumps and tick upright rhizomes with leaves at the base. The 80% methanol extract of K. foliosa rhizomes and its constituents are tested against Plasmodium berghei in mice. Malaria is one of the most serious life-threatening infectious diseases [1]. It occurs mostly in poor tropical and subtropical areas of the world, where the Africa region accounted for 93% of all malaria cases and 94% of malaria deaths [2]. 272,000 were children under 5 years of age. That is nearly 745 children under age 5 daily or one child under five every two minutes dies of malaria in 2018 alone and most of these deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa [2]. In addition to funding shortfalls and fragile health systems, the major contributor to malarial morbidity and mortality is almost certainly the increasing resistance of malaria parasites to available drugs [4]

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