Probing the effects of increased protein intake on Plasmodium berghei parasitemia level in Swiss Webster mice

Abstract

Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, with Indonesia being no exception. Upon infection, the host's immune system plays a pivotal role in combating the malaria parasite. Proteins, being essential macronutrients for supporting the immune system, hold particular significance. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the impact of supplementary protein intake on the parasitemia levels of Plasmodium berghei in Swiss Webster mice. This research followed an experimental with a Posttest-only Control Design. Swiss Webster mice were selected as the study subjects. As an adjuvant therapy, casein was administered as an additional protein intake to the subjects. The severity of the infection was assessed by measuring the parasite count per µL of blood on the final day of the research, following the Peter 4-days suppressive test protocol. The findings of this study unveiled a significant correlation between the dose of casein and the severity of the infection. Interestingly, the correlation exhibited a positive trend, which deviates from the anticipated results based on the research's theoretical framework. The presence of other variables that may have influenced these outcomes will be thoroughly explored and discussed in this article. From this result we hope it may spark some new question to bridge a new research idea in the future.