Screening of antiplasmodial efficacy of Ajuga bracteosa Wall ex. Benth

Parasitol Res. 2011 Apr;108(4):801-5. doi: 10.1007/s00436-011-2250-6. Epub 2011 Jan 25.

Abstract

The rising problem of Plasmodium resistance to the classical antimalarial drugs stresses the need to look for newer antiplasmodial components with effective and new mode of action. In the present study, the traditional medicinal plant Ajuga bracteosa has been screened for its antiplasmodial efficacy. The extract was found to possess significant in vitro antiplasmodial efficacy with an IC(50) of 10.0 μg/ml. Thus, the extract was further evaluated for its in vivo schizontocidal activity and efficacy in terms of survival time in Plasmodium berghei infected BALB/c mice. The extract at 250, 500, and 750 mg/kg/day exhibited significant (p<0.0001) blood schizontocidal activity during established infection with enhanced mean survival time comparable to that of standard drug chloroquine, 5 mg/kg/day. The significant schizontocidal activity and enhanced mean survival time of mice stress the need to identify and characterize active antiplasmodial principle from this plant.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Ajuga / chemistry*
  • Animals
  • Antimalarials / isolation & purification
  • Antimalarials / pharmacology*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical*
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Malaria / drug therapy
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Plant Extracts / isolation & purification
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Plasmodium berghei / drug effects*
  • Rodent Diseases / drug therapy
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Plant Extracts