Journal of School of Public Health and

Owing to importance of employing native and traditional medicinal plants with good efficacy against malaria parasites, an ethanolic extract of Peganum harmala L. was tested on Plasmodium berghei in sourian mice and a comparison was made with the effect of chloroquine on the same parasite. In this study 56 sourian mice were divided into 8 groups, each consisting of seven animals. The first 7 groups were infected with P. berghei and the last group was used as control. The first seven groups were given chloroquine, Peganum harmala at four different concentrations (20, 100, 300, 600 mg/kg) and placebo, respectively and the seventh group did not receive any treatment. The evaluation was done by Rane test. In each group the level of parasitaemia was determined on days 4 & 7, and compared with values from Day 0 (just before treatment) in order to record the decline in parasitaemia in treated groups. Results were analysed using SPSS soft ware and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results indicated that, although all the four concentrations of the Peganum harmala extract significantly reduced parasitaemia in the infected subjects, the 100 mg/kg solution showed optimal effectiveness on the parasites in comparison with other concentrations and the no-treatment option. We conclude that although the ethanolic extract of peganum harmala is not as effective as chloroquine in reducing parasitaemia, it can nonetheless cause a significant decrease when compared to control and placebo groups.

Background and Aim: Due to importance of employing native and traditional medicinal plants with good efficacy against malaria parasite, an ethanolic extract of Otostegia persica, was tested on Plasmodium berghei in sourian mice and a comparison was made with the effect of chloroquine on the same parasites.

Materials and Methods: In this Study 80 Sourian mice were divided in-to 8 groups , each consists ten animals. The first 7 groups were infected with P.berghei and the last group was used as control. The first seven groups were given chloroquine, Otostegia persica . at four different concentration (20,100 ,300,450mg /kg) and placebo.respectively and the seventh group did not receive any treatment. The evaluation was done by Rane test.In each group the level of parasitemia was determined on day 4 & 7 , and compard with values from day (just before treatment) in order to record the decline parasitemia in treated groups. Result were anylased using SPSS software and T-test.

Results:The result indicated that 450 mg/kg concentration Otostegia persica significantly decreased P.berghei parasitaemia in the infected mice (P<0.05), but not as sharp as chloroquine.

Conclusion:We can concluded that the effectiveness O.persica as P.berghei in 450 mg/kg concentration can be considered, for futures studies.

  Background and Aim : Asymptomatic malaria is a great challenge in the control, elimination and eradication programs of the disease in the endemic areas. The infected individuals with asymptomatic malaria are not cured and are, consequently, a potential source for contamination of the mosquito vectors and spread of the disease in the area. Therefore, detection of asymptomatic infected people is very important as regards combating the disease. This study was conducted to determine the presence and prevalence of asymptomatic malaria in Jask district, Hormozgan Province, Iran during 2012-13, in the hope that the results will help in designing strategies to eliminate the disease in the area.

  Materials and Methods: A total of 200 persons under coverage of health centers in Jask district were selected randomly and enrolled in the study. From each subject a 5-ml blood sample was taken in 3 occasions (total number of samples = 600), slides p repared and examined using microscopic and molecular (PCR) methods, as well as rapid diagnostic (RDT) tests.

  Results: None of the 600 slides prepared microscopically showed any positive malaria case. Neither did any of those prepared by RDTs or Nested-PCR.

  Conclusion : The findings of this study indicate that implementation of the malaria control program has been successful in the area therefore the malaria elimination program should continue.