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: Medicinal plants provide an excellent source of drugs and new drug combinations, including the basis for the development of drug resistance to common anti-malarial treatments. In this study we investigated and compared the effect of an alcoholic extract of saffron and its constituents with that of chloroquine on malaria in mice.

Materials and Methods: A total of 65 male mice similar as regards gender, weight and age were randomly divided into 13 groups of 5 each. Eleven of the groups were infected with Plasmodium berghei and treated with saffron extract and its constituents and chloroquine based on the proposed method of Ryley and Petrs. Upon detecting the parasite in peripheral blood of the infected mice, they were treated with an aqueous, alcoholic or ethyl acetate solution at a dose of 350, 700 or 1050 mg/kg body weight (BW), chloroquine at a dose of 20mg/kg BW, and an iron chelator (50mg/kg BW). The solutions with the most effective concentrations were determined. Oral treatment at every stage lasted for up to 4 days. Parasite reduction in the groups treated with the extract was determined on days 4 and 7 and compared with that in the control, placebo and chloroquine groups. The Group 13 mice had no parasite injection and received no drug and were kept in the animal house only to control accidental death.

Results: Data analysis (t-test; SPSS) showed the most effective concentrations to be 700mg/kg ethyl acetate solution and 350 and 700mg/kg saffron extract, causing a significant reduction of parasitemia in the infected mice on day 7 (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate the potential effect of the alcoholic extract of saffron on Plasmodium berghei and, therefore, should receive proper attention.