IN VITRO AND IN VIVO ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL ANTIMALARIAL ACTIVITY OF EXTRACTS AND SOLVENT FRACTIONS, ACUTE AND SUBACUTE TOXICITY OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT FROM TRICLISIA GILETTII (DE WILD) STANER ROOT BARKS (MENISPERMACEAE) ON SWISS ALBINO MICE

Mangombo K.H., Mampuya M.C., Kikweta M.C., Tshodi E.M., Lusakibanza M., Mesia K.G., Tona L.G., Cimanga K.R.*

ABSTRACT

The present study was initiated to evaluate the antimalarial or antiplasmodial activity of aqueous, methanol 80% and total alkaloids extracts as well as solvent fractions from the partition of aqueous and methanol 80% extracts of Triclisia gilettii root barks against Plasmodium falciparum NF54 sensitive to chloroquine and Plasmodium falciparum KI resistant to chloroquine and pyrimethamine in vitro test, and towards Plasmodium yoeli 67 and Plasmodium berghei berghei ANKA in vivo test. Results revealed that in vitro test, aqueous, methanol 80% and total alkaloids extracts inhibited the growth of both selected Plasmodium strains with concentrations 50 (IC50) < 10 μg/mL as pronounced and produced selective index (SI) of 2.55±0.05, 2.57±0.03 and 2.16±0.04 against P. Plasmodium NF54 and 2.14±0.03, 1.71±0.06 and 1.63±0.03 towards P. falciparum K1 showing thus, their selective antimalarial effect. Choloroform, ethylacetate, n-butanol and residual aqueous solvent fractions from the partition of aqueous extract exhibited antiplasmodial activity against P. falciparum NF54 with selective index (SI) between 1.01±0.07 and 1.36±0.05 by inhibiting its growth with IC50 values ranging between 5.86±0.09 and 8.54±0.11 μg/ and exerted the same effect against P. falciparum K1 with IC50 values between 6.04±0.08 and 10.32±0.13 μg/mL with SI ranging between 0.83±0.05 and 1.07±0.05. The same solvent fractions from the partition of methanol 80% extract displayed antiplasmodial activity against P. falciparum NF54 with IC50 values between 4.14±0.05 and 8.34±0.06 μg/ml with SI values between 0.88±0.06 and 1.52±0.10 and IC50 values between 6.12±0.08 and 10.11±0.07 μ/mL towards P. falciparum K1 with SI values between 0.72±0.08 and 1.11±0.13 expressing their selective or non-selective antimalarial effect according the case. Artesunate and Quinine 2HCl displayed high antimalarial effect with IC50 values of 1.54±0.03 and 2.15±0.04 μg/ml and 2.23±0.04 and 4.13±0.02 μg/mL towards P. falciparum NF45 and K1 strains respectively with good SI against Plasmodiums NF54 and K1 of 6.77±0.06 and 7.00±0.04 and 4.67±0.04 and 3.64±0.04 respectively and showed high activity compared to extracts and solvent fractions. In vivo test, results revealed that aqueous, methanol 80% and total alkaloids extracts administered at dose oral of 400 mg/kg bw produced percentage chemosuppressions of 77.48±0.08, 85.24±0.13 and 85.70±0.04% against P. yolei and 75.13±0.11, 82.25±0.08 and 84.96±010% against P. b. berghei respectively. Artesunate and Quinine 2HCl used as reference antimalarial drugs engendered chemosuppression percentages of 90.96±0.08 and 89.36±0.05% against P. yolei 67 and 90.44±0.03 and 89.15±0.07% towards P. b. berghei respectively and showed high activity compared to the three extracts while total alkaloids ME-2 extract displayed high activity confronted to aqueous AE-1 and methanol 80% ME-1 extracts and this last extract exhibited high activity compared to aqueous EA-1 extract. All extracts from T. gilettii root barks and reference drugs showed good and interesting in vitro and in vivo antimalarial effects mainly exploitable in traditional medicine for the use particularly of aqueous extract for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in humans in traditional medicine.

Keywords: Triglisia gilleti, Menispermaceae, root barks, extracts, solvent fractions, Plasmodium strains, malaria.