Antiplasmodial potential of Eucalyptus obliqua leaf methanolic extract against Plasmodium vivax: An in vitro study

Abstract

Malaria is an intraerythrocytic parasitic disease caused by the genus Plasmodium of which Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum are the major species. The high cost and associated side effects of antimalarial drugs triggered research about medicinal plants to develop alternative and low-cost drugs with lesser side effects. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the antiplasmodial activity of the Eucalyptus obliqua L’Hér. leaf extract against P. vivax and its phytochemicals in in vitro. The methanolic extract of E. obliqua was prepared and different concentrations of the crude extract and phytochemicals were used against P. vivax. The methanolic extract of E. obliqua showed profound antiplasmodial activity (LD50 0.084 mg/mL; 80.04%) at 0.1 mg/mL concentration after 24 h. Alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, and tannins were found in the E. obliqua methanolic extract. Only alkaloids at the concentration (0.1 mg/mL) exhibited 60.93% inhibition of P. vivax. The methanolic extract of E. obliqua exhibits antiplasmodial activity in vitro. However, in vivo efficacy is an important aspect in the testing of medicinal plants against parasitic infections and should be evaluated in future.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices towards cutaneous leishmaniasis in referral cases with cutaneous lesions: A cross-sectional survey in remote districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

“…Pakistan is home to several infectious zoonoses [ 8 , 9 ], vector-borne diseases [ 10 , 11 ], and vectors [ 12 ]. However, cutaneous leishmaniasis greatly affected the people of Pakistan, specifically those of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and several studies reported the disease in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [ 13 – 17 ].…”

Prevalence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Northern West Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

“…In Pakistan, many vector-borne and zoonotic diseases, including leishmaniasis, are predominantly existing. [37][38][39][40] Particularly, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, leishmaniasis is a burning health issue, with nearly 28,000 cases estimated in a recent epidemic. 41 The infection, caused by Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major, is prevalent in settled districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Kohat, Karak, Dir, Swat, Charsadda.…”

Clinical Implications of Expression of EphA2 and PRMT1 in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

“…Blood samples were collected to isolate P. vivax for culturing and in vitro evaluation of selected medicinal plants (Zareen et al, 2021). The study population comprised individuals who were classified under the following categories: Gender (male and female), different age groups, and areas (rural/urban), and who visited the district headquarters (DHQ) hospitals for medical examination.…”

“…The people of Pakistan rely on the use of ethnomedicine to treat malaria and many plant species and compounds are being used in remote areas (Tariq et al, 2016). This mode of treatment suits the low socioeconomic conditions and could probably counter the problem of resistance to antimalarial drugs (Zareen et al, 2021). However, one of the major challenges is the lack of standardized protocols for the evaluation of the efficacy and safety of medicinal plants (Ali et al, 2020).…”