Evaluation of Senna singueana leaf extract as an alternative or adjuvant therapy for malaria

Abstract

The emergence of malarial resistance to most antimalarial drugs is the main factor driving the continued effort to identify/discover new agents for combating the disease. Moreover, the unacceptably high mortality rate in severe malaria has led to the consideration of adjuvant therapies. Senna singueana leaves are traditionally used against malaria and fever. Extracts from the leaves of this plant demonstrated in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities, which in turn could reduce the severity of malaria. Extracts from the root bark of this plant exhibited antiplasmodial activity; however, the leaves are the more sustainable resource. Thus, S. singueana leaf was selected for in vivo evaluation as a potential alternative or adjuvant therapy for malaria. Using malaria [Plasmodium berghei ANKA, chloroquine (CQ) sensitive]-infected Swiss albino mice of both sexes, 70% ethanol extract of S. singueana leaves (alone and in combination with CQ) was tested for antimalarial activity and adjuvancy potential. The 4-day suppressive test was used to evaluate antimalarial activity. The dose of S. singueana extract administered was safe to mice and exhibited some parasite suppression effect: extract doses of 200 mg/kg/d, 400 mg/kg/d, and 800 mg/kg/d caused 34.54%, 44.52%, and 47.32% parasite suppression, respectively. Concurrent administration of the extract with CQ phosphate at varied dose levels indicated that the percentage of parasite suppression of this combination was higher than administering CQ alone, but less than the sum of the effects of the extract and CQ acting separately. In conclusion, the study indicated that 70% ethanol extract of S. singueana leaf was safe to mice and possessed some parasite suppression effect. Coadministration of the extract with CQ appeared to boost the overall antimalarial effect, indicating that the combination may have a net health benefit if used as an adjuvant therapy.

Ethanolic Extract of Folium Sennae Mediates the Glucose Uptake of L6 Cells by GLUT4 and Ca2+

“…The Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010) and Chinese Materia Medica state that senna leaves contain four sennosides (A, B, C, and D), rhein, emodin, chrysophanol, aloe-emodin, physcion, tinnevellin glucoside, kaempferol, phytosterol and its glycosides, pine camphor, salicylic acid, and several other ingredients. In addition to being well known as a natural laxative [ 27 ], the senna leaf has been found to exhibit antioxidant [ 28 ], antibacterial [ 29 ], anti-inflammatory [ 30 ], antitumor [ 31 ], analgesic [ 32 ], antimalarial [ 33 ], and antidiabetic [ 34 ] activities. Ayinla et al reported that the ethanolic leaf extract of Senna fistula improved hematologic parameters, lipid profiles, and oxidative stress in alloxan-induced diabetic rats [ 35 ].…”

Senna singueana: Antioxidant, Hepatoprotective, Antiapoptotic Properties and Phytochemical Profiling of a Methanol Bark Extract

“…Furthermore, the leaves from Northern Ethiopia showed promising antimalarial activities alone or in a combination with chloroquine [ 16 ]. The root bark from plants from Kenya showed antinociceptive activities in vivo and the leaves from plants growing in southern Malawi were safe when investigated using brine shrimp lethality [ 17 , 18 ].…”

Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants commonly used in snakebites in North Western Nigeria

“…Psychopharmacological potential (Magaji et al, 2014), anti-diabetic properties (Yusuf et al, 2010) and in vitro inhibition of glioblastoma multiforme cell survival (Magaji et al, 2015) of S. virosa were scientifically validated. The use of S. singuena was reported as an alternative or adjuvant therapy for malaria (Hiben et al, 2015). Out of the 25 medicinal plants documented in this survey, only one, Xerompis nilotica has been scientifically validated to possess anti-snake bite (Ushanandini et al, 2009).…”