MODULATIVE EFFECTS OF ETHANOL LEAF-EXTRACT OF STACHYTARPHETA CAYENNENSIS ON LIPID PROFILE AND OXIDATIVE STRESS MARKERS OF PLASMODIUM BERGHEI-INFECTED MICE


Effect of ethanol leaf-extract of Stachytarpheta cayennensis on lipid profile and some oxidative stress markers of Plasmodium berghei-infected mice was investigated using a total of 42 albino mice. The mice were randomly assigned into seven experimental groups of A-G with six mice in each group. Mice in groups A, B, C, D, E, and G were all infected with Plasmodium berghei, intraperitoneally with the exception of those in group F. Mice in groups A, B, C and D were treated with graded doses of 200, 400, 800 and 1600 mg/Kg body weight of the ethanol leaf-extract of Stachytarpheta cayennensis respectively. The group E (Standard control) mice were treated with 5 mg/Kg body weight of standard drug (Lonart). Mice in group G served as negative control (without any treatment) while mice in group F (Normal control) were administered with normal saline only. All the mice were allowed access to water and feed ad libitum. Evaluation of the parameters was done using standard methods. Treatment of the infected mice with the ethanol leaf-extract of Stachytarpheta cayennensis reduced parasite count significantly (p<0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. Infection of mice with Plasmodium berghei caused a significant increase (p<0.05) in the levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), triacylglycerides (TAG), and malondialdehyde (MDA) while activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and levels total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) significantly decreased (p<0.05) when compared with the normal control. However, treatment of P.berghei-infected mice with the ethanol leaf-extract of Stachytarpheta cayennensis at the doses of 200, 400, 800 and 1600 mg/Kg of the mice showed a significant dose-dependent reversal (p<0.05) in the trends of these markers to a level similar to the level observed in the standard control group, especially the highest dose of 1600 mg/Kg body weight of the mice. This study provides scientific evidence on the antimalarial potentials of Stachytarpheta cayennensis and its anti-oxidant potentials. Keywords: S. cayennensis, Lipid profile, Oxidative stress, Malaria and Anti-oxidants


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