Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja 234, Nigeria.
College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gregory University Uturu, Achara Uturu, Abia 234, Nigeria.
Ann Parasitol. 2021;67(2):295-303. doi: 10.17420/ap6702.342.
Drug-herb interaction may lead to therapeutic failure or toxicities. This study investigates the effect of methanol extract of Carica papaya (papaya) on anti-malarial efficacy of artesunate and on hepato-renal toxicities in Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Five groups comprising of twenty-five mice were used for the study. Group 1 mice were non-infected and served as normal control while groups 2-5 were all parasitized. Group 2 mice were without treatment and served as parasitemia control. Group 3 mice were treated with 400 mg/kg of the extract alone while group 4 mice received 5 mg/kg of artesunate. The last group received a combination of 400 mg/kg of the extract and 5 mg/kg of artesunate. The treatment lasted five consecutive days during which daily packed cell volume and parasitemia levels were evaluated. At the end of the treatment period, mice were euthanized and blood samples were collected to determine some haematological parameters, liver and kidney function parameters and levels of oxidative stress. Co-administration of Carica papaya and artesunate significantly (P˂0.01) reduced daily parasitemia load and significantly (P˂0.01) mitigated drastic reduction in packed cell volume, red blood cells and haemoglobin levels. The combination significantly (P˂0.01) attenuated oxidative stress and does not adversely affect white blood cells and differential white blood cells count as well as hepato-renal markers. Short-term co-administration of Carica papaya and artesunate in Plasmodium berghei infected mice is a positive drug-herb combination. This should be clinically explored for the purpose of malaria treatment in humans.
药物-草药相互作用可能导致治疗失败或毒性。本研究调查木瓜（木瓜）甲醇提取物对青蒿琥酯抗疟疗效和对感染伯氏疟原虫小鼠肝肾功能毒性的影响。使用包含二十五只小鼠的五组进行研究。第 1 组小鼠未感染，用作正常对照，而第 2-5 组均感染。第 2 组小鼠未治疗，用作寄生虫对照。第 3 组小鼠单独给予 400mg/kg 的提取物，第 4 组小鼠给予 5mg/kg 的青蒿琥酯。最后一组接受 400mg/kg 提取物和 5mg/kg 青蒿琥酯的组合。治疗持续五天，在此期间每天评估红细胞压积和寄生虫血症水平。在治疗期末，处死小鼠并收集血液样本以确定一些血液学参数、肝功能和肾功能参数以及氧化应激水平。木瓜和青蒿琥酯的联合使用显著（P<0.01）降低了每日寄生虫血症负荷，并显著（P<0.01）减轻了红细胞压积、红细胞和血红蛋白水平的急剧下降。该组合显著（P<0.01）减轻了氧化应激，并且不会对白细胞和白细胞分类计数以及肝肾功能标志物产生不利影响。在感染伯氏疟原虫的小鼠中短期联合使用木瓜和青蒿琥酯是一种积极的药物-草药组合。这应该在临床上进行探索，以用于人类疟疾的治疗。
