Beneficial interaction between Ficus platyphylla and artesunate on cytokines TNF-α and IL-10 and oxidative stress in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice.

This study investigates the effects of Ficus platyphylla and artesunate combination on the prognosis of malaria in parasitized mice. Five groups (n=6) of mice were used. Groups one and two were normal control (NC) and parasitemia control (PC) respectively. Groups 3-5 were all parasitized and administered 300 mg/kg of the extract (FPE300), 5 mg/kg artesunate (ART5), and a combination of both (ART5+FPE300) respectively. Within the five days of oral treatments, daily packed cell volume (PCV) and parasitemia load were measured. The experiment was terminated by cervical dislocation. Blood samples were immediately taken by cardiac puncture and separated into plasma and serum. Plasma samples were used to determine erythrocytes, haemoglobin and leukocytes while some cytokines (TNF- α, IL-10), antioxidant profile (malondialdehyde, reduced gluthathione, catalase, superoxide dismutase), renal (urea, creatinine, uric acid), and hepatic markers (alanine transferase, aspartate transferase, alkaline phosphatase) were assessed from serum. Administration of ART5+FPE300 significantly (P<0.01) reduced daily parasitemia load and PCV compared to PC, with erythrocytes, haemoglobin and leukocytes values being comparable to NC. In addition, this drug- herb combination significantly (P<0.05) mitigated inflammatory response, oxidative stress and hepato-renal toxicities respectively compared to PC. Co-administration of Ficus platyphylla and artesunate improves the prognosis of malaria and the resulting pathological consequences by inhibiting inflammatory response and oxidative stress in parasitized mice.