Prophylactic effects of probiotic bacterium Latilactobacillus sakei on haematological parameters and cytokine profile of mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA during early malaria infection.

Malaria is a deadly parasitic disease caused a by protozoan parasite of the genus plasmodium. The challenges facing by chemotherapy and vector control couple with the lack of vaccine against malaria necessitate an urgent need for the development of alternative treatment regimens to combat this disease. One possible antimalarial treatment regimen is the use of probiotic bacteria as dietary supplements. Traditionally fermented milk is a rich source of probiotic bacteria that up to date, very few studies have been carried out on their immunoprotective effects against early malaria infection in mice. This study sought to assess the prophylactic activities of a probiotic bacterium Latilactobacillus sakei on malaria and inflammation in Plasmodium berghei infected mice. The probiotic bacterium was isolated from the Fulani's traditionally fermented milk and identified using the sequencing of the 16S r RNA gene. The repository activity of L. sakei on malaria was assessed using the method described by Peters with slight modification. Eighty-four BALB/c mice were randomly divided into two sets of seven groups of six mice each. One set received orally different doses of L. sakei Chloroquine and Sulfadoxine/Pyrimethamine for seven days before infection while the other set received for fourteen days before infection with 0.1 mL of 10Plasmodium berghei. Parasitaemia density, haematological parameters and inflammatory cytokines profile were evaluated. Data were presented as Mean ± SEM and analysed using SPSS version 20.0. The results of this study revealed that L. sakei significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in dose dependent manner parasite load, body weight loss and reduction of body temperature in all the treated mice when compare to untreated mice. Leukocytopenia, thrombocytosis and inflammation were also found to be significantly (p < 0.05) prevented in treated mice as compared to untreated mice. This study suggested that L sakei possesses immunomodulation and protective effects on early malaria infection in Plasmodium berghei mice.