Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Prince Abubakar Audu University (formerly Kogi State University), Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria; Genomics and Molecular Biotechnology Research and Training Laboratory, Prince Abubakar Audu University (formerly Kogi State University), Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria.
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Prince Abubakar Audu University (formerly Kogi State University), Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria.
Parasitol Int. 2024 Aug;101:102873. doi: 10.1016/j.parint.2024.102873. Epub 2024 Feb 28.
Malaria remains a major public health issue worldwide, with high rates of morbidity and mortality. The resistance of Plasmodium parasites to commonly used antimalarial drugs has necessitated the development of novel drugs and targets for malaria treatment. Lycopene is a natural compound present in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables. This study aimed to evaluate the antimalarial activity of lycopene and its co-administration with chloroquine against chloroquine-resistant malaria, as well as to assess its impact on hematological abnormalities associated with malaria infection. The experimental animals for this study were infected with 10 NK65 Plasmodium berghei-infected red blood cells via intraperitoneal injection. The animals were then treated with artemether-lumefantrine, chloroquine, and varying doses of lycopene. The study evaluated percentage parasitemia, mean survival time, and various hematological parameters, including red blood cell count, hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, red blood cell distribution width - coefficient of variation, red blood cell distribution width - standard deviation, white blood cell count, granulocyte count, lymphocyte count, monocyte count, and procalcitonin level. The study revealed that lycopene demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) antimalarial activity and the ability to ameliorate hematological abnormalities associated with acute malaria infection. The findings of this study highlight the potential of lycopene as a novel antimalarial agent. The results of this study may contribute to the development of new drugs for malaria treatment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
疟疾仍然是全球主要的公共卫生问题，发病率和死亡率都很高。疟原虫对常用抗疟药物的耐药性使得有必要开发新的药物和治疗疟疾的靶点。番茄红素是一种存在于番茄和其他红色水果和蔬菜中的天然化合物。本研究旨在评估番茄红素的抗疟活性及其与氯喹联合用药对氯喹耐药性疟疾的作用，并评估其对疟疾感染相关血液学异常的影响。本研究的实验动物通过腹腔注射感染了 10 NK65 伯氏疟原虫感染的红细胞。然后，用青蒿琥酯-咯萘啶、氯喹和不同剂量的番茄红素对动物进行治疗。研究评估了疟原虫血症百分比、平均存活时间和各种血液学参数，包括红细胞计数、血细胞比容、血红蛋白浓度、平均红细胞体积、平均红细胞血红蛋白、红细胞分布宽度-变异系数、红细胞分布宽度-标准偏差、白细胞计数、粒细胞计数、淋巴细胞计数、单核细胞计数和降钙素原水平。研究表明，番茄红素表现出显著的（p < 0.05）抗疟活性，并能改善与急性疟疾感染相关的血液学异常。本研究的结果强调了番茄红素作为一种新型抗疟药物的潜力。本研究的结果可能有助于开发治疗疟疾的新药，特别是在中低收入国家。
