Dhar R, Zhang K, Talwar G P, Garg S, Kumar N
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
J Ethnopharmacol. 1998 May;61(1):31-9. doi: 10.1016/s0378-8741(98)00012-9.
Neem (Azadirachta indica) has been shown to possess anti-malarial activity. In this study we systematically evaluated extracts of neem seeds and purified fractions further enriched in polar or non-polar constituents for their effect on in vitro growth and development of asexual and sexual stages of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Use of synchronized stages of parasites suggested trophozoites/schizonts as the susceptible target stages to various neem extracts. In addition, all the maturation stages of gametocytes were also killed by various neem fractions tested. The anti-plasmodial effect of neem components was also observed on parasites previously shown to be resistant to other anti-malarial drugs, i.e. chloroquine and pyrimethamine suggesting a different mode of action. Neem seed fractions are thus active not only against the parasite stages that cause the clinical infection but also against the stages responsible for continued malaria transmission.
印楝（Azadirachta indica）已被证明具有抗疟活性。在本研究中，我们系统地评估了印楝种子提取物以及进一步富集了极性或非极性成分的纯化级分对人类疟原虫恶性疟原虫无性和有性阶段体外生长和发育的影响。使用同步化的寄生虫阶段表明滋养体/裂殖体是各种印楝提取物的敏感靶阶段。此外，所测试的各种印楝级分也杀死了配子体的所有成熟阶段。印楝成分对先前已显示对其他抗疟药物（即氯喹和乙胺嘧啶）耐药的寄生虫也具有抗疟作用，这表明其作用方式不同。因此，印楝种子级分不仅对引起临床感染的寄生虫阶段有活性，而且对导致疟疾持续传播的阶段也有活性。
