By Onuh, Melletus Onyekachi
The research was aimed at studying the effects of some selected herbal medicinal products available commercially in Nigeria Market on albino rats infected with Plasmodium berghei NK-65. Thirty (30) adult Wistar rats weighing 150-200 g was used. They were divided into six (6) groups of five (5) rats each as follows: Groups 2-6 rats were parasitized with Plasmodium berghei NK-65 and malaria infection was confirmed after 72 hours. Parasitized rats in group 2 were not treated and served as experimental control. Normal rats in group 1 served as normal control and were administered with distilled water (3 ml/kg b.w) only. Parasitized rats in group 3 were treated with 20 mg/kg b.w of artesunate while those of groups 4-6 were treated with 1.5 ml/kg b.w. of Goko cleanser herbal mixture (GCHM), 1.5 ml/kg b.w. of Deep root herbal mixture (DRHM), and 1.5 ml/kg b.w. of Yoyo bitters herbal mixtures (YBHM) respectively for 4 days. The phytochemical constituents of the herbal mixtures, and percentage malaria parasitaemia, haematological indices, lipid profile, liver function markers, antioxidant status, lipid peroxidation markers and liver histology of the rats were evaluated using standard methods. The presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, saponins, reducing sugar, carbohydrates and protein was detected in the three herbal mixtures studied but glycosides was not detected in the YBHM. On day 1, it was observed that rats in group 2 (parasitized and untreated) had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher percentage malaria parasitaemia (60.20 ± 13.72%) compared with those of rats in parasitized and treated groups. Similar results were obtained on days 2 and 3. Rats in group 2 had significantly (p < 0.05) lower packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb) concentration and red blood cell (RBC) count when compared to rats in every other group. Also, rats in group 2 had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), triacylglycerol (TAG), malondialdehyde (MDA) and bilirubin concentrations, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities when compared to rats in every other group. On the other hand, there were significantly (p < 0.05) lower concentrations of high density lipoprotein (HDL), and activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in group 2 when compared to rats in every other group. In the same vein, the vitamin E concentration of rats in groups 1, 2 and 3 were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those of rats in groups 4, 5 and 6. Findings from the present study showed that oxidative stress, characterized by low antioxidant status and high lipid peroxidation, contribute to complications in malaria. The findings also demonstrated that the herbal mixtures studied are rich in phytochemicals and have antimalarial and antioxidant effects. They also possess cholesterol lowering and ameliorating effects on malaria-induced haematological and liver aberrations.