Antioxidant Activities of Ethanoilc Extracts of Spilanthes uliginosa, Ocimum basilicum, Hyptis spicigera and Cymbopogon citratus against Swiss Mice Exposed to Plasmodium berghei Anka 65

Abstract

Malaria infection is associated with increased generation of free radicals. This study investigated the antioxidant activity of ethanolic leaf extracts of Spilanthes uliginosa, Ocimum basilicum, Hyptis spicigera and Cymbopogon citratus. Seventy two (72) swiss mice of both sexes were used. All the mice were treated intraperitoneally with 0.2 ml parasitized blood suspension and parasitemia assessed by thin blood films stained with Geimsa stain after seventy two hours. The mice were divided into six groups namely; A, B, C, D, E, and F of twelve mice each. Groups B, C, D and E were subdivided into three (3): B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3, D1, D2, D3, E1, E2 and E3, four in each subgroup. The subgroups were treated with the extracts of Spilanthes uliginosa (Sw), Ocimum basilicum, Hyptis spiligera and Cymbopogon citratus each for five (5) consecutive days with 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight respectively via oral intubation. Two control groups, A and F were used. The negative control (A) was treated daily with 5 ml/kg normal saline while positive control group (F) was treated with 5 mg/kg body weight of chloroquine. The results indicated a general significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the lipid peroxidation concentrations of the parasitized treated mice when compared to parasitized untreated mice on the last day. A general significant dose dependent increase (P < 0.05) was observed in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione perioxidase activities as well as reduced glutathione concentrations in the treated mice except at a dosage of 200 mg/kg body weight for all the plants. The effects of the extracts were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of chloroquine. These results suggest that the ethanolic extracts of these plants may contribute to the protection of malaria infected mice against oxidative damage by improving antioxidant status in a dose dependent manner.