Effects of Azadirachta indica seed kernel extracts on early erythrocytic schizogony of Plasmodium berghei and pro-inflammatory response in inbred mice

• Published in: Malaria journal Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 35 - 9
• Main Authors: Habluetzel, Annette, Pinto, Barbara, Tapanelli, Sofia, Nkouangang, Judith, Saviozzi, Michela, Chianese, Giuseppina, Lopatriello, Annalisa, Tenoh, Alain Rodrigue, Yerbanga, Rakiswendé Serge, Taglialatela-Scafati, Orazio, Esposito, Fulvio, Bruschi, Fabrizio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 08.02.2019; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Animals; Antimalarials; Antimalarials - pharmacology; Artesunate; Azadirachta - chemistry; Azadirachta indica; Biological activity; Chemokines; Control; Cytokines; Defence mechanisms; Drug Delivery Systems; Erythrocytes; Erythrocytes - parasitology; Female; Fruits; Fruits (Food); Gelatinase B; Health aspects; Herbal medicine; House mouse; Human diseases; Immune response; Immunity; Inbred mice; Inbreeding; Infections; Inflammation; Inflammation - drug therapy; Insecticides; Interactions; Lymphocytes T; Malaria; Malaria - drug therapy; Matrix metalloproteinase; Matrix metalloproteinase-9; Medicinal plants; Metalloproteinase; Methanol; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mosquitoes; Necrosis; Neem; Parasitemia - drug therapy; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Plant extracts; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Plasma levels; Plasmodium berghei; Plasmodium berghei - drug effects; Plasmodium falciparum; Proliferation; Ripening; Risk factors; Schizogony; Seeds; Seeds - chemistry; Tumor necrosis factor; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumors; Vector-borne diseases; Nigeria; Matrix metalloproteinase-9; Plasmodium berghei; Tumour necrosis factor; Inbred mice; Antimalarials; Inflammation; Azadirachta indica
• ISSN: 1475-2875; 1475-2875
• DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-2671-8

Medicinal plant research may contribute to develop new pharmacological control tools for vector borne diseases, such as malaria. The effects of methanol extracts (ME) obtained from seed kernel of ripe and unripe Azadirachta indica fruits were studied on erythrocytic proliferation of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei strain ANKA and on mice pro-inflammatory response, as evaluated by measuring the matrix-metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) plasma levels, in two mouse strains (C57BL/6 and BALB/c) which are considered as prototypical of Th1 and Th2 immune response, respectively. ME obtained from seed kernel of unripe Azadirachta indica fruits decreased by about 30% the proportion of erythrocytes infected with the malaria parasite in C57BL/6 mice in the 4 days suppressive test. In this treatment group, MMP-9 and TNF levels were notably higher than those measured in the same mouse strain treated with the anti-malarial drug artesunate, Azadirachta indica kernel extracts from ripe fruits or solvent. In BALB/c mice, treatment with kernel extracts did not influence parasitaemia. MMP-9 and TNF levels measured in this mouse strain were notably lower than those recorded in C57BL/6 mice and did not vary among treatment groups. The effects of the ME on the parasite-host interactions appeared to be mouse strain-dependent, but also related to the ripening stage of the neem fruits, as only the unripe fruit seed kernel extracts displayed appreciable bioactivity.