Experimental therapeutic studies of Solanum aculeastrum Dunal. on Leishmania major infection in BALB/c mice

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Zoological Sciences, Kenyatta University, 43844 – 00100, Nairobi, Kenya

2 Kenya Medical Research Institute, 54840-00200, Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Objective(s):Solanum acueastrum Dunal.has been shown to have some chemotherapeutic value. Leaf and berry water and methanol compounds of S. acueastrum were evaluated for possible antileishmanial activity In vivo on BALB/c mice and in vitro against Leishmania major promastigotes, amastigotes and vero cells. 
Materials and Methods: Dry S. aculeastrum berry and leaf material were extracted in methanol and water. L. major parasites were exposed to different concentrations of S. aculeastrum fruit and leaf compounds and the IC50 on the promastigotes, percentage of infection rate of macrophages by amastigotes and the toxicological effect on vero cells were determined. BALB/c mice were infected subcutaneously with 1×106 promastigotes and kept for four weeks to allow for disease establishment. Infected mice were treated with fruit and leaf methanolic and water compounds, amphotericin B (AmB), and sterile phosphate buffered saline (PBS).
Results: Fruit methanol compound was most effective in inhibiting the growth of promastigotes with IC5078.62 μg/ml. Fruit water compound showed the best activity in inhibiting infection of macrophages by amastigotes. Fruit methanol compound was more toxic at Ld50=8.06 mg/ml to vero cells than amphotericin B. Analysis of variance computation indicated statistically significant difference in lesion sizes between experimental and control mice groups (P=0.0001). Splenic impression smears ANOVA indicated a highly significant difference in parasitic numbers between the experimental and the control groups (P=0.0001).
Conclusion: The results demonstrate that compounds from S. aculeastrum have potential anti-leishmanial activities and the medicinal use of the plant poses considerable toxicity against dividing vero cells.

Keywords

References

1. Pezeshkpoor F, Rezaei AR, Shirdel A, Khajedaluee M, Alizadeh M, Yazdanpanah MJ. Association between HTLV-I Infection with Chron¬ic Lupoid Leishmaniasis. Iran J Basic Med Sci 2013; 16:281-283.
2. Kimutai A, Ngure PK, Tonui KW, Gicheru MM, Nyamwamu LB. Leishmaniasis in Northern and Western Africa: A review.  Afr J Infect Dis 2009; 3:14-25.
3. Ghosh A, Zhang WW, Matlashewski G. Immunization with A2 protein results in a mixed Th1/Th2 and a humoral response which protects mice against Leishmania donovani infections. Vaccine 2002; 20:59–66.
4. World Health Organization (WHO). The selection and use of essential medicines. Report Series 2007; 36:946.
5. Emami SA, Rabe SZT, Ahi A, Mahmoud M. Inhibitory activity of eleven artemisia species from Iran against Leishmania major parasites. Iran J Basic Med Sci 2012; 15:807-811.
6. Chavoshian O, Biari N, Badiee A , Khamesipour A, Abbasi A , Saberi Z, et al. Sphingomyelin liposomes containing soluble Leishmania major antigens induced strong Th2 immune response in BALB/c mice. Iran J Basic Med Sci 2013; 16:965-972.
7. World Health Organization (WHO). Leishmaniasis: background information. A brief history of the disease 2009.
8. Ngure PK, Tonui, WK, Ingonga J, Mutai M, Kigondu E, Nganga, et al. In vitro anti-leishmanial activity of extracts of Warburgia ugandensis (Canallaceae), a Kenyan medicinal plant. J Med Plants Res 2009; 3:61- 66.
9. World Health Organization (WHO). Control of the leishmaniases. Technical report series 949. Report of a meeting of the WHO expert committee on the control of leishmaniases, Geneva, 22 - 26 March 2010, 949: xii - xiii, 1-186, back cover 21485694; 2010.
10.Bryceson A. Therapy in man. In: Peters W, Killick-Kendrick R, editors. The Leishmaniases in Biology and Medicine,Vol. 2. London: Academic Press; 1987.p.56-61.
11.Tonui WK. Perspective. Situational analysis of leishmaniases research in Kenya. Kenya Afri J Health Sci 2006; 13:1-2.
12.Bryceson ADM, Diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis. II. Treatment. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 1987; 64:369–379.
13.Sazgarnia A, Zabolinejad N, Layegh P, Rajabi O, Benenji F, Javidi Z, et al. Antileishmanial activity of liposomal clarithromycin against Leishmania Major promastigotes. Iran J Basic Med Sci 2012, 15: 6.
14.Monzote L. Current treatment of leishmaniasis: A review. Open Antimicrob Agents J 2009; 1: 9 - 19.
15.World Health Organization/Tropical Disease Research (WHO/TDR). Scientific working group meeting on leishmaniasis report. Geneva, Switzerland, 2004a.
16.Manuel JC, Luis MP. Plant natural products with leishmanicidal activity. Nat Prod Rep 2001; 18:674-688.
17.World Health Organization/Tropical Disease Research (WHO/TDR). Leishmaniasis - disease information; 2004b.
18. Koduru S, Grierson DS, Afolayan AJ. Ethnobotanical information of medicinal plants used for the treatment of cancer in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Curr Sci 2006c; 92:906-908.
19.Aboyade OM, Yakubu MT, Grierson DS, Afolayan AJ. Safety evaluation of aqueous extract of unripe berries of Solanum aculeastrum in male wistar rats. Bull Chem Soc Ethiop 2009; 17:61-66.
20.Aboyade OM, Yakubu MT, Grierson DS, Afolayan AJ. Safety evaluation of aqueous extract of unripe berries of Solanum aculeastrum in male wistar rats. Afr J Pharm Pharmacol 2010; 4:90-97.
21.Kokwaro JO. Medicinal plants of East Africa. Nairobi: East African Publishing Bureau; 3rd ed. 2009.
22.Koduru S, Grierson DS, Van de Venter M, Afolayan AJ. Anticancer activity of steroid alkaloids isolated from Solanum aculeastrum. Pharm Biol 2007a; 45:613-618.
23.Koduru S, Asekun OT, Grierson DS, Afolayan AJ. Isolation of volatile compounds from Solanum aculeastrum (Solanaceae). J Ess Oil Bearing Plant 2006a; 1:65-69.
24.Wanyonyi AW, Tarus PK, Chhabra SC. A novel glycosidic steroidal alkaloid from Solanum aculeastrum. Bull Chem Soc Ethiop 2003; 17:61-66.
25.Wanyonyi AW, Chhabra SC, Mkoji G, Udo E, Njue WN. Bioactive steroidal alkaloid glycosides from Solanum aculeastrum. Phytochemistry 2002; 59:79-84.
26.Nfi AN, Ndi C, Bayemi HP, Njiwe R, Tchoumboue J, Njakoi H, et al. The antihelminthic efficacy of some indigenous plants in the North West Province of Cameroon. Rev Elev Med Vet Pays Trop 1999; 52:103-106.
27.Wabwoba B, Anjili CO, Ngeiywa MM, Ngure PK, Kigondu EM, Ingonga J, et al. Experimental chemotherapy with Allium sativum (Liliaceae) methanolic extract in rodents infected with Leishmania major and Leishmania donovani. J Vector Borne Dis 2010; 47:160-167.
28.Dorin D, Le Roch K, Sallicandro P. Pfnek-1, a NIMA related kinase from the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum; biochemical properties and possible involvement in MAPK regulation. Eur J Biochem 2001; 268:2600-2608.
29.Mosmann T. Rapid colrimetric assay for cellular growth and survival: application to proliferation and cytotoxicity assays. J Immunol Methods 1983; 16:55-63.
30.Derolenzi JC, Attias M, Gattass, CR, Andrade M, Rezende C, Da Cunha Pinto A, et al. Anti-leishmanial activity of an indole alkaloid from Peschiera australis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2001; 45:1349-1354.
31.Berman JD, Lee LS. Activity of antileishmanial agents against amastigotes in human derived macrophages and in mouse peritoneal macrophages. J Parasitol 1984; 70:220 - 225.
32.Koduru S, Grierson DS, Van de Venter M, Afolayan AJ. In vitro antitumor activity of Solanum aculeastrum berries on three carcinoma cells. Int J Cancer Res 2006e; 2:397-402.
33.Ncube NS, Afoayan AJ, Okoh AI. Assessment techniques of antimicrobial properties of natural compounds of plant origin: Current methods and future trends. Afr J Biotech 2008; 7:1797-1806.
34.Lees P, Cunningham FM, Elliott J. Principles of pharmacodynamics and their applications in veterinary pharmacology. J Vet Pharmacol Therap 2004; 27:397–414.
35.Koduru S, Grierson DS, Aderogba MA, Eloff JN, Afolayan AJ. Antioxidant activity of Solanum aculeastrum (Solanaceae) berries. Int J Pharmacol 2006b; 2:262-264.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics