Antiplasmodial activity of aqueous extract of Berberis aristata roots against Plasmodium berghei-infected BALB/c mice

Figures & data

Figure 1. Chemical structures of major alkaloids of Berberis aristata roots.

Table 1. Secondary metabolites in the root of Berberis aristata and chemical tests used for their detection.

Secondary metabolites	Result	Chemical test (color/appearance)
Alkaloids	(+)	Mayer’s test (cream precipitate) and Dragendorff’s test (orange precipitate)
Anthraquinones	(−)	Borntrager’s test (no color)
Cardiac glycosides	(−)	Keller–Kiliani test (no color)
Flavonoids	(+)	Ferric chloride test (red-brown) and Shinoda’s test (pinkish-red)
Iridoids	(−)	Trim–Hill test (no color)
Lignins	(−)	Labat test and Lignin test (no color)
Resins	(−)	Acetic anhydride-sulfuric acid test (no color) and turbidity test (no turbidity)
Saponins	(+)	Foam test (white foam) and sodium bicarbonate test (formation of froth)
Steroids	(+)	Salkowski test (reddish-brown) and Liebermann–Burchard test (blue-green)
Tannins	(+)	Gelatin test and lead acetate test
Terpenoids	(+)	Salkowski test (reddish-brown) and Liebermann–Burchard test (blue-green)

(+), present; (−), absent.

Figure 2. In vitro activity of AREBA on intraerythrocytic growth of P. berghei in RTS (Rings Trophozoites Schizonts)/500 RBCs.

Table 2. Suppressive and preventive activities with mean survival time of AREBA treated BALB/c mice infected with P. berghei red blood cells.

		Schizontocidal activity		Repository activity
Drug/extract	Dose	Average % parasitaemia	Average % suppression	Average % parasitaemia	Average % suppression	Mean survival time (d)
AREBA	150 mg/kg/d	28.0 ± 1.62*	25.1	20.2 ± 1.04	24.3	8.9 ± 0.49
	250 mg/kg/d	18.2 ± 0.50*	51.3	16.4 ± 0.86*	38.5	11.6 ± 0.48*
	350 mg/kg/d	12.3 ± 0.30*	67.3	12.3 ± 0.65*	53.9	12.8 ± 0.46*
	650 mg/kg/d	35.2 ± 0.80	5.8	–	–	–
Chloroquine	5 mg/kg/d	5.7 ± 0.14*	87.7	–	–	29.8 ± 0.14*
Pyrimethamine	1.2 mg/kg/d	–	–	3.5 ± 0.55*	86.8	–
Control (distilled water)	0.2 mL	37.4 ± 0.77*	–	26.7 ± 1.83	–	7.5 ± 0.39

Data are expressed as ±SEM (standard error of the mean) for six mice per group; *p < 0.001 (significant when compared with control); AREBA, aqueous root extract of Berberis aristata; (–), nil.

Figure 3. Average parasitaemia (mean ± SEM) in AREBA along with chloroquine (5 mg/kg)-treated BALB/c mice from day 3 to day 7.