Diverse mitochondrial effects, antiplasmodial and anti-inflammatory potentials of Costus afer (Ker Gawl), Nauclea latifolia (Sm) and Sphenocentrum jollyanum (Pierre) in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei

Objectives: This study reported the antiplasmodial, anti-inflammatory and mito-protrective effects of Costus afer (CA), Nauclea latifolia (NA) and Sphenocentrum jollyanum (SJ) methanol extracts in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Methods: Air-dried CA, NA and SJ were extracted with methanol. Antiplasmodial activity of these extracts were monitored using chloroquine-sensitive and resistant strains of Plasmodium berghei. Heme and hemozoin contents, interleukins and C-reactive protein as well as mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) pore opening, lipid peroxidation (mLPO) and F0F1 ATPase activity were determined by spectrophotometry. Phytochemical con-stituents were determined using UPLC-QTOF-MS and NMR spectroscopy. Results and Conclusions: CA, NL and SJ decreased percentage parasitemia to 0.25 +/- 0.07; 0.30 +/- 0.14 and 0.25 +/- 0.07% relative to control (8.60 +/- 0.15%) in the chloroquine-sensitive model and to 0.40 +/- 0.14; 0.30 +/- 0.14 and 0.45 +/- 0.07, respectively as against 10.88 +/- 0.26% of the infected control in the chloroquine-resistant model. In chloroquine-resistant model, NL decreased mLPO (0.41 +/- 0.04) F0F1 ATPase (0.15 +/- 0.02 mmol pi/mg protein /min) while CA enhanced mPT pore opening at 100 mg/kg,and SJ (50 mg/kg) reversed parasite-induced mPT pore opening (1.66 vs 9.4 folds). The NL increased heme, decreased hemozoin, IL-6, CRP, TNF-alpha, while SJ dose -dependently increased IL-10. UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis showed that coumaric acid, divaricatinic acid, diocin and aferiosides A and C were present in CA, 3-caffeoylquinic acid, 18, 19-dihydroangustine, jatrorrhizine, 17-epinau-cleidinal, strictosamide and quinovic acid 3-O-rhamnoside in NL and quinic acid, jatrorrhizine and mabioside B in SJ. While the three medicinal plants have varying antimalarial effects, their decoction will be better for a synergistic purpose.