The Effects of Local Antimalarial Drugs on Plasmodium Falciparum Gametocytes

ABSTRACT

The gametocytocidal effect of antimalarial drugs has become important in malaria research owing to the global quest to eradicate the disease. In Ghana and most parts of Africa, people still depend on herbal medications despite advances in western medicine. However, these drugs lack the necessary scientific assessment. The IC50s of 10 known herbal antimalarial drugs on the Ghanaian market were determined. The development of sexual stages of the Plasmodium falciparum was monitored and the growth inhibitory effect of the herbal drugs on gametocytes was also assessed in vitro. All tested herbal drugs showed either high activity (IC50 50% growth inhibition of late stage gametocytes at 7 µg/ml. Though all the herbal drugs were potent antimalarials, only Masada and Yafo fever showed strong gametocytocidal effects and can therefore be recommended as an alternative to orthodox antimalarial treatment.

 The gametocytocidal effect of antimalarial drugs has become important in malaria research owing to the global quest to eradicate the disease. In Ghana and most parts of Africa, people still depend on herbal medications despite advances in western medicine. However, these drugs lack the necessary scientific assessment. The IC50s of 10 known herbal antimalarial drugs on the Ghanaian market were determined. The development of sexual stages of the Plasmodium falciparum was monitored and the growth inhibitory effect of the herbal drugs on gametocytes was also assessed in vitro. All tested herbal drugs showed either high activity (IC50 50% growth inhibition of late stage gametocytes at 7 µg/ml. Though all the herbal drugs were potent antimalarials, only Masada and Yafo fever showed strong gametocytocidal effects and can therefore be recommended as an alternative to orthodox antimalarial treatment.