Traditional Medicinal Plant Relieves Malaria Symptoms

Researchers found that an active ingredient in the traditional plant, Ranunculus multifidus can be used to treat malaria in mice.

The active plant ingredient anemonin could provide a new approach in the treatment of malaria. It was identified by researchers from Ethiopia and Germany in a buttercup that is traditionally used in some African countries as a medicinal plant to treat malaria.

Extracts from the plant significantly alleviated the symptoms of infected mice, as the team from Arba Minch University (AMU), Addis Ababa University (AAU), and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) reported in the journal Molecules.

Malaria - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prevention, Treatment
Malaria is caused by a parasite that enters blood through the bite of an infected mosquito. It is characterized by fever, vomiting, shivering, sweating and other symptoms.

‘The active plant ingredient anemonin has the potential to overcome malarial drug resistance.’

A tea made from the leaves of the Ranunculus multifidus, a member of the buttercup family, is used in some parts of Africa to treat malaria.

"So far it was not known which ingredients the plant has and which of them might have a healing effect," says Professor Kaleab Asres from AAU, who had been aware of the use of the plant and initiated the study.

The pharmacists produced extracts from the plant leaves and tested their effectiveness on mice. Researchers infected the animals with the Plasmodium berghei parasite, which causes malaria in certain rodents including mice.

Malaria - Protection Strategies
Malaria is a dangerous disease with lethal consequences that requires protective measures for prevention and control of malaria in endemic regions of the world.

Some of the mice received chloroquine, an established and effective drug for treating malaria. Others were given different doses of the plant extract. The experiments were carried out per internationally recognized guidelines for the keeping and care of laboratory animals.

The results showed that the extracts did not work as well as chloroquine but had a positive effect on the course of the disease.

Quiz on Malaria
Malaria is a common parasitic disease of the tropics, resulting in a million deaths every year. It is most commonly found in tropical countries. The symptoms of malaria include fever with chills, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Malaria fatalities can be reduced if they are detected early and treated appropriately

Researchers found the active ingredient anemonin in the plant extracts. Ranunculus multifidus does not contain it. Anemonin is formed when the plant is crushed and the inside of its cells comes into contact with air.

Like chloroquine, anemonin also affects the parasite’s metabolism at a different location. That would be good news because plasmodia have developed resistance to chloroquine in some areas of East and West Africa.

Promising New Bloodless Test for Malaria Using Microneedle
The new microneedle based patch test is a simple, fast, and low-cost method to detect malaria. It is a bloodless sampling technique and can be a viable diagnostic tool for disease detection and screening.

However, this requires several further studies to decipher the exact mechanism of action and to increase its effectiveness. If these tests are successful, clinical studies will follow over several years to confirm its effectiveness in patients.

Source-Medindia