Antiplasmodial activity of nanoparticles enhanced chloroquine on <i>Plasmodium berghei</i> in vivo

Abstract

The search for new antimalarial agents is at the forefront for the global fight against antimalarial drug resistance as malaria treatments take longer than the three days plan. These changes pose a threat to the progress made thus far and search for newer and more rapid antimalarial agents is needed to maintain that success. The potentials of Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles (MgO NPs) enhanced Chloroquine were assessed on Plasmodium berghei in vivo. Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles were synthesized using a sol-gel method and characterized using TEM (transmission electron microscope) and EDS (energy dispersive x-ray spectroscope), SEM, UV-VIS and FTIR. Concentration of 10 mg/ml of MgO NPs were prepared and combined with graded doses of chloroquine (25mg, 12.5mg and 6.25mg per kg) and assayed on Plasmodium . berghei. Mice for this research were cared for at the Pharmaacology Department Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) and weighed before the start of the experiment. Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infection was successfully inoculated in all the mice from a donor. The mice were grouped into five A, B, C, D and E consisting of 6 mice each. Group A- no treatment, Group B-50mg of chloroquine Group C were treated with 10mg/ml MgO NPs and 25mg chloroquine and Group D were treated with 10mg/ml MgO NPs and 12.5mg chloroquine and group E- 10mg/ml MgO NPs and 6.25mg of chloroquine once a day for 4 days. TEM shows that the particles are all under 100nm cylindrical and spherical in shape. EDS shows that the sample contains magnesium and oxygen in the ratio of 2:1. In-vivo anti-plasmodial activity shows that all the groups that were had better parasite clearance rate (F _{(3, 20)} =47.39, p< 0.00 at 0.05 level of significance). By all counts chloroquine enhanced with MgO NPs is considered to be more effective. The T-HSD shows that there is statistically significant difference between groups. It is hoped this study will inform malaria agencies of the potentials of this promising agent in the treatment of Plasmodium infection and further studies be carried out on the said compound.

Key words-: magnesium oxide nanoparticles, chloroquine, ANKA, Plasmodium berghei, geimsa stain