Antiplasmodial and antioxidant activities of chloroform extract of Ganoderma lucidum fruit body in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice

Abstract

From our previous study extract of the fruit bodies of Ganoderma lucidum possessed promising curative potential against Plasmodium berghei in mice. Thus, we hypothesized that infection with chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei together with crude chloroform extract (CCE) of G. lucidum, at 250 mg/kg body weight would enhance various aspects of antiplasmodial activities in mice. Mice were treated with CCE or chloroquine (CQ) for seventy-two hours prior to infection with P. berghei and monitored closely until signs of death were observed in untreated mice and then sacrificed. Parasitaemia, hepatic function, and oxidative stress markers analyses were performed at the end of the experiment. CCE-treated mice displayed lower parasitemia compared with untreated mice. Plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (γ-GT) activities; and the erythrocyte malondialdehyde (MDA) level were significantly (p<0.0001) lower in the extract and CQ-treated mice. Erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes (GPx, GST, SOD and G6PDH) activities were significantly (p<0.0001) higher in CCE-treated mice compared with CQ-treated and untreated control. Though chloroquine treatment reduced parasitemia and MDA considerably compared with extract, there was reduced production of the antioxidant defense enzymes. This study shows that CCE of G. lucidum reduces parasitemia and improves the attendant consequences of Plasmodium berghei-malarial infection in mice.