In vivo efficacy of top five surveyed Ghanaian herbal anti-malarial products

• Published in: Malaria journal Vol. 16; no. 1; p. 103
• Main Authors: Wilmot, Dennis, Ameyaw, Elvis Ofori, Amoako-Sakyi, Daniel, Boampong, Johnson Nyarko, Quashie, Neils Ben
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central 04-03-2017
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Amodiaquine; Animals; Antimalarials - administration & dosage; Antimalarials - analysis; Antimalarials - pharmacology; Artemether; Artemisinin; Chemical properties; Chemicophysical properties; Chloroquine; Chloroquine - analysis; Disease Models, Animal; Drugs; Female; Forensic sciences; Ghana; Herbal medicine; Human diseases; Humans; Laboratory animals; Literature reviews; Malaria; Malaria - drug therapy; Male; Metabolites; Methods; Mice, Inbred ICR; Middle Aged; Parasites; Plant Preparations - administration & dosage; Plant Preparations - analysis; Plant Preparations - pharmacology; Plasmodium berghei; Plasmodium berghei - drug effects; Public health; Questionnaires; Studies; Surveying; Surveys and Questionnaires; Survival; Variance analysis; Vector-borne diseases; Young Adult; Ghana; In vivo; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium berghei; Anti-malarial drug; ICR mice; Chemosuppression; Herbal-preparations
• ISSN: 1475-2875; 1475-2875
• DOI: 10.1186/s12936-017-1757-4

Anti-malarial herbal preparations (HPs) continue to enjoy high patronage in Ghana despite reports that the artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), the recommended first choice for treatment of uncomplicated malaria in the country, remains efficacious. A major issue with the use of these preparations is inadequate or unreliable data on their efficacy and quality. An assessment of the potency and quality of the most popular commercial anti-malarial HPs in Ghana was, therefore, carried out. The outcome of this investigation is herein discussed preceded by a short literature review of herbal medicines in Ghana.
Using a questionnaire survey of 344 individuals in parts of Ghana, five of the most frequently used HPs were identified and selected for test of their efficacy and quality. The effect of the selected compounds on Plasmodium berghei in vivo was assessed using standard methods.
All five tested HPs (HP-A, HP-B, HP-C, HP-D and HP-E) showed chemo-suppressive activity against P. berghei in vivo. However the degree of parasites inhibition is significantly lower compared to the WHO-recommended artemether-lumefantrine combination (p < 0.05, 99.9% chemosuppression/activity, 28 days survival). Using the Solomon Saker's Test, two of the preparations were found to contain chloroquine or compounds with chemical properties like that of chloroquine.
Popular anti-malarial HPs used in southern Ghana were found to have chemo-suppressive properties. Intentional addition of chloroquine or SCs to these preparations in order to enhance their effectiveness has serious public health concerns as it may induce cross resistance to amodiaquine, one of the partner drugs in the recommended ACT for use in Ghana.