Senna occidentalis (L.) Link root extract inhibits Plasmodium growth in vitro and in mice

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Abstract Background: Senna occidentalis (L.) Link has been used worldwide in traditional treatment of many diseases and conditions including snakebite. In Kenya, a decoction from the plant roots taken orally, is used as a cure for malaria. Leaf extracts from the plant have been shown to possess antiplasmodial activity, in vitro. However, the curative potency of the plant root against established malaria infection is yet to be scientifically validated, in vivo. On the other hand, there are reports on variation in bioactivity of extracts obtained from this plant species, depending on the plant part used and place of origin among other factors. In this study, we demonstrated the antiplasmodial potency of Senna occidentalis roots extract in vitro, and in mice.Methods: Methanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform, hexane and water extracts of S. occidentalis root were tested for in vitro antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum, strain 3D7. Cytotoxicity of the most active solvent extracts was determined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and the curative potency in Plasmodium berghei infected mice evaluated by Rane’s test. Results: All the solvent extracts showed suppressive activity against P. falciparum, in vitro, in a concentration dependent manner. The suppression was also dependent on polarity of solvents used with the methanolic extract (most polar) being 10-fold more active than hexane extract (least polar). The extracts showed no toxicity to Vero cells at the tested concentrations and significantly suppressed P. berghei parasitemia in Rane’s test. Similarly, the extracts prolonged the survival time the infected animals significantly. Conclusions: Senna occidentalis (L.) Link root extract suppresses malaria parasites growth in vitro and in BALB/c mice. The plant root, therefore, is a potential source of antimalarial principles. This study has scientifically validated the ethnomedical usage of S. occidentalis roots in management of malaria among some Kenyan communities.

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