Topic: EVALUATION OF THE CHEMICAL COMPONENT OF DOGOYARO LIQUID (AZADIRACHTA INDICA) FOR ANTI-MALARIA.

Chapter One

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Malaria infections are characterized by defective immune responses with poor efficacy against infection, and in some cases, with immunopathology. Severe malaria is a complex multisystem disorder. Complications such as cerebral malaria, anemia, acidosis, jaundice, respiratory distress, renal insufficiency, coagulation anomalies and hyperparasitemia can occur in severe malaria[2]. About 300-500 million clinical cases and 1.2–2.8 million deaths due to malaria occur each year[3,4]. The rising problem of resistance to the classical drugs (chloroquine and sulphadoxinepyrimethamine)[5–7] and the problem of recrudescence of malaria after treatment with artemisinin stress the need for new antimalarial agents[8]. The malaria drugs quinine and artemisinin are both plant derivatives and are obtained from Cinchona species[9,10] and Artemisia annua[11,12] respectively, suggesting that other effective malaria drugs might be plant-derived. Azadirachtaindica plants from the Meliaceae family are extensively used as traditional remedies against malaria in the tropics[9,13,14]. Several studies demonstrated that A. indica leaf, seed and stem bark extracts possess in vitro inhibitory activity on Plasmodium falciparum asexual stages[15–17]. In vitro screening of purified limonoids from Neem revealed that gedunin and nimbolide are the most active molecules against P. falciparum. MacKinnon et al. examined 60 extracts from 22 species of Meliaceae by characterizing their in vitro antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and chloroquine-resistant (W2) malaria clones (Dd2, Indochina)[15,19]. Twelve extracts were found to have activity against P. falciparum, especially extracts of Cedrelaodorata wood and Azadirachtaindica leaves, both containing the limonoid, gedunin[20]. Gedunin has been repeatedly re-isolated as an active antimalarial principle, most recently from Khayagrandifoliola[21]. The antimalarial properties of several plant extracts have been studied in mice[22]. Therefore, we sought to examine the anti-plasmodial activity of Azadirachtaindica, commonly known as Neem, a plant used in Sudan, India and other countries as a folk medicine, in a human malaria investigation of malaria produced in Plasmodium berghei ANKA infected mice. To examine the effects of an antimalarial treatment, we measured physiological and morphological responses. We also examined cerebral malaria. Neuronal ischemia and inflammation from malaria, depending on the acuteness and intensity of the symptoms, can lead to cellular necrosis or apoptosis[23]. Caspases play important roles in the commitment and execution phases of apoptosis[24]. Importantly, caspase-3 acts as a major downstream effector mediating neuronal apoptosis. We examined protection from caspase-dependent apoptosis as a mechanism of malaria treatment effectiveness.

1.2 Statement of Problem

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

Many researches have been carried out on neem plant (Azadirachtaindica) and results have shown that it has both medicinal and pharmacological properties against malaria. However, there are no documented information relating the mineral properties inherent in the leaf of the plant. Consequently, this work was aimed at determining some chemical component present in the water extract of neem leaf using the modern atomic absorption spectrophotometric analysis. Specific Objective To examine the chemical component of dogoyaro leaf which serve as drug to many illness especially Malaria

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