Effect of artesunate based combination therapy with homeopathic medicine china on liver and kidney of Plasmodium berghei infected mice

Abstract

Present study has been undertaken to evaluate antimalarial potential and safety of artesunate based combination therapy with homeopathic medicine china (φ{symbol}/30 potency) against Plasmodium berghei (NK-65), a lethal rodent malaria parasite. In combination therapy, the oral administration of artesunate (100 mg/kg) + china φ{symbol}/30 proved to be highly efficacious as it completely cleared the blood stage infection. During the follow up period up to day 28, no recrudescence was observed and the survival rate was 100 %. Combination did not disturb the normal functioning of liver and kidney, as evident from the normal activity of ALP (190. 5 ± 0. 2 and 174. 2 ± 9. 12 IU/l), level of bilirubin (0. 6 ± 0. 33 and 0. 73 ± 0. 1 mg/dl), urea (28 ± 0. 51 and 29. 1 ± 0. 03 mg/dl) and creatinine (0. 9 ± 0. 62 and 1. 1 ± 0. 1 mg/dl) in serum of treated mice on day 7 and 28 respectively. Present study points to better efficacy of china as an alternative drug partner in combination to enhance antimalarial efficacy of artesunate without affecting the liver and kidney functions of P. berghei infected BALB/c mice. © 2012 Indian Society for Parasitology.