Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Antimalarial and antioxidant activities of methanolic extract of Nigella sativa seeds (black cumin) in mice infected with Plasmodium yoelli nigeriensis

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The antimalarial and antioxidant activities of methanolic extract of Nigella sativa seeds (MENS) were investigated against established malaria infection in vivo using Swiss albino mice. The antimalarial activity of the extract against Plasmodium yoelli nigeriensis (P. yoelli) was assessed using the Rane test procedure. Chloroquine (CQ)-treated group served as positive control. The extract, at a dose of 1.25 g/kg body weight significantly (p < 0.05) suppressed P. yoelli infection in the mice by 94%, while CQ, the reference drug, produced 86% suppression when compared to the untreated group after the fifth day of treatment. P. yoelli infection caused a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the levels of red cell and hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA), an index of lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the mice. Serum and hepatic LPO levels were increased by 71% and 113%, respectively, in the untreated infected mice. Furthermore, P. yoelli infection caused a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase and the level of reduced glutathione in tissues of the mice. Treatment with MENS significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated the serum and hepatic MDA levels in P. yoelli-infected mice. In addition, MENS restored the activities of red cell antioxidant enzymes in the infected mice to near normal. Moreover, MENS was found to be more effective than CQ in parasite clearance and, in the restoration of altered biochemical indices by P. yoelli infection. These results suggest that N. sativa seeds have strong antioxidant property and, may be a good phytotherapeutic agent against Plasmodium infection in malaria.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aebi H (1974) Methods of enzymatic analysis. In: Bergmeyer HV (ed) catalase estimation. Verlag Chemic, New York, pp 673–684

    Google Scholar 

  • Ajaiyeoba EO, Abiodun OO, Falade MO, Ogbole NO, Ashidi JS, Happi CT, Akinboye DO (2006) In vitro cytotoxicity studies of 20 plants used in Nigerian antimalarial ethnomedicine. Phytomedicine 13:295–298

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Naggar TB, Gomez-Serranillos MP, Carretero ME, Villar AM (2003) Neuropharmacological activity of Nigella Sativa L. extracts. J Ethnopharmacol 88:63–68

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Areekul S, Boonme Y (1986) Catalase activity in red cell and liver of mice infected with Plasmodium berghei. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 17:48–52

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burits M, Bucar F (2000) Antioxidant activity of Nigella sativa L. essential oil. Phytother Res 14:323–328

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Butler D, Maurice J, O'Brien C (1997) Time to put malaria control on the global agenda. Nature 386:535–536

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Daba MH, Abdel-Rahman MS (1998) Hepatoprotective activity of thymoquinone in isolated rat hepatocytes. Toxicol Lett 95:23–29

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • El-Dakhakhny M, Barakat M, Abd-El-Halim M, Aly SM (2000) Effects of Nigella sativa oil on gastric secretion and ethanol induced ulcer in rats. J Ethnopharmacol 72:299–304

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • El-Daly ES (1998) Protective effect of cysteine and Vitamin E, Crocus sativus and Nigella sativa extracts on cisplatin-induced toxicity in rats. J Pharm Belg 53:87–95

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • El-Shabrawy OA, Nada SA (1996) Biological evaluation of multicomponent tea used as hypoglycemic in rats. Fitoterapia 67:99–102

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Tahir KEH, Ashour MMS, Al-Harbi MM (1993) The respiratory effects of the volatile oil of the black seed (Nigella sativa) in guinea-pigs: elucidation of the mechanism(s) of action. Gen Pharmacol 24:1115–1122

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elufioye TO, Agbedahunsi JM (2004) Antimalarial activities of Tithonia diversifolia (Asteraceae) and Crossopteryx febrifuga (Rubiaceae) on mice in vivo. J Ethnopharmacol 93:167–171

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fabricant DS, Farnsworth NR (2001) The value of plants used in traditional medicine for drug discovery. Environ Health Perspect 109:69–75

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Farombi EO, Shyntum YY, Emerole GO (2003) Influence of chloroquine treatment and Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection on some enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defense indices in humans. Drug Chem Toxicol 26:59–71

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gessler MC, Nkunya MH, Mwasumbi LB, Heinrich M, Tanner M (1994) Screening Tanzanian medicinal plants for antimalarial activity. Acta Trop 56:65–77

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gornall AG, Bardawill CJ, David MM (1949) Determination of serum proteins by means of the biuret reaction. J Biol Chem 177:751–766

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Habig WH, Pabst MJ, Jakoby WB (1974) Glutathione-S-transferases. The first enzymatic step in mercapturic acid formation. J Biol Chem 249:7130–7139

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Houghton PJ, Zarka R, Heras B, Hoult RS (1995) Fixed oil of Nigella sativa and derived thymoquinone inhibit eicosanoid generation in leukocytes and membrane lipid peroxidation. Planta Med 61:33–36

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jollow DJ, Mitchell JR, Zampaglione N, Gillette JR (1974) Bromobenzene-induced liver necrosis. Protective role of glutathione and evidence for 3, 4-bromobenzene oxide as the hepatotoxic metabolite. Pharmacol 12:251–271

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khanna T, Zaidi FA, Dandiya PC (1993) CNS and analgesic studies on Nigella sativa. Fitoterapia 64:407–410

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lautenbacher LM (1997) Schwarzkümmelöl. Dtsch Apoth Ztg 137:68–69

    Google Scholar 

  • Lüersen K, Walter RD, Müller S (2000) Plasmodium falciparum infected red blood cells depend on a functional glutathione de novo synthesis attributable to an enhanced loss of glutathione. Biochem J 346:545–552

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mahmoud MR, El-Abhar HS, Saleh S (2002) The effect of Nigella sativa oil against the liver damage induced by Schistosoma mansoni infection in mice. J Ethnopharmacol 79:1–11

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McCord JM, Fridovich I (1969) Superoxide dismutase, an enzymatic function for erythrocuperin. J Biol Chem 244:6049–6055

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mouhajir F, Pedersen JA, Rejdali M, Towers GHN (1999) Antimicrobial thymohydroquinones of Moroccan Nigella sativa seeds detected by electron spin resonance. Pharm Biol 37:391–395

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muregi FW, Chhabra SC, Njagi EN, Langàt-Thoruwa CC, Njue WM, Orago AS, Omar SA, Ndiege IO (2003) In vitro antiplasmodial activity of some plants used in Kisii, Kenya against malaria and their chloroquine potentiation effects. J Ethnopharmacol 84:235–239

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mutabagani A, El-Mahdy SAM (1997) A study of the anti-inflammatory activity of Nigella sativa L. and thymoquinone in rats. Saudi Pharm J 5:110–113

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ogunbayo OA, Adisa RA, Ademowo OG, Olorunsogo OO (2006) Incidence of chloroquine induced oxidative stress in the blood of rabbit. Intl J Pharmacol 2:121–125

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pasvol G (1998) The treatment of falciparum malaria in African children. Afr Health 20:19–20

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues JR, Gamboa ND (2009) Effect of dequalinium on the oxidative stress in Plasmodium berghei-infected erythrocytes. Parasitol Res 104:1491–1496

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Türkdoğan MK, Ozbek H, Yener Z, Tuncer I, Uygan I, Ceylan E (2003) The role of Urtica dioica and Nigella sativa in the prevention of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Phytother Res 17:942–946

    Google Scholar 

  • Varshney R, Kale RK (1990) Effects of calmodulin antagonists on radiation-induced lipid peroxidation in microsomes. Int J Radiat Biol 58:733–743

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wiseman H, Halliwell B (1996) Damage to DNA by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species: role in inflammatory disease and progression to cancer. Biochem J 313:17–29

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zaoui A, Cherrah Y, Lacaille-Dubois MA, Settaf A, Amarouch H, Hassar M (2000) Diuretic and hypotensive effects of Nigella sativa in the spontaneously hypertensive rat. Therapie 55:379–382

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zaoui A, Cherrah Y, Alaoui K, Mahassine N, Amarouch H, Hassar M (2002) Effects of Nigella sativa fixed oil on blood homeostasis in rat. J Ethnopharmacol 79:23–26

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

    Valeelat O. Okeola, Oluwatosin A. Adaramoye & E. Olatunde Farombi

  2. Institute for Advanced Medical Research and Training, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

    Chiaka M. Nneji, Catherine O. Falade & Olusegun G. Ademowo

  3. Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

    Chiaka M. Nneji, Catherine O. Falade & Olusegun G. Ademowo

Authors
  1. Valeelat O. Okeola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Oluwatosin A. Adaramoye
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chiaka M. Nneji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Catherine O. Falade
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. E. Olatunde Farombi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Olusegun G. Ademowo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Olusegun G. Ademowo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Okeola, V.O., Adaramoye, O.A., Nneji, C.M. et al. Antimalarial and antioxidant activities of methanolic extract of Nigella sativa seeds (black cumin) in mice infected with Plasmodium yoelli nigeriensis . Parasitol Res 108, 1507–1512 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-2204-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-2204-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation