A prophylactic experiment proves the effectiveness of charcoal tree in treating malaria

The charcoal-tree (Trema orientalis), a perennial tree used in traditional medicine, could be used to treat malaria, according to African researchers. In their paper, published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, investigated that anti-plasmodial and anti-malaria properties of T. orientalis.

• Researchers assessed traditional claims of T. orientalis having prophylactic anti-malarial uses, given the limited scientific literature on the matter. To do this, the team used a methanol extract obtained from the stem bark of the plant and studied its anti-plasmodial property using a cell-free assay.
• From the menthol extract of T. orientalis, the team used vacuum liquid chromatography to extract dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and methanol fractions – which were also tested for its anti-malaria and prophylactic abilities using a beta-hematin assay and an animal model.
• To determine the antibacterial ability of the methanol extract of T. orientalis, the team used a disc diffusion method using gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
• The results of the prophylactic experiment showed that dichloromethane, methanol fraction, and methanol extract exhibited chemopreventive effects against Plasmodium berghei, especially when compared to the untreated control and those treated with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine.
• The in vitro study revealed that the dichloromethane fraction was the most effective in inhibiting beta-hematin formation.
• Both the extract and the fractions had a concentration-dependent anti-bacterial property. In particular, methanol extract inhibited Enterobacter cloaca ATCC 13047 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, with both Serratia mercescens ATCC 9986 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 19582 were the most susceptible bacteria.

The researchers concluded that T. orientalis had both anti-plasmodial and anti-microbial activity.

Read the full text of the study at this link.

Learn more about plants that help treat malaria at NaturalCures.news.

Journal Reference:

Olanlokun JO, David OM, Afolayan AJ. In vitro antiplasmodial activity and prophylactic potentials of extract and fractions of Trema orientalis (Linn.) stem bark. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 15 August 2017;17(407). DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-1914-x