Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Antimalaria therapy and changes in oxidative stress indices in falciparum malaria infection in Calabar metropolis, Nigeria

Augusta C Nsonwu-Anyanwu¹ , Uloma O Osuoha², Magnus C Nsonwu³, Chinyere AO Usoro¹

¹Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria; ²Temple University Philadelphia, College of Science and Technology, Philadelphia, USA; ³Department of Optometry, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.

For correspondence:- Augusta Nsonwu-Anyanwu Email: austadechic@yahoo.com Tel:+2348033515095

Accepted: 12 October 2019 Published: 30 November 2019

Citation: Nsonwu-Anyanwu AC, Osuoha UO, Nsonwu MC, Usoro CA. Antimalaria therapy and changes in oxidative stress indices in falciparum malaria infection in Calabar metropolis, Nigeria. Trop J Pharm Res 2019; 18(11):2431-2437 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v18i11.29

© 2019 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), reduced glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), total plasma peroxides (TPP), oxidative stress index (OSI) and random plasma glucose (RPG) in falciparum malaria infection with and without antimalaria therapy.

Methods: Ninety subjects aged 18 to 60 years comprising 30 malaria patients without antimalaria therapy, 30 malaria patients on antimalarial therapy and 30 subjects without malaria (control) were studied. TAC, GSH, NO, MDA, TPP and RPG were determined using colorimetric methods, while parasite density (PD) and oxidative stress index (OSI) were computed. Anthropometric indices were obtained and the data analysed using analysis of variance and Pearson’s correlation at p < 0.05.

Results: Higher levels of lipid peroxidation (MDA, TPP and OSI), lower antioxidant (GSH and TAC) and NO were observed in malaria patients with or without antimalaria therapy when compared to their respective controls (p < 0.05). Malaria patients without antimalaria therapy had higher PD and lipid peroxidation (TPP and OSI) and RPG and antioxidants (lower GSH and TAC) than those on antimalaria therapy (p < 0.05). Positive correlations were observed between PD and MDA (r = 0.399, p = 0.029) in malaria patients without antimalaria therapy, and between PD and TPP (r = 0.660, p = 0,002), and PD and OSI (r = 0.717, p = 0.000) in malaria patients on antimalaria therapy.

Conclusion: Falciparum malaria infection is associated with increased lipid peroxidation, depressed antioxidants and nitric oxide which may be ameliorated by antimalaria therapy.

Keywords: Malaria, Antimalaria therapy, Oxidative stress, Lipid peroxidation