Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Ethanolic Extract of Solanum Surattense against Plasmodium Berghei in Comparison with Chloroquine in Sourian Mice Using in Vivo Tests

Objective: Owing to the importance of employing native and traditional medicinal plants with good efficacy against malaria parasites, an ethanolic extract of Solanum surattense was tested on Plasmodium berghei in sourian mice. Moreover, the results were compared with that of the effect of chloroquine on the same parasite. Materials and Methods: In this study, 80 sourian mice were divided into 8 groups, each consisting of 10 animals. The first 7 groups were infected with P. berghei and the last group was used as control. The first 7 groups were given chloroquine, solanum surattense at four different concentrations (20, 100, 300, and 450 mg/kg), and placebo, respectively, and the seventh group did not receive any treatment. The evaluation was done by Rane test. In each group, the level of parasitaemia was determined on days 4 and 7, and compared with values from day 0 (just before treatment) in order to record the decline in parasitaemia in treated groups. Results were analyzed using SPSS software and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The results indicated that although all four concentrations of Solanum surattense extract significantly reduced parasitaemia in the infected subjects, the 450 mg/kg solution showed optimal effectiveness on the parasites in comparison with other concentrations and the no-treatment option. Conclusion: We conclude that although the ethanolic extract of Solanum surattense is not as effective as chloroquine in reducing parasitaemia, it can nonetheless cause a significant decrease when compared to control and placebo groups.