In vitro reduction of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes: Artemisia spp. tea infusions vs. artemisinin

Artemisia annua has a long history of use in Southeast Asia where it was used to treat “fever”, and A. afra has a similar history in southern Africa. Since their discovery, A. annua use, in particular, has expanded globally with millions of people using the plant in therapeutic tea infusions, mainly...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of ethnopharmacology 2021-03, Vol.268, p.113638-113638, Article 113638
Main Authors: Snider, Danielle, Weathers, Pamela J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Artemisia
Artemisinins - isolation & purification
Artemisinins - pharmacology
Germ Cells - drug effects
Germ Cells - physiology
Plant Extracts - isolation & purification
Plant Extracts - pharmacology
Plasmodium falciparum - drug effects
Plasmodium falciparum - physiology
Tea
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Summary:Artemisia annua has a long history of use in Southeast Asia where it was used to treat “fever”, and A. afra has a similar history in southern Africa. Since their discovery, A. annua use, in particular, has expanded globally with millions of people using the plant in therapeutic tea infusions, mainly to treat malaria. In this study, we used in vitro studies to query if and how A. annua and A. afra tea infusions being used across the globe affect asexual Plasmodium falciparum parasites, and their sexual gametocytes. P. falciparumstrain NF54 was grown in vitro, synchronized, and induced to form gametocytes using N-acetylglucosamine. Cultures during asexual, early, and late stage gametocytogenesis were treated with artemisinin, methylene blue, and A. annua and A. afra tea infusions (5 g DW/L) using cultivars that contained 0–283 μM artemisinin. Asexual parasitemia and gametocytemia were analyzed microscopically. Gametocyte morphology also was scored. Markers of early (PfGEXP5) and late stage (Pfs25) gametocyte gene expression also were measured using RT-qPCR. Both A. annua and A. afra tea infusions reduced gametocytemia in vitro, and the effect was mainly artemisinin dependent. Expression levels of both marker genes were reduced and also occurred with the effect mainly attributed to artemisinin content of four tested Artemisia cultivars. Tea infusions of both species also inhibited asexual parasitemia and although mainly artemisinin dependent, there was a weak antiparasitic effect from artemisinin-deficient A. afra. These results showed that A. annua and to a lesser extent, A. afra, inhibited parasitemia and gametocytemia in vitro. [Display omitted] •Artemisia annua and A. afra tea infusions reduced gametocytemia in vitro.•Early and late gametocyte marker genes were also reduced.•Artemisinin-deficient Artemisia sp. were also weakly effective.•Both Artemisia species also reduced trophozoites in vitro.
ISSN:0378-8741
1872-7573
DOI:10.1016/j.jep.2020.113638