Interactions of Extracts of Selected Macrofungi and Malaria Parasite, Plasmodium berghei berghei in BALB/c Strain Albino Mice

Malaria is a global menace that claimed many lives. The potential of mushroom at appropriate dosage, concentrations and suitable condition especially as antiplasmodial agents against malaria is important. Therefore, this study investigated the interactive effects of some fungi extracts (Pleurotus tuber-regium, Pleurotus pulmonarius, Fomes lignosus, Lentinus subnudus, Termitomyces robustus) and their combinations with malaria parasite, Plasmodium berghei berghei in BALB/c strain albino mice. Intraperitoneal injection of experimental animals with 0.2 mL of 5x106 parasitized blood was done before or after oral administration of the extracts of 0.1 mL fungi extracts at five concentrations. There were 3 replicates. The percentage parasitemia, packed cell volume (PCV), the weight loss of the albino mice were monitored. The extract; and concentration levels recorded highly significant (p< 0.01) effects on the parasitemic level (137.96; 329.26), PCV (4539.48; 2357.93) and weights (53.46; 510.56) of experimental animals in prophylactic and therapeutic experiments. Also, highly significant interactions (of 521.30) was obtained from extracts x concentrations. Lentinus subnudus and Fomes lignosus as well as P. tuber-regium had the best prophylactic and therapeutic potentials of 30%; 36% and 36% respectively. Lentinus subnudus could be considered a good prophylaxis in prevention of malaria as it exceeds therapeutic effect. Concentrations 0.4 mg/mL and 0.04 mg/mL were found to be the most effective; producing similar effect as chloroquine (20 mg/kg body weight) used as control. Therefore, the optimum activity of the fungi extracts was interactive against the malaria parasite, Plasmodium berghei berghei in the albino mice.