Mugwort plant better than the malaria drug

Natural medicinal plant works better against malaria pathogens than the drug with isolated active ingredient

12/29/2012

A US study came to the conclusion that the leaf-consumption of the Artemisia plant in malaria therapy is far more effective than the anti-malarial agent itself. For the drug, the active ingredient is isolated from the plant in complex procedures. However, small-shrunk leaves showed a higher success rate during the course of the study than the isolated drug substance itself. An interaction of the active ingredients contained in the leaves apparently caused a higher rate of killing of the germs.

Leaves showed higher potency
Scientist of the team around Prof. Dr. med. Stephen Rich from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst report in the journal "Plos One" on the results of an interesting natural history study. In summary, the researchers report on the leaves of the Artemisia plant, which compared to drug-based anti-malarial drug during the investigation achieved much better mechanisms of action. Animal experiments showed that the crushed leaves of the medicinal plant malaria pathogens were more likely to kill malaria than the elaborately produced drug. The results are also confirmed in further studies, „This could make the malaria treatment much cheaper“, so the authors. „Especially for poorer countries, the study opens up an important perspective in the fight against malaria“.

Every year, millions of people worldwide become infected with the pathogen Plasmodium. The symptoms of the disease are high and recurring fever, chills, abdominal pain with violent cramps and stomach problems. In people with a weak immune system and children, the disease can quickly lead to acute coma and death. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 750,000 people died of malaria last year. For the treatment of infectious disease in particular modern drugs are administered with the drug Artemisinin. This one is from the „Annual mugwort“ (Artemisia annua) won. For the extraction of a very complex process must be set in motion to isolate the active ingredient from the leaves. The pure secreted drug is then used for the drug.

Malaria drugs in the third world far too expensive
Because the manufacturing process is so laborious, pharmaceuticals are far too expensive for developing countries. The pharmaceutical industry has never intended to develop a cheaper pharmaceutical product. This fact was the main trigger of the research work. The scientists wanted to examine in which form the plant itself acts as a remedy against the infectious disease. The result was surprising even for the scientists.

During the research, scientists compared the mechanisms of action of pure artemisinin and dried ground leaves on mice. The animals were previously infected with the malaria parasite Plasmodium chabaudi. Although the pathogen does not affect humans but preferably rodents, the genetic characteristics are almost identical. After the laboratory mice took the ground leaves with the feed, the natural active contained within a period of 12 to 72 hours killed significantly more malaria pathogens than the Artemisinin pharmaceutical product, although the drug content was almost equal.

Active ingredients in the leaves complement and potentiate each other
The scientists suggest that after administration of the natural product, artemisinin circulates about 40 times more in the animals' blood compared to the pharmaceutical agent. In addition, the leaves seem to contain other important ingredients, „that work against malaria“. The leaves of the „Artemisia plants contain a variety of substances that are medically significant because of their apparent but weaker antimalarial properties, "commented biologist Pamela Waethers of the Worcester Polytecnic Institute on the results „at least six known flavonoids, which have been shown to work with artemisinin to kill malaria parasites. "The researcher believes that the individual compounds in the natural plant complement and enhance each other „Interaction could be achieved greater impact“.

Perspectives for poor countries against malaria
An important step in malaria research is done, the study authors emphasize. Because therapeutically, the use of crushed leaves is much cheaper than the purchase of very expensive drugs. „The plant Artemisia can be cultivated in most climatic zones, "says the biologist, who says that after harvesting, the leaves only have to be dried, examined for their content, crushed and pressed into capsules. „More does not have to be done to help people in the third world“. And also the economy could be revived around a new cultivation area. (Sb)

Image: Christian Fischer, Wikipedia