Evaluation of Trace Elements and Antioxidant Vitamins Effect following Palm Oil Supplemented Diet on Plasmodium berghei Infected Mice.

Abstract

Malaria infection induces a cascade of secondary pathological events, among which oxidative stress and inflammation are interconnected. This interaction often exacerbates tissue damage and significantly contributes to disease progression. Given the reported antioxidant property of red palm oil, this study evaluated the therapeutic potential of a red palm oil supplemented diet in mitigating oxidative stress in a murine model of plasmodium berghei infection concurrently administered with standard anti-malaria drugs.

Mice weighing 19 ± 2.5g were distributed into seven groups of fifteen (15) animals each for this study. The mice were infected with NK65 Plasmodium berghei strain.  The individual effects of red palm oil supplemented diet and of anti-malaria drugs (amodiaquine (AMQ), and Chloroquine (CQ) along with their contributory effects were evaluated.  The mice were fed with standard rat chow with 15% v/w red palm oil.  The trace elements Selenium (Se), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn) and Vitamins A, C and E with its fractions were also determined spectrophotometrically.

The studies revealed that trace elements such as Se, Zn, Fe and Cu showed no significant difference between the control and the test groups. Vitamin A showed a statistically significant difference in all test groups compared to the control. Palm oil supplemented diet provided more vitamin A in circulation except group F where the anti-malaria chloroquine reduces the availability of vitamin A in circulation. Palm oil supplemented diet also increased the availability of vitamin C in circulation while chloroquine increased the vitamin level higher in control.  Vitamin E levels were markedly increased in the test group compared to the control. Total β-and γ-tocopherol levels were increased significantly except for γ-tocopherol where the level remained increased even with chloroquine treatment. Levels of total tocotrienol, β-and γ-tocotrienol increased significantly except for the group receiving chloroquine treatment.

The results obtained have not necessarily shown that red palm oil modulated trace elements during oxidative stress but showed increased availability of antioxidant vitamins in circulation.