TY - JOUR
T1 - A combination of unsweetened natural cocoa powder and artemether/lumefantrine
T2 - A strategy to improve malaria treatment outcomes
AU - Debrah, Philip
AU - Akotuah, Prince A.
AU - Allotey-Babington, Grace L.
AU - Amponsah, Seth K.
AU - Fredua-Agyeman, Mansa
AU - Sarkodie, Joseph A.
AU - Bekoe, Emelia O.
AU - Boateng, Joshua
AU - Adjei, Samuel
AU - Nyarko, Alexander K.
AU - N’guessan, Benoit B.
AU - Asiedu-Gyekye, Isaac J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 University of Ghana College of Health Sciences on behalf of HSI Journal. All rights reserved.
PY - 2024/6/14
Y1 - 2024/6/14
N2 - Background: Reports suggest that unsweetened natural cocoa powder (UNCP) has antiplasmodial activity and contains enough fat content to enhance the absorption of artemether/lumefantrine (A/L). Objective: This study assessed the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of UNCP co-administered with A/L Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were infected with A/L-sensitive Plasmodium berghei. Rane’s curative model was used to assess the effect of the excipient UNCP (300-1500 mg/kg) formulated with A/L on parasite clearance. Additionally, healthy non-malarious male SD rats were co-administered orally with the fixed doses of A/L (recommended therapeutic dose of 2 mg/kg artemether and 12 mg/kg lumefantrine) with varying doses of UNCP (300, 600, 900, 1200 and 1500 mg/kg), to assess the effect of UNCP on the disposition of A/L. The number of mice in each group that were given each dose was five (n = 5). Plasma lumefantrine concentration was assayed using HPLC/UV-Vis. Results: Co-administration of UNCP (1200 and 1500 mg/kg) with A/L caused a significant difference in parasite clearance compared to conventional A/L (Coartem®-only) or UNCP alone. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed that the peak serum concentration (Cmax) of lumefantrine for the A/L+UNCP (1200 mg/kg and 1500 mg/kg) was higher than the Coartem®-only group. Additionally, the area under the lumefantrine concentration-time curve (AUC0→24) post-drug administration was higher for the A/L+UNCP (1200 mg/kg and 1500 mg/kg) groups compared to the commercially obtained conventional A/L Coartem®-only group. Conclusion: UNCP, co-administered with A/L, increased the in vivo antiplasmodial activity of A/L enhanced lumefantrine disposition (peak concentration and total drug exposure) in rats. Thus, it can be exploited as an excipient in the formulation of A/L for the management of uncomplicated malaria in humans.
AB - Background: Reports suggest that unsweetened natural cocoa powder (UNCP) has antiplasmodial activity and contains enough fat content to enhance the absorption of artemether/lumefantrine (A/L). Objective: This study assessed the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of UNCP co-administered with A/L Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were infected with A/L-sensitive Plasmodium berghei. Rane’s curative model was used to assess the effect of the excipient UNCP (300-1500 mg/kg) formulated with A/L on parasite clearance. Additionally, healthy non-malarious male SD rats were co-administered orally with the fixed doses of A/L (recommended therapeutic dose of 2 mg/kg artemether and 12 mg/kg lumefantrine) with varying doses of UNCP (300, 600, 900, 1200 and 1500 mg/kg), to assess the effect of UNCP on the disposition of A/L. The number of mice in each group that were given each dose was five (n = 5). Plasma lumefantrine concentration was assayed using HPLC/UV-Vis. Results: Co-administration of UNCP (1200 and 1500 mg/kg) with A/L caused a significant difference in parasite clearance compared to conventional A/L (Coartem®-only) or UNCP alone. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed that the peak serum concentration (Cmax) of lumefantrine for the A/L+UNCP (1200 mg/kg and 1500 mg/kg) was higher than the Coartem®-only group. Additionally, the area under the lumefantrine concentration-time curve (AUC0→24) post-drug administration was higher for the A/L+UNCP (1200 mg/kg and 1500 mg/kg) groups compared to the commercially obtained conventional A/L Coartem®-only group. Conclusion: UNCP, co-administered with A/L, increased the in vivo antiplasmodial activity of A/L enhanced lumefantrine disposition (peak concentration and total drug exposure) in rats. Thus, it can be exploited as an excipient in the formulation of A/L for the management of uncomplicated malaria in humans.
KW - Artemether/lumefantrine
KW - cocoa powder
KW - malaria
KW - pharmacokinetics
KW - plasmodium berghei
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85196779503&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.46829/hsijournal.2024.6.5.1.635-644
DO - 10.46829/hsijournal.2024.6.5.1.635-644
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85196779503
SN - 2720-7609
VL - 5
SP - 635
EP - 644
JO - Health Sciences Investigations Journal
JF - Health Sciences Investigations Journal
IS - 1
ER -