SPECTRUM OF NUCLEAR MORPHOLOGY OF MURINE BRAIN CELL EXPOSED TO KHAYER - A REPORTED ANTIMALARIAL HERBAL FORMULATION

摘要

Malaria is caused by mosquito borne parasite under the genus Plasmodium. Plasmodium falciparum is a neuro-invasive parasite causing mortality in human in India. Diverse formulations of herbal origins are widely used by folk medical practitioners for cure and prevention of malignant malaria. Many of the herbal formulations including Khayer demand thorough screening of antimalarial activity involving animal experimentations. In this present study, neuroactivity of Khayer extract was investigated for development of variation of nuclear morphology of murine brain cells. A tannin containing herbal formulation of Khayer (Acacia catechu) tree bears ethnomedical value for cure of malaria. Both the aqueous and organic extracts yielded an increased level of binucleation, pyknosis, micronuclei, karyolysis, karyorrhexis, condensed chromatin, broken egg and smudged cell in the brain cell against the control. Present result is indicative of potential neuro-activity of Khayer in mammal.