Protective effects of Andrographis paniculata leaf extract on liver and renal damage and hypoglycemia during Plasmodium berghei infection

Malaria constitutes one of the biggest health problems in tropical and sub-tropical zones such as Africa, South America, Asia and Southeast Asia including Thailand. It is estimated that 250 million peoples are infected by malaria withabout 1 million deaths annually. This disease is caused by protozoa parasite in genus Plasmodium, especially P. falciparum and P. vivax which are major cause of death. For causes of death by malaria including cerebral malaria, hemolysis and severe anemia, metabolic acidosis, multiple organ failure such as liver and renal, and hypoglycemic shock have been reported. Malaria associated liver and renal damage occur between 2-5% of hospitalized patients with a mortality that can reach up to 45% . 

The pathogenesis for liver and renal damage induced by malaria is multifactorial and not well characterized, but several hypothesis suggest involvement of cytoadherence of parasitized erythrocytes, proinflammatory response, and damage due to oxidative stress. Read more..........