In Vivo Evaluation of the Antiplasmodial Property of Ethanol and Hot Water Extracts of Pleurotus ostreatus Mushroom

Mushrooms are considered as a functional food, which can provide health benefits beyond the traditional nutrients they contain and Pleurotus ostreatus is a common edible mushroom known for its oyster-shaped cap. The in-vivo evaluation of the antiplasmodial property of ethanol and hot water extracts of P. ostreatus mushroom was carried out using standard microbiological methods. The mice were infected with Plasmodium berghei NK 65 species and the 4-day Peters suppressive test was carried out using 200 and 400 mg/ml of the extracts respectively. 5mg/ml chloroquine antimalarial drug was used as control drug. The malaria parasite load, full blood counts and histopathological analysis of the liver of the mice were done at the end of the experiment. The results showed that P. berghei caused a reduction in the weight from 22.8±0.20 g to 17.4±0.66 g. as well as a reduction in the temperature of the mice from 36.8±1.22°C to 34.2±0.20°C. The mushroom hot water extract exerted the highest percentage suppression of 76.82% after 24 hours, 92.35% after 48 hours, 96.08% after 72 hours and 99.81% after 96 hours. The parasite caused an increase in Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) from 1.33±0.33 mm/hr to 11.66±0.93 mm/hr, high white blood cell (WBC) count of 275.6 mm -3 and low packed cell volume (PCV) of 14.00±0.57%. The WBC differential count showed that the parasites caused a reduction in the number of lymphocytes (from 64.33% to 51.67%) while causing increase in neutrophils (25.33% to 32.67%). The P. berghei caused some negative pathological features ranging from a liver hepatocytes with profuse haemorrhage, dilated sinusoids and hepatocellular drainage, while the control group had well-formed and thickened liver hepatocytes without distinct cells or infiltrations. Therefore, Pleurotus ostreatus have antiplasmodial property and the hot water extract is more potent than the ethanol extract.