REAGENT BASED CHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANT-PLASMODIUM BERGHEI STUDIES OF GREEN ORTHODOX BLACK KENYAN TEA

Abstract

The Kenyan green ,orthodox,  and  black tea (Camellia sinensis) aqueous extracts were subjected to reagent based chemical screening of  bioactive constituents, and their  in vivo anti-Plasmodium berghei ANKA  effects on parasitemia, % pcv and serum proteins concentration  done using  a 105  male swiss mice model to determine their pharmacological significance.  The phytochemical results from the colorimetric tests of green, orthodox and black teas showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids,  saponins, terpenes and tannins as common metabolites.   Anthraquinones were not detected in green tea unlike orthodox and black teas. There was significant reduction (p < 0.05) in parastemia levels of p=2.6 on day 10 after infection compared to the control. The fall in packed cell volume (pcv) occurred on day 7 after infection of p=4.17. There was a significant difference in pcv levels p=4.8  (p < 0.05) on day 11 between the infected mice given tea and the infected control. There was a significant reduction p=10.4 (P < 0.01) in serum protein reduction on day 11 post infection only in the mice given water. Tea produced significant (p<0.01) elevation of parasite’s induced  hypoproteinemia(p = 3.38) as compared to infected control mice (p = 10.4).

The role of these bioactive principles is discussed according to their folkloric use in Kenya and elsewhere in the world.  Besides tea is of great importance as far as other clinical applications are concerned. This qualitative analysis can be used for comparative evaluation of bioactive constitutes with other  population of Camellia sinensis  present in different parts of the world, and can be used for selection of superior quality of this herb to be used  in pharmaceutical industries.