ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Parasite and Host
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1636404
Effect of walnut leaves on oxidative stress caused by murine cerebral malaria
Provisionally accepted
- King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Background: Following the infection of mice by the Plasmodium parasite, a significant increase in oxidative stress occurs within the brain. This oxidative stress is further intensified as the parasite proliferates, leading to an imbalance in the body's oxidant and antioxidant systems. As a result, the affected mice experience various health issues stemming from this disruption. Previous research has indicated that the leaves of Juglans regia, commonly known as walnut, possess protective properties that can mitigate brain damage caused by the Plasmodium parasite. These leaves inhibit the parasite's reproduction and restore normal brain functions in the affected mice. Purpose: In the current study, we investigated the impact of J. regia leaves on oxidative stress and cellular damage associated with cerebral malaria infection in a murine model. Methods: The extract of leaves from Juglans regia was prepared using methanol as the solvent. Thirty female C57BL/6 mice, weighing 20 to 25 grams and aged 9 to 12 weeks, were organized into six distinct groups for the experiment (labeled G1 through G6). On day 9, following the initiation of the infection protocol, all mice were euthanized, and their brains were harvested for further analysis. The primary focus of this study was to assess the degree of oxidative stress present in the brain tissue and measure the activities of various antioxidant enzymes. To quantify levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique and immunohistochemistry assay were employed, providing a sensitive and specific means of detecting this enzyme's concentration in the brain tissue samples. Results: The study findings revealed that the heightened levels of free radicals in the brain, induced by the infection with Plasmodium berghei, were effectively eliminated following a daily treatment regimen with JRLE. This treatment resulted in notable reductions in the concentration of key oxidative stress markers, including nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), in the groups of mice that received JRLE compared to those that remained infected. Moreover, the administration of JRLE appeared to play a protective role against oxidative stress by enhancing the activities of several crucial antioxidant enzymes.
Keywords: model mice, Oxidative Stress, Plasmodium berghei, Juglans regia, Proteinexpression
Received: 27 May 2025; Accepted: 17 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Abdel-Gaber, Alharbi, Almohawis, Al-shaebi and Al Quraishy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Rewaida Abdel-Gaber, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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