Clinical efficacy of a tea-bag formulation of cryptolepis sanguinolenta root in the treatment of acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of a tea bag formulation of the root of C. sanguinolenta DESIGN This is a prospective descriptive open trial. SETTING Patients were recruited from Korle-Bu, Mamprobi and Dansoman Polyclinics. SUBJECTS Forty-four subjects with uncomplicated malaria were recruited for the study. METHOD Patients presented with clinical symptoms of malaria. Laboratory investigations conducted included malaria parasite counts, haematological indices and biochemical tests which were obtained before, during and after a 5-day treatment period, up to Day 28 posttreatment. All patients in the study were symptomatic with significant parasitaemia. Patients were given one teabag three times a day, that is, morning, noon and night, for five days of treatment. RESULTS Fifty percent of the patients were cleared of their P. falciparum parasitaemia by 72 hours, and all by Day 7. Presenting symptoms of fever, chills, nausea and vomiting cleared rapidly, all by Day 3, but resolution of haematological and biochemical abnormalities associated with malaria was generally slow, a feature seen in malaria post-treatment. The overall cure rate was 93.5% due to two cases of recrudescence on Days 21 and 28. The laboratory findings did not suggest any toxicity. CONCLUSION On the basis of fever clearance and disappearance of parasitaemia by Day 7, the formulation has been shown to be non-toxic and highly effective in the treatment of acute uncomplicated malaria.