Interaction between Chitosan and Chloroquine against Plasmodium berghei and P. falciparum using In-Vivo and In-Vitro Tests

Background: the use of antimalarial drugs with number of compounds in combinationform may potentiate each other's activity. methods: this study was conducted in the school of public health, tehran universityof medical sciences, tehran, iran in 2018. it was based on two methods including in vivo and in vitro tests with aim of considering interaction between chitosanand chloroquine against plasmodium berghei and p. falciparum parasites using differentratios of the agents with ed50s and ic50s baselines. results: administrating 10 and 20 mg/kg (mouse body weight) of chitosan alone to the p. berghei –infected mice up to 4 successive days resulted in 37% and 45% inhibitionof p. berghei respectively, while employing the compound with chloroquine incombination form with ratios of 90/10 and 70/30 (chloroquine/chitosan) had aconsiderable potentiation including 71.58% and 83.85% inhibition effectivenessagainst p. berghei. moreover, 20 mg/l (ccm) concentration of chitosan alone couldeliminate 69.55% of p. falciparum in culture medium while in combination with chloroquinein ratios of 90/10 (chloroquine/chitosan) had considerable potentiationincluding 79.14% inhibition effectiveness. mean survival time of those mice receivedcombination therapy in ratios of 90/10 and 70/30 (chloroquine/chitosan) was longerthan those took up mono therapy of either chloroquine or chitosan based on theired50s doses.conclusion: interaction between chloroquine and chitosan showed considerablepotentiation in combination form against either p. berghei or p. falciparum using in vivoand in vitro tests respectively. meanwhile, interaction between the above mentionedagents resulted in a notable survival time for those p. berghei-infected mice treatedwith the combination.