African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 3 (10), pp. 560-563, October 2004           
ISSN 1684–5315 © 2004 Academic Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Lipid peroxidation and ascorbic acid levels in Nigeria children with acute falciparum malaria

Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga¹, Gabriel Isamah² and Onyebiguwa Patrick Nmorsi³

¹Department of Zoology, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria.

²Department of Biochemistry, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria.

³Department of Zoology, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria.

*Correspondingauthor. E-Mail: aoegwunyega@yahoo.com.

Accepted 13 September, 2004

This study was undertaken to establish data on the roles of lipid peroxidation and ascorbic acid in the pathology of malaria in Nigeria children. We measured the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation and ascorbic acid in the plasma of 406 parasitaemic and 212 non-parasitaemic Nigerian children. Lipid peroxidant levels were significantly higher in children with moderate and high parasitaemia (16.88 and 13.64 MDA μM/ml, respectively), than in non-parasitaemic controls (8.71 MDA μM/ml).  Malaria infection resulted in significant reduction in ascorbic acid levels of children with moderate and high parasitaemia.  The MDA and ascorbic acid levels of children with low parasitaemia were not significantly higher than the levels in non-parasitaemic controls. High levels of lipid peroxidation corresponded with low levels of ascorbic acid and this may be responsible for tissue damage associated with pathology of malaria in Nigerian children.

Key words: Lipid peroxidation, ascorbic, acid Nigerian children, falciparum malaria.