Phytochemical screening and in vivo antimalarial activity of extracts from three medicinal plants used in malaria treatment in Nigeria
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Date
2016
Authors
Bankole, A. E.
Adekunle, A.A.
Sowemimo, A. A.
Umebese, C. E.
Abiodun, O.
Gbotosho, G. O.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Abstract
The use of plant to meet health-care needs has greatly increased worldwide in the recent times. The search for new plant-derived bioactive agents that can be explored for the treatment of drug-resistant malaria infection is urgently needed. Thus, we evaluated the antimalarial activity of three medicinal plants used in Nigerian folklore for the treatment of malaria infection. A modified Peter’s 4-day suppressive test was used to evaluate the antimalarial activity of the plant extracts in a mouse model of chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium berghei ANKA strain. Animals were treated with 250, 500, or 800 mg/kg of aqueous extract. It was observed that of all the three plants studied, Markhamia tomentosa showed the highest chemosuppression of parasites of 73 % followed by Polyalthia longifolia (53 %) at day 4. All the doses tested were well tolerated. Percentage suppression of parasite growth on day 4 post-infection ranged from 1 to 73 % in mice infected with P. berghei and treated with extracts when compared with chloroquine diphosphate, the standard reference drug which had a chemosuppression of 90 %. The percentage survival of mice that received extract ranged from 0 to 60%(increased as the dose increases to 800 mg/kg). Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, and phenolic compounds in all the three plants tested.
Description
Scholarly article
Keywords
Markhamia tomentosa , Plasmodium berghei , Polyalthia longifolia , Trichilia Heudelotii , Research Subject Categories::NATURAL SCIENCES
Citation
Bankole, A. E., [Et...al] (2016). Phytochemical screening and in vivo antimalarial activity of extracts from three medicinal plants used in malaria treatment in Nigeria. Parasitology Research Vol.115: 299 - 305pp.