In Vivo Antiplasmodial and Analgesic Effect of Crude Ethanol Extract of Piper guineense Leaf Extract in Albino Mice

Abstract

AntiplasmodialandanalgesiceffectsofcrudeethanolextractofPiperguineensewasinvestigatedinmice.Theantiplasmodialand analgesicefficacyoftheextractwasjudgedonitsabilitytoreduceparasitemiaandwrithing,respectively,inmice.Theantiplasmodial screening involved treating infected mice with 200, 400, and 600mg/kg body weight of extract while the positive control group wasgivenstandardartesunatedrug.Theanalgesictestwascarriedoutbyadministering1000,1500,and2000mg/kgbodyweight ofextracttothreegroupsofhealthymice,respectively,afterinductionofpainwith0.75%aceticacid.Thepositivecontrolgroup wasgivenaspirindrug.Parasitemiawasreducedby28.36%,43.28%,and62.69%inadose-dependentpatterninthecurativetest whichwassignificantlydifferent(𝑃 < 0.05)from96.03%ofthestandarddrug.Thereductionofwrithingbymicegiventheextract was also dose-dependent (36.29, 45.43, and 59.07%). Aspirin drug was however more effective (86.36%). The extract was safe at 2000mg/kg body weight. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, phlobatannins, terpenoids, and coumarins.ResultobtainedinthisstudydemonstratedtheefficacyofethanolextractofPiperguineenseasanantiplasmodialand analgesicagent.