THE ANTIPLASMODIAL ACTIVITYAND SUBCHRONIC EFFECTS OF EXTRACTS OF BALANITES AEGYPTIACA AND TRICHILIA EMETICA

Abstract

The antiplasmodial effects of different fractions of the stem of Balanites aegyptiaca and leaf of Trichilia emetica were evaluated in mice. Plasmodium berghei (NK 65 Chloroquine sensitive strain) was inoculated into eighteen mice assigned to 3 groups of 6 animals in each case. Group I was treated with the respective plant extracts, group II, was treated with Smg/Kgbw chloroquine (Standard) while group III was administered 20mllKgbw normal saline (control). The results showed that the three fractions of Balanites aegyptiaca have no antiplasmodial effects. However hexane and methanolic fractions of Trichilia emetica significantly suppressed parasitaemia by 79.17% and 95.83%. The effects of medium term administration of crude Balanites aegyptiaca stem and Trichilia emetica leaf extracts on some biochemical parameters also were investigated in mice. Sixty mice were divided into three groups of twenty animals each. Animals in groups I and II were gavaged with the extracts of B. aegyptiaca and T emetica at 300mg/kg/body weight for five weeks respectively. Group III received normal saline (0.09%w/v NaCI) and served as controls. Whole body weight, fresh organ weights, packed- cell volumes (PCV) and some serum biochemical parameters were analyzed using standard methods. Results showed minimum variation in whole body weights and packed cell volumes of animals given the extracts. Also values for some organ weights, triacyglycerides (116.20 ±3.OS mg/dl, 100.0S ± 2.88mg/dl), and Alkaline Phosphatase (lSS.00±4.44 Il/l, 18S.20 ± 4.25 Il/l,), glucose (77.30± 2.22mg/dl, 95.65± 2.05mg/dl ) total proteins (S.30 ±1.04mg/dl), Asparate aminotransferase (89.00 ± ~.08Jl/L, 23.00± 1.15), and Alanine aminotransferase (6.00 ± 0.1 9 Il.L) , were significantly (p<O.OS) different between test and control animals in the final week. However, fresh organ weight of B. aegyptiaca treatment compared to controls indicated that long term consumption of B. aegyptiaca could predispose to adverse tissue effects as shown in histopathological findings.