EVALUATION OF THE ANTIMALARIAL POTENCY OF THE CRUDE METHANOL EXTRACT OF ANOGEISSUS LEIOCARPUS AND CURCUMA LONGA LINN IN PLASMODIUM BERGHEI EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED MICE

Abstract

Malaria control remained public health challenge for developing countries as a result of resistance of the parasite and absence of licensed vaccine which has led to aggressive search for natural based and eco-friendly alternative. This study therefore elucidated the in vivo antimalarial potency of crude and alkaloidal fractions of Curcuma longa and Anogeissus leiocarpus in Plasmodium berghei infected mice. The plants’ crude extract was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively for the presence and concentrations of secondary metabolites, standard laboratory procedures. The in vivo anti-malarial efficacy of the plants’ crude extract and alkaloidal fraction was assessed using the four days test for anti-malarial activity against a chloroquine sensitive P. berghei NK65 strain in Swiss albino mice. Acute oral toxicity for the determination of the plants’ medial lethal dose (LD50) in mice was also determined. The result of the acute oral toxicity revealed that both plants are safe for oral administration at the tested concentrations with LD50, extrapolated to be greater than 5000 mg/kg body weight. Bioactive metabolite of public health significance including; flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins and cardiac glycosides were detected in the crude methanol extract of both plants. Invivo antiplasmodial bioassay of the crude extract increased with an increase in extract concentration and days of administration. Parasitaemia was significantly (P<0.05) highest in the group treated with 400 mg/kg for both plant extracts. However, the highest paratiaemia efficacy was recorded in group treated with 200 mg/kg b. wt C. longa compared to other treatments and the control. The extracts also prevented weight loss and elongates the survival time of the P. berghei-infected group treated with the plant extract compared with the infected untreated group. Findings from this study show that C. longa and A. leiocarpus are promising candidates in the development of an outstanding anti-malarial drug.