Effectiveness of ethanoic leaf extract of picralima nitida against plasmodium berghei in laboratory albino rats

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of the ethanolic extract of Picralima nitida leaf against P.berghei in albino rats. Two parameters were employed to evaluate the efficacy of the extract against P.berghei in albino rats. A parallel test was carried out with chloroquine as the standard drug. Twenty-five albino rats were used in the experiment. The albino rats were grouped into six groups H1, H2, H3, H4. H5 and H6. Three groups (H4, H5 and H6) served as negative, positive and standard control respectively, The other three groups (H1, H2 and H3 were treated with 500,1000 and 1500mg/kg body weight of the extract for suppressive and curative activity. The extract displayed a strong anti-plasmodial activity against P.berghei both in the two parameters. The mean parasitemia reduction in groups H1, H2, H3 were significant (p<0.05). The in-vivo antimalarial activities of Picralima nitida ethanolic leaf extract and chloroquine resistance against Plasmodium berghei showed that at doses of 500, 1000 and 1500mg/kg body weight. The mean parasitemia in the albino rat was reduced to 80.23%, 80.45% and 83.12 % respectively, while in the control was 71.87% 00.0% and 00.0% respectively. The results indicate that although chloroquine was still effective against the parasite, the leaf extract of Picralima nitida reduced the mean parasitemia more than chloroquine which was used as standard control. This means that the extract has stronger anti-malarial activity compared to the standard chloroquine drug. Further research work is recommended on the mechanism of the efficacy and haematological effect of the plant extract