Extracts of Alstonia boonei and Carica papaya are used in herbal medicine for the treatment of malaria. This work investigated the phytochemical, antioxidant, and antimalarial effects of hydromethanolic extracts of Alstonia boonei and Carica papaya. A four-day chemosuppressive test was conducted to assess the ability of the extracts to prevent establishment of infection. Three doses of the extracts were administered—100, 200, and 400 mg/kg bw—prior to Plasmodium berghei challenge. Change in body weight, parasitemia, packed cell volume (PCV), and mean survival time was determined. A three-day curative test was also carried out on Plasmodium berghei-infected mice to determine the effects of the plant extracts (200 mg/kg bw) on parasitemia and biochemical indices of liver and kidney functions, lipid metabolism, and oxidative stress. The study revealed that the extracts possessed phenolic compounds (34.13 ± 1.90 mg GAE/g for Alstonia boonei and 27.99 ± 1.46 mg GAE/g for Carica papaya) and flavonoids (19.47 ± 1.89 mg QE/g for Alstonia boonei and 18.24 ± 1.36 mg QE/g for Carica papaya). In vitro antioxidant activity measured as total antioxidant power, total reducing power, and DPPH radical scavenging activity showed that the extracts possessed higher antioxidant activity than the reference compounds. The outcome of the chemosuppressive test revealed that whereas Plasmodium berghei-infected mice had high parasitemia, decreased mean survival time, exhibited loss of weight, and had low PCV, treatment with the extracts reversed the effects in a concentration-dependent manner. Similarly, the curative test revealed that the extracts significantly suppressed parasitemia compared with the malaria negative control group. This was mirrored by reversal of indices of hepatic toxicity (AST, ALT, and ALP levels), nephropathy (urea and creatinine levels), oxidative stress (SOD, CAT, GPx, GSH, and lipid peroxides), and dyslipidemia (TC, HDL, and TG levels and HMG-CoA reductase activity) in infected but treated mice compared with negative control. Put together, the results of this study demonstrate that the extracts of Alstonia boonei and Carica papaya possess antimalarial properties and are able to ameliorate metabolic dysregulations that characterize Plasmodium berghei infection. The phytoconstituents in these extracts are believed to be responsible for the pharmacological activity reported in this study.
Plants are known to contain phytochemicals of pharmacological relevance and as such have been utilized in the treatment and management of various diseases. Morinda lucida, a medium size tropical tree belonging to the rubiaceae family and widely distributed in Africa is one of these plants. It has been reportedly used in the traditional treatment and management of diseases. This study is aimed at identifying compounds with pharmacological relevance in the ethanol extract of Morinda lucida leaves, the antioxidant activity and lethal dose determination of the extract. The leaves of Morinda lucida was extracted with ethanol; phytochemical and bioactive compounds analysis, in vitro antioxidant activity and lethal dose (LD50) determinations were carried out. It was observed in the study that the extract contains alkaloids, quinines, quinones, flavonoids and tannins. The gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) identified phenol 2, 4-bis (1,1-dimethylethyl) (2.82%), Stilbenes (12.32%), Phenoxazine (2.60%) and Benz(cd) indol-2(1H)-one, 1-methyl- (2.60%) amongst other compounds in the extract. The in vitro antioxidant activity evaluation of the extract revealed that it possesses a significant antioxidant activity which increased with increasing concentration. The LD50 determination revealed the extract was safe as there was no death recorded even at a dose as high as 5000 mg/kg. This study shows that Morinda lucida possesses enormous pharmacological potentials.
Mucuna pruriens leaves are used in some part of Nigeria for the treatment of malaria and anemia. With an estimated 3.3 billion people in 97 countries and territories at risk of being infected with malaria according to the WHO, researching into new chemotherapeutic agent against this disease is indeed necessary. This study was designed to evaluate the antimalarial effect of ethanol extract of Mucuna pruriens leaves on NK65 chloroquine sensitive strain of plasmodium berghei in mice. The bioactive compounds in the extract were identified using GC-MS. The experimental animals were divided into 6 groups: negative control, normal control, groups treated with chloroquine (10 mg/kg), Artemeter/Lumefantrine-ACT (20 mg/120 mg/kg), 500 mg/kg of M. pruriens, 1000 mg/kg of M. pruriens and 2000 mg/kg of M. pruriens respectively. Parasite inoculation was done by intraperitoneal injection of 0.2ml of the inoculum (1×107 infected erythrocytes). The GCMS result revealed the extract contains n-hexadeconoic acid, a compound known to possess antimalarial properties. The study revealed that the administrations M. pruriens leaves extracts at suitable doses reduced the parasite load and were able to maintain the PCV at a normal range with a stabilising effect on body weight.
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