Anti-malarial and haematological evaluation of the ethanolic, ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions of Chromolaena odorata

Abstract

Malaria is a global health challenge with endemicity in sub-Saharan Africa, where there are multiple drug-resistant strains and limited access to modern health care facilities, especially in rural areas. Studies indicate that African traditional medicine could make a substantial contribution to the reduction of malaria-related deaths and achievement of universal health coverage (UHC), particularly in these regions. Thus, this study evaluated the curative antimalarial effects of Chromolaena odorata leaf extract using mouse model. Forty-five (45) albino mice weighing between 18 and 22 g were grouped into nine groups of 5 animals each. Animals in groups 2–9 were infected with the chloroquine-resistant strain of Plasmodium berghei, while animals in groups 3–9 were subsequently treated with 10 mg/kg chloroquine, a combination of 1.4 mg/kg artemether and 8.75 mg/kg lumefantrine (Coartem), and varying concentrations of the fraction from the aqueous leaf extract of C. odorata at day 3 post-infection. The findings from this study indicate that treatment with 400 mg/kg of the ethanolic fraction of the crude extract resulted in a significant decrease in parasite load (97.6%), which was comparable to the activities of the conventional drugs chloroquine (98.6%) and Coartem (98.8%). The ethyl acetate and ethanolic fractions at 400 mg/kg also ameliorated the significant alterations in the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets of the infected animals. The high antimalarial activity displayed by the ethanolic fraction could be due to the presence of quercetin and kaempferol, as detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The findings suggest that the fractions from C. odorata could serve as an alternative source of malaria therapy, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

Exploring the Antidiabetic Potential of Neocarya macrophylla (Nm) Leaf Fractions: A Comprehensive Study on Hypoglycemic Activity, Body Mass Index, and Hematological Parameters in High-Fat Diet/ Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rat

“…Neutrophil and lymphocyte percentages, which are markers of inflammation and immune response, were notably normalized by Nm treatment. These findings imply that Nm ethyl acetate leaf fraction could mitigate diabetic-induced haematological abnormalities (38), potentially through anti-inflammatory and erythropoietic mechanisms, warranting further investigation for clinical application (39).…”

Ecological insights and environmental threats of invasive alien plant Chromolaena odorata: Prospects for sustainable management

“…A vast array of secondary metabolites or bioactive compounds in C. odorata can be of anticancer, antidiabetic, anti‐malarial, anti‐inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiparasitic medicinal applications (Elebiyo et al, 2023; Olawale et al, 2022). However, the medicinal values of C. odorata were noted mostly in African and Asian context, therefore cannot be generalized at global scale (Mugwedi, 2020).…”

“…Folklore studies reported that the C. odorata is widely used in treatment of diabetes and in this vein a recent molecular study revealed that its extract can potentially regulate Nrf2/keap1 antioxidant pathway to prevent the diabetes induced liver dysfunction (Elekofehinti et al, 2023). Leaf extracts C. odorata were also clinically tested with mouse model which revealed their potential in malaria therapy, especially in sub‐Saharan Africa (Elebiyo et al, 2023). The antioxidative potential and phenolic content of C. odorata can combat ROS which can further be exploited in human healthcare to treat diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, aging, and cellular apoptosis) (Halliwell & Gutteridge, 1999; Ozsoy et al, 2008).…”