Antiplasmodial Potential of Thaumatococcus danielli Extracts (Benth.) against Plasmodium berghei Infected Mice http://www.doi.org/10.26538/tjnpr/v7i1.29

Abstract

Elimination of malaria infection with available antimalarial drugs is threatened by resistance developed by Plasmodium species and requires more efficacious and potent drugs. Some rural communities in Nigeria, use Thaumatococcus danielli leaves to cure malaria. However, a scientific investigation has not supported this assertion. In this investigation, swiss albino mice were used to test T. danielli extracts' antiplasmodial efficacy. The plant was subjected to qualitative phytochemical analysis, sohxlet extraction using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol, and aqueous solvents, including the extracts' acute oral toxicity study. Suppressive test of each extract against Plasmodium berghei (NK-65 strain) was tested at 200, 400 and 800mg/kg. Parasitaemia levels, temperature, weight, packed cell volume, and mean survival time of the mice were monitored during the study. In Windows Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 26.0., one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post hoc test were used to analyze the data. The acute oral toxicity study disclosed that LD50 values of T. danielli extracts were above 2,000mg/kg in mice. The maximum suppressive effect of 67.3% was achieved in a dose-dependent pattern (p < 0.001) by an oral administration of ethyl acetate extract at 800 mg/kg body weight. The extract was an ideal antiplasmodial extract since it minimized the fall in red blood cells, body temperature, and caused increased weight (p > 0.05). The plant has considerable antimalarial efficacy caused by individual or synergistic action of its phytochemicals. Therefore, bioassay of isolated and characterized active compound(s) is necessary for development of new antimalarial(s) from T. danielli leaves.