Abstract

Resistance of malaria parasites to several antimalarial drugs mandates the need for new compounds from affordable sources. Thus the current study was conducted to justify the  traditional usage of Lantana trifolia roots and Premna oligotricha  leaves to combat malaria. The powdered roots of Lantana trifolia and leaves of Premna oligotricha  were macerated using 70% ethanol. Secondary metabolites present in the extracts were determined using the standard chemical method. The in vivo  antiplasmodial effect of the crude extracts were evaluated using the four-day suppressive test in chloroquine (CQ) sensitive strain of Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Parameters such as parasitaemia, packed cell volume, body weight change and survival time of mice were then determined as using standard tests. The ethanol extracts showed a dose-dependent chemosuppression when compared to the negative control in this study. The chemosuppressive effect produced by all doses was very significant (P <0.001). Concentrations at 350, 500 mg/kg of leaf extract and 200 mg/kg from root extract have demonstrated prevention effect on weight loss of mice (P <0.001). All the test extracts employed in this study have no significant prevention effect on PCV loss of mice at all dose levels. The present study has demonstrated the efficacy of the extracts of Premna oligotricha leaf and Lantana trifolia root traditionally used in chemotherapy of malaria infection. These observations provide the basis for the traditional use of these plants in treatments of malaria and potential for development of novel therapeutics in the conventional medicine.

Key words: Antimalarial, In vivo, Lantana trifolia, parasitaemia, Plasmodium berghei, Premna oligotricha.