In Vivo Antimalarial Activity of Adansonia digitata Stem Bark Extract and Some Fractions
Background: Malaria is one of the most common major health problems responsible for the death of millions of children, pregnant women and adults. Antimalarial drug resistance has emerged as one of the greatest challenges facing malaria control today. Plant resources that either treat or prevent parasite invasion desirable in developing countries are potential targets for research and development of alternative malaria drugs. Objective: This study investigated the suppressive and prophylactic potentials of extracts and some fractions of Adansonia digitata stem bark in Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Methodology: The albino mice were administered with two different doses (200mg/kg body weight and 400mg/kg body weight) of aqueous extract (AQ), methanolic extract (ME), chloroform fraction (CF) and ethylacetate fraction (EF) of Adansonia digitata stem bark for five consecutive days. 5mg/kg body weight dose per day of artemether-lumefantrine and 5mg/kg body weight dose per day of chloroquine was used as positive control while the negative control mice received only the vehicle (5% v/v tween 80). In the prophylactic groups, the mice were pretreated daily for five days before they were challenged with inoculums of 1 x 107 chloroquine-sensitive P. berghei infected erythrocyte intraperitoneally. Results: The results showed a dose dependent chemosupression in the fractions and the extract treated groups. The 400mg/kg body weight was more effective with respect to the parasite clearance than the 200mg/kg body weight in all the groups. Both the 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg body weight dose of ethylacetate fraction (EF) exhibited the highest chemosupression. The chemosupression caused by Artemether-lumefantrine (AL) and Chloroquine (CQ) treated groups were significantly (P> 0.05) higher than the fractions and extract treated groups. The percentage parasitemia also decreased in this manner. There was a mutual delay in parasitemia with EF and ME. The packed cell volume (PCV) increased significantly (P> 0.05) in the AL and CQ, and 400mg/kg body weight dose EF and ME respectively and increased for the other fraction and extract used at 400mg/kg body weight dose compared with the control. Conclusion: This study showed that EF of Adansonia digitata stem bark has potent antimalarial property which could be of future importance in malaria management.