Antiplasmodial Potential of selected Medicinal Plants Extracts on mice Infected with Plasmodium Berghei

Malaria remains a major public health challenge in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in Nigeria, due to the emergence of resistance of malaria parasites to commonly used antimalarial drugs. This has increased the need to investigate alternative therapeutic agents, especially those derived from medicinal plants. This study evaluated the antiplasmodial potential of selected medicinal plant extracts in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei. A total of nine experimental groups, consisting of five mice in each group, which were infected with Plasmodium berghei (NK65), were used in this study. Group 1 was treated with a herbal combination of Rauvolfia vomitoria and Gongronema latifolium, 2 was treated with a combination of Senna alata and Spondias mombin, and 3 was treated with a combination of Chromolaena odorata and Newbouldia laevis. Groups 4 to 9 were treated with a single plant extract as follows: Group 4 received Spondias mombin, Group 5 received Chromolaena odorata, Group 6 received Newbouldia laevis, Group 7 received Senna alata, Group 8 received Gongronema latifolium, and 9 received Rauvolfia vomitoria. Packed cell volume (PCV), parasitemia levels, and parasite suppression in the mice were determined. The results showed that the overall mean parasitemia values across the observation period were 21.01%, 21.16%, 20.60%, 23.65%, 20.18%, 24.01%, 10.65%, 27.51%, and 38.07% for Groups 1 to 9, respectively. The mean PCV for each group was 36.5%, 37.5%, 35.2%, 37.3%, 35.6%, 36.0%, 40.5%, 38.2%, and 34% respectively. Using Group 9 as the reference control, the parasite suppression percentages were calculated as 44.8%, 44.4%, 45.9%, 37.9%, 47.0%, 36.9%, 72.0%, and 27.7 for Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, Group 4, Group 5, Group 6, Group 7, and Group 8, respectively. Among all the treatment groups, Group 7, which received Senna alata, demonstrated the highest parasite suppression (72.0%), indicating the strongest antiplasmodial activity. Conversely, Group 9, which received Rauvolfia vomitoria, recorded the highest parasitemia level (38.07%) and showed no parasite suppression. The findings of this study indicate that several of the tested plant extracts possess varying degrees of antimalarial activity against Plasmodium berghei infection in mice. In particular, Senna alata demonstrated significant parasite suppression compared to other treatments. These results support the traditional use of medicinal plants in the management of malaria and suggest that some of these plants may serve as potential sources of new antimalarial compounds.