Anti-Plasmodium Falciparum Activity of Extracts from Dendranthema Indicum

Abstract

Malaria being a major health problem, demands for search for alternative anti-malaria drugs. Dendrathema indicum/ Dunkufea plant used in the treatment of malaria in the northern part of Nigeria was evaluated for activity against Plasmodium falciparum. The crude ethanol extract of the plant, n-hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate and last residue fractions obtained by maceration of the crude ethanol extract were screened for activity against Plasmodium falciparum, the last residue and hexane fraction did not inhibit significantly even at a concentration of 200μg/ml, the ethyl acetate fraction obtained after maceration was the most active fraction. From the result of the photochemical analysis all the common classes of secondary metabolites tested were present in the plant except alkaloid.

Keywords: Anti-malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, maceration, Dendranthema indicum