Antimalaria activities of Enantia Chlorantha and Rauwalfia vomitaria extracts in rodents malaria

Abstract

Objective: The problems of malaria remain unsolved and newer drugs are being faced with the same challenges militating against the effective use of older ones. There is therefore an urgent need to search among natural products for agents that can improve malaria situation.
Methods: Antimalarial activites of the aqueous extracts of Rauwolfia vomitoria and Enantia Chlorantha, employed separately and in combination in P. bergheli infected male albino mice were investigated. Both prophylactic and chemotherapeutic studies were carried out with a does of 50mg kg-1 of each herbal preparation administered orally ad libitum singly and in ratio 1: 1 combination for 5 days, to groups of animals.
Results: The prophylactic group, which received the extract prior to challenge with malaria parasite, recorded a suppression of infection compared with the control but no total protection was offered in all the case investigated. The trend of suppression was not sustained as resurgence in parasitaemia became noticeable by day 12 post-inoculation. The experiment was terminated by day 24 since no improvement was recorded. On the other hand, the blood schizontocidal efficacies of the herbal were confirmed in the groups that were inoculated and treated 3rd day after establishment of disease. Each of the extracts produced a gradual decrease in parasitaemia, which culminated in total cure. While deaths were recorded in the controls between days 7 an 8 , the treated animals survived for a much longer period, although, mortality was recorded in some f them even after total blood clearance , survivors were kept on for about 60 days without any recrudescence. Results were analyzed using standard error of the mean and t-test. P<0.05 when the combination and monotherapy were compared as well as when the treated groups were compared with controls.
Conclusion: The combination therapy produced a better therapeutic effect than either drug used alone, however, prophylactic use of both extracts employed singly should be discouraged to prevent resistance.


Keywords: Antimalaria, Plasmodium, Medicinal Plant

Tropical Journal of Medical Research Vol. 10(1) 2006: pp. 11-14