Antiplasmodial Activity of Ethanol Extract of <i>Sonneratia alba</i> Leaves

Abstract

Sonneratia alba (S. alba) is a mangrove plant that represents a promising natural source for potential antimalarial drug development.  This study investigates the antimalarial effects of the ethanol extract derived from S. alba leaves in a mouse model. To assess the  antimalarial activity of the extracts in vivo, mice were intraperitoneally injected with the Plasmodium berghei ANKA strain, followed by  daily administration of the ethanol extract from S. alba leaves for four consecutive days. Parasitemia levels were monitored using light  microscopy. The findings revealed a significant suppression of parasitemia in malaria-infected mice treated with the ethanol extract of S.  alba leaves at a dose of 300 mg/kg BW, achieving a reduction of 77.34%. Mice administered with 150 mg/kg BW of the ethanol extract  demonstrated a suppression rate of 62.35%, while those treated with 75 mg/kg BW displayed 43.53% suppression. This study underscores  the potential antimalarial properties of the ethanol extract derived from S. alba leaves when administered in vivo.