Antiplasmodial Activity of Methanolic Leaf Extract of Anogeisus leiocarpus and its Effect on Heart and Liver of Mice Infected with Plasmodium berghei

Abstract

Background: The emergence of malaria parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs, especially to those that can be afforded by the population that live in malaria endemic areas has necessitated the need for discovery and development of alternative medicine.Objective: This work assessed the efficacy of the methanolic leaf extract of Anogeissus leiocarpus against malaria parasite and its effect on the liver and heart of mice infected with Plasmodium berghei. Methods: Sixty mice used for this study were grouped into six groups. Group one not infected with malaria parasite (normal control), group two was infected with the parasite but not treated with drugs (negative control), group three was infected and treated with 16 mg/kg body weight (mg/kgbdwt) of Artemether (positive control), the fourth and fifth groups were also infected and treated with 100 and 200 mg/kgbdwt of A. leiocarpus respectively, while group six was not infected but was given 200 mg/kgbdwt of A. leiocarpus (extract control). The parasite was assessed for five days. The animals were sacrificed on the fifth day. The homogenates of liver and heart were prepared and used to test for liver and heart function. Results: The parasite clearance was higher in the group treated with 200 mg/kgbdwt of methanolic leaf extract of A.leiocarpus when compared with the group treated with 100 mg/kgbdwt. The ALT, AST and ALP activities were higher in negative control than in all other groups studied but it was higher in the group treated with 200 mg/kgbdwt of A. leiocarpus than in the positive control and the group treated with 100 mg/kgbdwt of A. leiocarpus. Conclusion: This study shows that the antiplasmodial activity of A. leiocarpus was higher at the dosage of 200 mg/kgbdw and the level of liver enzymes is a function of the dosage.