Antiplasmodial Activity of Methanolic Leaf Extract of Mangrove Plants against Plasmodium berghei

Abstract

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by parasitic protozoa from the genus of Plasmodium. It is urgent to find an alternative source of new antimalarial agent. This research aimed to evaluate the antiplasmodial properties of Jambi mangrove plants. This study has been conducted by screening antiplasmodial bioactivity of methanol leaf extract of mangrove plants against Plasmodium berghei. Antiplasmodial activity from methanol leaf extract of mangrove plants, namely Sonneratia alba, Acanthus ilcifolius, and Sonneratia caseolaris were tested ex vivo against Plasmodium berghei strain ANKA infected into Balb-C mice. Antiplasmodial activity were observed by calculating the parasitaemia percentage of Plasmodium berghei in mice red blood celss at 0 and 24 hours and expressed as decreased levels of parasitaemia and percent of inhibition. Based on the decrease of parasitaemia level and the percent of inhibition value, the three methanol leaf extracts of mangrove plants concluded to have potential antimalarial activity. The highest activity showed by the methanol leaf extract of S. alba with percent inhibition as much as 48.5; 44.9; 42.7 and 18.8% at concentrations of 300, 100, 10 and 3 μg/ml. Antiplasmodial activity can also be studied from the inhibition of the development life cycle of plasmodium. Methanol leaf extract of S. alba have activity in inhibiting the development ring stage to which schizonts were not found at the extract concentration of 300 μg/mL. At lower concentration, trophozoite and schizonts still survived with defect morphological conditions. The results of this study indicated that mangrove plant S. alba was a potent source of natural antimalarial drugs.