English

E Khan M,O Oyewale A,O Amupitan J,G Ndukwe I

doi:10.5897/rpb2011.030

Abstract

Nepata cateria (Labiatae) growing widely in northern Nigeria is used by most indigenes for the treatment of malaria and other related diseases. The in vivo anti-malarial activity of the methanol leaf extract was evaluated in mice infected with the chloroquine sensitive Plasmodium berghei berghei NK65 strain. Oral acute toxicity of the methanol leaf extract with modified Lorke`s method was evaluated against early, established, curative, prophylactic, and residual infections and their mean survival period studied. The oral median lethal dose of the extract in mice was determined to be about 3800 mg kg-1 body weight. The extract at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg kg-1 body weight produced significant (P < 0.05) dose dependent activity against the parasites in the suppressive, curative and prophylactic tests. The results suggested that the methanol leaf fraction of N. cateria possesses anti-malarial activity and thus lends credence to its ethno medical and folkloric usage as malaria cure.   Key words: Nepata cateria, in vivo, Plasmodium berghei berghei, chloroquine, mice.

Highlights

Malaria is an ancient disease and has almost certainly caused more suffering and deaths than any other infectious disease, mostly in children under 5 years, especially in the developing world (Greenwood et al, 2005; Winter et al, 2006; WHO, 2008)
Taking cognizance of this disease and problems associated with anti-malarial drug resistance and prevalence of fake drugs in general circulations in the Nigerian markets, new drugs, drugs with fine-tuned modes of action or new drug combinations are urgently required hitherto for malaria treatment
Natural product chemistry has experienced an explosive and diversified growth in nature, making the subject of much interest and promise in the present day research directed towards drug design and drug discovery (Wessjohann et al, 2005)

Summary

Introduction

Malaria is an ancient disease and has almost certainly caused more suffering and deaths than any other infectious disease, mostly in children under 5 years, especially in the developing world (Greenwood et al, 2005; Winter et al, 2006; WHO, 2008) This vector-borne infectious disease is a classical example of one that affects the productivity of individuals, families, and the whole society, since it causes more energy loss, more debilitation, more loss of work force, and more loss of economic/social damage than any other human parasitic diseases (Sachs and Malaney, 2002). We can understand why Riscoe et al (2005) declared that “malaria has been responsible for the death of about half of all the people who ever lived” Taking cognizance of this disease and problems associated with anti-malarial drug resistance and prevalence of fake drugs in general circulations in the Nigerian markets, new drugs, drugs with fine-tuned modes of action or new drug combinations are urgently required hitherto for malaria treatment. Natural product has played and will continue to play an invaluable role in the drug discovery process (Harvey, 2000; Newman et al, 2003)

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