Abstract
This study evaluates prophylactic and curative antiplasmodial effects of <i>Rauwolfia vomitoria</i> leaf extracts on Plasmodium berghei NK 65. The extracts of the leaves at 100, 200 and 400 mg kg-1 body weight/day dose levels were used to treat the test groups 72 hours before infection for the prophylactic test and 72 hours post infection for the curative test while a standard antimalarial drug, chloroquine, at a dose of 5 mg kg-1 body weight was administered on the positive control group. The negative control groups were left untreated. The level of parasitemia, Percentage Packed Cell Volume (% PCV), erythrocytes (RBC) and leukocytes (WBC) counts in the different groups were monitored also, bicarbonate, creatinine, uric acid, urea, calcium level and histological effects of extracts were determined during the period of study. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemicals of water and ethanol leaf extracts were determined.
Highlights
Ethno botany is the use of plants by humans traditionally; a science, which include a study of the plants used tribally for food, medicine and clothing [1] and it is an effective way to the discovery of future medicine [2]
The result showed that alkaloid, anthraquinones, cardenoloides, glycosides, phenol, phlobatanin, resin and saponin were present in hot water and ethanol extract of the plant, ajimaline was absent
This result showed that the plant extracts had a better chemo-suppressive activity for the prophylactic than the curative assay; this indicates that the plant extracts provide a better antiplasmodial efficacy when used as prophylaxis antiplasmodial drug
Summary
Ethno botany is the use of plants by humans traditionally; a science, which include a study of the plants used tribally for food, medicine and clothing [1] and it is an effective way to the discovery of future medicine [2]. Rauwolfia vomitoria Afzel (Apocynaceae) is a small shrub evergreen perennial plant, which grows to 15m high and has oval or oblong shiny leaves in whorls, straight veining and a cluster of inconspicuous white or greenish flowers producing red berries [7]. It grows in most tropical forest of pacific, South America, Asia and Africa. In Ghana and Nigeria Rauwolfia vomitoria is used traditionally against snake bites, malaria, fever and nervous disorders as well as emetic and purgative [8]. In Mali, the roots of Rauwolfia have been use in the treatment of hemorrhoids and hepatomegaly [11]
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