Antimalarial activity and in vivo toxicity of selected medicinal plants naturalised in Kenya
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Date
2014Author
Murithi, Caroline Kathambi
Fidahusein, Dossaji Saifudin
Nguta, Joseph Mwanzia
Lukhoba, Catherine Wanjiru
Language
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Malaria is an epidemic disease in Kenya. With most conventional antimalarial drugs being
inaccessible, unaffordable, and reported resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to the currently used
Artemisinin combined therapy, there is need to explore alternative sources of chemotherapeutic
agents and plants are a potential rich source of antimalarial drugs.
The study aimed to investigate the antimalarial activity and acute toxicityof four plants traditionally
used to treat malaria in Msambweni District, Kenya.
Results show that the aqueous root extract of Hoslundia opposita and the organic leaf extracts of
Flacourtia indica and Ocimum gratissimum suppressed parasitaemia of Plasmodium berghei in
mice by 90.62%, 87.84% and 88.07% respectively. None of the plant extracts exhibited toxicity on
mice at a dose of 2000 mg/Kg body weight.
The antimalarial activity exhibited by extracts of H. opposita, F. indica and O. gratissimum against
P. berghei suggests that these plants may have active principles against P. falciparum.
Citation
International Journal of Education and Research Vol. 2 No. 5 May 2014Subject
AntimalarialAcute toxicity
Chemosuppression
Crude extracts
Hoslundia opposita
Flacourtia indica
Ocimum gratissimum
Plasmodium berghei