Supressive and prophylactic potentials of flavonoid-rich extract of Adansonia digitata L. Stem bark in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice

Abstract

Increase in the resistance of malaria parasite to synthetic drugs has led to the increasing search for alternative treatment strategy from plant sources. This study investigated the suppressive and prophylactic potentials of flavonoid-rich extracts of Adansonia digitata stem bark in Plasmodium berghel infected mice. The albino mice were administered with two different doses (200 and 400 mg kg-1b.wt.) of extract for five consecutive days. About 5 mg kg-1b.wt. day-1dose of artemether-lumefantrine and 5 mg kg-1b.wt. day-1dose of chloroquine were used as reference drugs while the control mice received only the vehicle (5% v/v tween 80). In the prophylactic groups, the mice were pretreated daily for five days before they were challenged with inoculums of 1 × 107chloroquine-sensitive P. berghei infected erythrocyte intraperitoneally. The results showed a dose dependent chemosupression in the extract treated groups. The 400 mg kg-1b.wt., was more effective with respect to the parasite clearance than the 200 mg kg-1b. wt., dose. The chemosupression caused by Artemether-Lumefantrine (AL) and chloroquine (CQ) treated groups were significantly (p<0.05) higherthan the extract-treated groups. The percentage parasitemia also decreased in this manner. The flavonoid-rich extract of A dansoniadigitata caused a mutual delay in parasitemia. The Packed Cell Volume (PCV) increased significantly (p<0.05) in the AL and CQ and 400 mg kg-1b.wt., dose of the extract, respectively when compared with the control. This study showed that flavonoid-rich extract of Adansonia digitata stem bark has potent antimalarial property which could be of future importance in malaria management.