ASSESSMENT OF THE ANTIMALARIAL POTENTIAL OF AN ARTEMISININ RICH VARIETY OF ARTEMISIA ANNUA

ABSTRACT

Malaria is a prevalent endemic disease in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. The disease is caused by the protozoan parasite of the genus Plasmodium. Many individuals in malarious regions rely on herbal medications for managing the disease. The study thus assessed the antimalarial potential of the leaf infusion of an artemisinin-rich variety of Artemisia annua {Artemisia annua ANAMED (A3)}. From the results, the extract had an effective antimalarial potential on day 4, as it showed a significant decrease in parasitemia levels (3.51%) as compared to negative control (9.09%). However, on day 10, although there was a significant increase in WBC, GRAN and LYMP levels in the Artemisia annua treated group as compared to negative control group, it did not translate into a significant decrease in parasitemia level (29.61% vs. 48.59% for negative control). This was also evident in the mean survival time. As treatment with the extract did not result in an increase in mean survival time of test animals (9.75 vs. 10.33 days for negative control group). This observation may be as a result of the poor oral pharmacokinetics of artemisinin; Artemisia annua’s bioactive principle which causes it to be rapidly cleared from the circulation.