PRECLINICAL ANTIMALARIAL EVALUATION OF A BI-HERBAL COMBO OF ENANTIA CHLORANTA AND NAUCLEA LATIFOLIA (BHE BATCH 1) IN MICE INFECTED WITH PLASMODIUM BERGHEI (NK65)

ABSTRACT

Malaria is known to be a debilitating and highly infectious disease and is common in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Herbal practices play crucial roles in curbing malaria disease. Examples of such plants are Enantia chlorantha and Nauclea latifolia. A hydroethanolic extract of the bi-herbal combo of Enantia chlorantha and Nauclea latifolia was used for this study. Twenty-five (25) Swiss albino mice (weighing about 22 g) were randomly placed into five (5) groups: negative control (NC) group which were infected but not treated, that is, mice in this group received normal saline after infection; positive control (PC) group which were infected and then treated with chloroquine (25 mg/kg b.wt.); the remaining groups dubbed BHE1_A, BHE1_B, BHE1_C received 50, 100 and 250 mg/kg b.wt. of the extract respectively after infection. Treatments were administered three (3) hours after infection and continued for 3 consecutive days after first day of treatment. On the 5 th and 9th day after infection, blood samples were gotten from the lateral tail vein of each mouse and smears made to check parasite levels. Results gotten showed that the extract reduced parasitemia in a dose dependent manner. Although BHE1_C was the most effective dose, it wasn’t as potent as chloroquine (positive control). The study thus provides scientific evidence for the use of the herbal formula for the management of malaria.