In Vivo Antimalarial Activities of the Crude Methanolic Extract and Chromatographic Fractions of the Bulb of Crinum jagus

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate in-vivo antiplasmodial activity of crude methanolic extract and chromatographic fractions of the bulb of Crinum jagus in Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Swiss albino mice were inoculated with P. berghei intraperitoneal . The crude extract and fractions were administered orally daily for four consecutive days starting from the day infection was established (Day 3). The control group received tween 80, while chloroquine (10mg per kg body weight) and arteether (3mg per kg body weight) given for 3 days were were used as standard reference drugs. Treatment of infected mice with crude extract and fractions caused suppression of parasitaemia in the treated groups. On Day 6 post infection, the crude extract at different doses administered (10, 25, 50 and 75 mg per kg body weight) produced chemosuppression of 70.1%, 76.2%, 80.0% and 87.2% respectively. Fractions 1, 2 and 3 at 10mg per kg body weight; chloroquine and arteether had chemosuppression of 89.3%, 76.1%, 77.7%, 100% and 86.6% respectively. The difference between serum levels of liver enzymes AST, ALT and ALP following 30 days administration of 10 and 25mg/ kg bw of crude extract and control was not significant (p > 0.05). These findings showed that the crude extract and chromatographic fractions of the bulb of Crinum jagus possess antiplasmodial activity comparable to that of the reference drugs. This supports the use of the plant extract as a source of natural antimalarial agent. Further studies on mechanism of its antimalarial activity, toxicity and identification of active principle are ongoing.