In vivo antiplasmodial effect of ethanol leaf extract of Hippocratea africana

Abstract

Medicinal plants are used by the Ibibios of Southern Nigeria, for the treatment of various diseases, including malaria. One of the plants used is Hippocratea africana. The aim of the study was to evaluate the in vivo antiplasmodial efficacy of ethanol leaf extract of this plant in experimental murine plasmodiasis. The suppressive (4-day test), prophylactic and curative activities of the leaf extract were determined. Doses of the extract used in this study were 70.71, 141.42 and 212.13mg/kg/day in mice. Artesunate (5mg/kg/day) and pyrimethamine (1.2mg/kg/day) were used as the standard drugs while distilled water (10ml/kg/day) served as the control. The suppressive test resulted in 37.50, 43.75 and 57.28% suppression for doses 70.71, 141.42 and 212.13mg/kg respectively. Artesunate gave percentage suppression of 64.59%. These results were significant (p