In-vivo Antiplasmodial Activity of Aqueous, N-Butanol and Ethylacetate Fractions of Leaf and Stem Bark Methanol Extracts of Diospyros mespiliformis on Plasmodium berghei berghei (Nk65) Infected Mice

Aim: To determine the in-vivo antiplasmodial activity of aqueous, N-butanol and ethylacetate fractions of leaf and stem bark methanol extracts of Diospyros mespiliformis on Plasmodium berghei berghei (Nk65) infected mice.

Place and Duration of Study Sample: Biochemistry Department. Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and Pharmacy Department. Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. For a period of 6 months.

Methodology: A total of 130 mice weighing between 18-28 g were randomly divided into thirteen (13) groups each (leaf extract=65 mice, stem bark extract =65 mice) of five (5) mice per group. Leaf extract at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight and stem bark extract at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight of ethylacetate, n-butanol and aqueous fractions, chloroquine (5 mg/kg) and Artesunate (10 mg/kg) were administered orally for four days. Qualitative, quantitative, parasitemia, packed cell volume and relative body weight analysis of the mice were monitored.

Results: The phytochemical studies revealed the presence of carbohydrates, free anthraquinone, cardiac glycosides, glycosides, saponins, tannins, alkaloids and flavonoids in the crude leaf extract and absence of cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, free anthraquinone and alkaloids in the stem bark extract. The quantitative phytochemical analysis of the fractions of leaf and stem bark extract of Diospyros mespiliformis showed that, saponins (0.57±0.06 mg/gl), (0.36±0.21 mg/gl), alkaloids (0.12±0.04 mg/gl), (0.67±0.01 mg/gl), tannins (0.73±0.36 mg/gl), (0.51±0.22 mg/gl), and glycoside had the highest concentration of (1.15±0.10 mg/gl), (0.97±0.33 mg/gl) respectively. At the end of the four (4) days suppressive test, packed cell volume and haemoglobin concentration showed significant (P<0.05) decrease in the negative control group and significance (P<0.05) increase in the infected but treated with chloroquine. Relative organ weight in the negative control group showed significant (P<0.05) increase in n-butanol and aqueous fractions.

Conclusion: The present work establishes the antiplasmodial activity of the methanol extract of Diospyros mespiliformis which have shown potent parasite suppressive effects on P. berghei infected Swiss albino mice in a dose related fashion. Leaf and stem bark extract of Diospyros mespiliformis have shown potent parasite suppressive effects on P. berghei infected mice in a dose related fashion which is in agreement with previous studies. The extracts treated groups did not show a significant decrease in PCV (P> 0.05) when compared to the negative control group. This is suggestive that the extract may contain some substances that either increase appetite or blood quality to the animals, in addition to its anti-plasmodial activity. Therefore, the extracts showed a potential source of new chemotherapeutic agent. The mechanism of action of the leaf and stem bark methanol extracts exhibited competitive and non-competitive pattern of inhibition respectively.