Anti-malarial and Therapeutic Potential of Ethanolic Leaf and Root Extracts of Alstonia boonei Against Plasmodium berghei Infection in Mice

Abstract

Introduction: The main objective of this research was to investigate the antimalarial therapeutic potential of the ethanolic extract of the leaves and roots of Alstonia boonei, a West African medicinal plant that is used for the traditional treatment of malaria, fever, and other parasitic diseases. There is a need to scientifically evaluate various plants utilized in the ancient treatment of diseases as they might be potential sources of new modern drugs; thus, the importance of this study is obvious. Methods: The extracts were subjected to in vivo antimalarial tests in mice in order to determine their efficacy against malaria infection. These materials exhibited dose–dependent antimalarial activity (P<0.05), as indicated by suppressive and curative effects on mice infected with doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg body weights of the Plasmodium berghei malaria parasite. Results: The suppressive test of the extracts revealed a significant dose–dependent early infection suppression at P<0.05. Conclusion: Based on the results, the plant should be further examined to analyze its bioactive compounds and position it as a potential source of new and novel molecules for antimalarial drug development.