ANTIPLASMODIAL ACTIVITY OF THE EXTRACT OF ASTHMA WEED (EUPHORBIA HIRTA) AGAINST PLASMODIUM BERGHEI BERGHEI IN INFECTED MICE

Abstract

Malaria is a mosquito borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by parasitic protozoans (a type of unicellular microorganism) of the genus plasmodium. It affects a large number of the world’s population. The search for new antimalarial chemotherapies has become increasingly urgent due to the parasites’ resistance to current drugs. The in vivo antiplasmodial effect of Euphorbia hirta in mice was investigated in this study. Euphorbia hirta is a medicinal plant used for the management of gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory diseases and other ailments. Two models were used namely the suppressive model and prophylactic model in chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei berghei infected mice. The oral acute toxicity of the aqueous-methanolic extract of Euphorbia hirta whole plant was determined. Acute toxicity (LD50) test of the crude extract on malaria parasites P. berghei was greater than 5000mg/kg body weight. The in vivo antimalarial activity of the Euphorbia hirta extract doses (200, 400 and 800mg/kg body weight) against P. berghei berghei showed that it has significant (p<0.05) suppressive and prophylactic antiplasmodial activity. Result further showed that antiplasmodial action was not through the oxidation of red blood cell membrane lipids as evident from the measured levels of Lipid peroxidative index and the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defense systems in the body. It may be by inhibition of protein synthesis. These results suggest that Euphorbia hirta plant has a potential pharmacological activity that is beneficial in the development of new drug for treatment or prophylaxis against malaria