Abstract

Mebrahtu Eyasu, Workineh Shibeshi and Mirutse Giday

Malaria is one of the most serious health problems worldwide and treatment has been compromised by drug resistance. Consequently, efforts are directed towards discovery of novel agents including from medicinal plants. The present study was aimed to evaluate the suppressive, curative and prophylactic activity of hydroalcoholic leaf extract of Calpurnia aurea in mice infected with chloroquine sensitive Plasmodium berghei (1x107 parasites/mouse). The extract (15, 30 and 60 mg/kg), chloroquine (5 mg/kg) and distilled water (0.2ml/day) were administered orally for four days. Then parasitemia, packed cell volume, body weight, rectal temperature and survival time of mice were monitored. The 60 mg/kg dose in 4-day suppressive, curative and prophylactic tests had maximum parasitemia chemosuppression of 51.15, 47.77 and 36.8% (P<0.001 in all cases) respectively with significant effect on survival time (4-day suppressive test) compared to negative control. In 4-day suppressive test, the extract had prevented packed cell volume reduction at 15 and 30 mg/kg doses (P<0.05) compared to negative control. In prophylactic test, extract doses at 15mg/kg (p<0.001) and 60mg/kg (p<0.05) prevented body weight loss compared to negative control. The present work establishes antiplasmodial activity of the plant which can be a potential source of new chemotherapeutic and/or chemoprophylactic compounds.