In vivo Antimalarial Activity of Stem Bark of Dry Zone Cedar Pseudocedrela kotschyi (Meliaceae) in Mice

Background: Malaria infection remains the most devastating infectious parasitic disease responsible for the death and economic losses among half the world’s population. The development of resistance to the present antimalarial drugs by Plasmodium species has necessitated the search for effective antimalarial drugs. The stem bark of dry zone cedar (Pseudocedrela kotschyi) Meliaceae is used locally for the treatment of fever, hence the choice of the plant to prove scientifically the traditional claim.

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the antimalarial activity of the stem bark extracts of P. kotschyi in mice.

Methodology: One hundred and twenty grammes of the plant powder were successively extracted. A total of three hundred and sixty mice were used for the study, one hundred and twenty for each extract (ethanol, ethyl acetate and aqueous) and forty per each test (suppressive, curative and prophylactic). Male and female, albino mice were inoculated with drug sensitive NK 65 Plasmodium berghei berghei. In each test animals were divided into five groups, each consisted of eight animals and treated separately with one of the following: 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg extracts, chloroquine / pyrimethamine and normal saline. Blood films were prepared and examined.

Results: The ethanol, ethyl acetate and aqueous crude extracts of P. kotschyi at 200 mg/kg significantly (P<0.05) inhibited the parasitaemia by 39.43%, 26.99% and 28.36% respectively in the suppressive test. Ethanol and ethyl acetate crude extracts also showed significant (p<0.05) cure rate of 29.17% and 20.28% respectively. However there was no significant (p>0.05) reduction in parasitaemia load in the prophylactic tests, indicating that the plant is probably not a potential prophylactic subject.

Conclusion: The results of the study showed that P. kotschyi indeed has antiplasmodial property, which could be exploited in the search for malaria drugs in the present day scenerio.