In Vitro Antiplasmodial Activity of Aqueous Leaves Extract of Azadirachta Indica (Juss), Senna occidentalis (Linn) against Combination Therapy of Both Plants Extract on the Multiplication of Plasmodium Falciparum (Laveran)

Abstract

This study investigated the antiplasmodial effects of leaves extract of Azadirachta indica, Senna occidentalis and Combination therapy of both plans extracts using RPMI 1640 culture media (in vitro). Parasite density was determined by counting the number of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocyte in 5,000 erythrocytes of the culture, thin blood smear were prepared and stained with Giemsa stain. Varying concentrations of the extracts such as 10, 20, to 100 mg/mL were prepared, the effect of the leaves extracts against the growth of schizonts were dose dependant. A. indica showed highest growth inhibition (96.92%) at 70m g/ml. However, the schizonts were found to be inhibited by the leaves extract of S. occidetalis at the highest concentration (100 mg/mL) with growth inhibition of 98.46%, there was no significant difference in the anti-malaria efficacy among the leave extracts and the Combination therapy (p<0.05) at 100 mg/mL. The results of phytochemical screening indicated A. indica and S.occidentalis contain Alkaloids, Flavonoids, Saponins, Saponins glycosides, Steroids and Terpenoids. The result of the study showed that Azadirachta indica and Senna occidentalis contain pharmacologically active compounds, hence they are potential antimalaria.