Acute toxicological effects, In vitro and In vivo Antimalarial Activities of Aqueous Root Bark Extract of Calotropis procera

Abstract

Toxicity of the indigenous herbal plant and emergence of resistant strains of malarial parasite to conventional antimalarial drugs used in the treatment of malaria cannot be underestimated. Therefore, this necessitates continuous search for new non-toxic antimalarial drugs to combat the menace. As such, acute toxicological effects, in-vitro and in-vivo antimalarial activities of aqueous extracts of Calotropis procera root bark were carried out using standard methods. The LD50 was found to be greater than 5000 mg/kg bodyweight as no mortality was observed after the single administration of all selected doses. In-vitro antimalarial activities of the aqueous extract at dose 500 μg/mL showed 100 % clearance of the parasite (P < 0.01) when compared with 1000 μg/mL, 2000 μg/mL, 5000 μg/mL and ACT. Likewise, aqueous extract at dose of 500 mg/kg bw. showed the highest parasitemia clearance (P < 0.05) in P. berghei infected mice as compared to the group of mice that received 150 mg/kg bw. and 250 mg/kg bw. of the aqueous extract. Therefore, the results indicate that C. procera root bark is practically safe with high in vitro and in vivo antimalarial activities in red blood cells and Plasmodium berghei infected mice respectively.