ANTIMALARIAL AND HEMATOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF Dioscorea bulbifera L. TUBERS IN MICE
PHILIP FELIX UZOR1,*, EMEKA JAMARTY OKECHUKWU1
1. Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Nigeria
Afr. J Pharm Res Dev; Volume 14(2): 204-209 ; 2022
ABSTRACT
Malaria remains a serious killer disease particularly in sub-Sahara Africa. The conventional drugs are oftenunaffordable and associated with resistance. Historically, medicinal plants have served as a useful source of antimalarial drugs. In the present study, the antimalarial effect of the methanol extract of Dioscorea bulbifera L.tuber,at three doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, was investigated in mice against Plasmodium berghei. Artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) was used as a standard drug. Effect of the extract on the hematological parameters including hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV) and white blood cell count (WBC) was also determined in mice. The extract was screened for its major phytochemical constituents. Results showed that the extract exhibited (p<0.05) a dose-dependent inhibition of parasitemia in a murine model of Plasmodium berghei
infected mice. The extract improved (p<0.05) the hematological parameters in the infected animals. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, terpenes, steroids, flavonoids, tannins and saponins in the extract. It was concluded that the crude extract of D. bulbifera tuber demonstrated promising antimalarial activity.
Email of correspondence:philip.uzor@unn.edu.ng;
KEYWORDS:Antimalaria activity; Dioscorea bulbifera; Hematological parameters; Plasmodium berghei .