ACUTE TOXICITY AND INVIVO ANTIMALARIAL ACTIVITY OF MORINGA OLIEFERA STEM BARK METHANOL EXTRACT IN MICE INFECTED WITH PLASMODIUM BERGHEI (NK65)

ABSTRACT

Malaria is a serious disease caused by Plasmodium  parasites which are spread to humans through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.Treatment usually involves antimalarial drugs. Different parts of Moringa oleifera have been shown to exhibit wide pharmacological activities. Testing the toxicity and safety of plant extracts is an important step before further efficacy tests are performed. In the current study, the safety of methanolic extract of Moringa oleifera stem bark was determined by performing an acute oral toxicity study in  mice. Oral administration of the extract at 2000 mg/kg body weight (b.wt.) did not cause any overt sign of toxicity in mice during the 14-day observation period. Of the 3 mice in the study group, 1 died after 24 hrs of administering the extract. As the OECD method adopted only recommends testing at a lower dose when 2-3 mice in a dies following sample administration, testing wasn’t repeated at lower doses. The in vivo antimalarial activity was evaluated using the standard 4-day suppressive test in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Results demonstrated that the extract exhibited significant antimalarial activity, as evidenced by a dose-dependent decrease in parasitemia and a significant increase in mice survival as compared to the untreated group. The findings suggest that Moringa oleifera stem bark methanol extract is safe for use at therapeutic doses and may serve as a promising candidate for further investigation in malaria treatment.