ASSESSMENT OF THE ANTIMALARIAL POTENTIAL OF IRON OXIDE NANOPARTICLES FROM ENANTIA CHLORANTHA

ABSTRACT

Plants have played critical roles in the management of malaria infections. Enantia chlorantha (Annonaceae) is one such plant utilized in traditional medicine in Nigeria for the treatment of malaria. Enantia chlorantha is known to possess protoberberine alkaloids which confers it with its antiplasmodial activity in vitro. In vivo, these alkaloids suffer from bioavailability issues. In this experimental research, a methanol extract was obtained from the stem bark of Enantia chlorantha, which was further formulated into nanoparticles for enhanced drug delivery and efficacy. Prior to antimalarial study, acute toxicity testing was done using 2 mg/kg b.wt. of Enantia chlorantha nanoparticle. No sign of toxicity including mortality was recorded at the end of the 14-day study. For the antimalarial study, twenty-eight (28) male Swiss albino mice (Weighing about 25 g) were randomly distributed into four (04) groups tagged; Normal control (UN) group which had mice that were neither infected nor treated i.e. mice received only the vehicle (normal saline), positive control (PC) group which had mice that were infected with 2 × 105 P. berghei and received chloroquine (25 mg/kg b.wt.), negative control mice that were infected with 2 × 105 P. berghei and received normal saline and Enantia chlorantha Nanoparticle (ECN) group which were infected with 2 × 105 P. berghei and treated with 1 mg/kg b.wt. of ECN.