Phytochemical Screening and Antiplasmodial Activity of Ethanolic Bark Extract of Khaya grandifoliola in Swiss Albino Mice Infected with Plasmodium berghei NK65

Irrespective of the decreased in incidence and prevalence, malaria remains a major public health problem. Evolution and spread of resistance to the available antimalarial drugs endanger all the recent gains in malaria control. This issue makes the development of novel drugs a necessity. The key source in search of such drugs is medicinal plants (Khaya grandifoliola). Khaya grandifoliola is use for management of malaria, but no scientific investigations have been carried out to substantiate the usage. Thus, this study assessed the bioactive components and antiplasmodial activity of ethanolic bark extract of K. grandifoliola. Standard methods were employed to determine the bioactive components of the bark extract. Twenty four (24) mice were randomly selected into six groups of four mice each (group 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) for antiplasmodial activity. The Plasmodium berghei infected groups were treated with K. grandifoliola extract with 0.2 mL of 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg body weight respectively. Group 1 (negative control) was infected with P. bergheiand administered with 0.2 mL of normal saline, Group 2 (positive control) were treated with 0.2 mL of 5 mg/kg body weight of chloroquine while group 3 (normal control) was not infected and administered with 0.2mL of normal saline for four consecutive days. Phytochemical Screening showed alkaloids, saponins, tannins and anthraquinone. The extract treated groups 4, 5 and 6 revealed decrease in percentage parasitaemia comparedwith group 1 (infected and not treated). The parasitaemia reduction was high in group 6 (600 mg/kg). The significant decrease (P<0.05) in percentage parasitaemia was dose and time dependent. This result indicates that K. grandifoliola has a promising antiplasmodial activity and it could be considered as a potential source to develop new antimalarial agents.