Antimalarial potential of the ethanolic leaf extract of Pseudocedrala kotschyi

ObjectiveTo establish the efficacy of Pseudocedrala kotschyi (P. kotschyi) for the treatment of acute malaria attack used in Nigeria.MethodsThe ethanolic leaf extract was investigated for antimalarial activity against Plasmodium berghei berghei (P. berghei berghei) in mice. Four-day suppressive, curative effect against established infection and prophylactic models of antiplasmodial studies were used.ResultsThe leaf extract of P. kotschyi (100–400 mg/kg b.w. p.o.) exhibited significant dose dependent activity against the parasite in the suppressive and curative, and also had repository activity. The antimalarial effect of P. kotschyi is comparable to that of chloroquine. The ethanolic leaf extract also prolonged the survival time of the infected mice. The LD50 of the plant extract was established to be ≥5 000 mg/kg b.w. p.o. in mice.ConclusionThe results showed that the leaf extract has potential antiplasmodial activity, which can be exploited in malaria therapy.