Anti-plasmodial potential of Chromolena. odorata aqueous leaf extract: an animal-based study

Malaria infection is a major health concern particularly in Western Africa. This is aggravated by the economic limitations in this region which has resulted in high disease incidence and mortality rates due to the inaccessibility and unaffordability of effective antimalarial drugs. Hence, this research contributes towards the promotion of global health coverage in Africa by investigating the anti-plasmodial effects of the aqueous extract of Chromolena. odorata- a plant used for the traditional treatment of malaria in Nigeria. Thirty mice with an average weight of 18 ± 2g were divided into six (6) groups comprising of 5 mice each. The control animals were labeled as group while the animals in groups two to six were infected with Plasmodium berghei infection. Depending on the treatment groups, animals in group three – six were administered chloroquine, artemether-lumefantrine, and 250 mg/kg bw and 500 mg/kg bw of C. odorata leaf extract respectively. The findings from the study revealed that the crude extract exhibited moderate and high antimalarial activity at 250 mg/kg bw (57.1%) and 500 mg/kg bw (75.9%) respectively. The crude extract at 500 mg/kg bw also significantly improved the alterations in the red blood cell and white blood cell indices caused by malaria infection. The antimalarial potential of the crude extract is likely due to the presence of the promising antimalarial agents-thymol and caryophyllene oxide as identified by the GC-MS analysis. It is therefore recommended that further studies extensively explore the anti-plasmodial properties of the different fractions from the aqueous extract from the leaves of C. odorata as this would provide insights into the formulation and development of novel anti-malaria agents.