title: In vivo antimalarial activity of crude extracts and solvent fractions of leaves of Strychnos mitis in Plasmodium berghei infected mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malaria is a major public health problem in the world which is responsible for death of millions particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Today, the control of malaria has become gradually more complex due to the spread of drug-resistant parasites. Medicinal plants are the unquestionable source of effective antimalarials. The present study aimed to evaluate antiplasmodial activity and acute toxicity of the plant Strychnos mitis in Plasmodium berghei infected mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Standard procedures were employed to investigate acute toxicity and 4-day suppressive effect of crude aqueous and hydro-methanolic extracts of the leaves of Strychnos mitis against P. berghei in Swiss albino mice. Water, n-hexane and chloroform fractions, obtained from crude hydro-methanolic extract, were also tested for their suppressive effect against P. berghei.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All crude extracts revealed no obvious acute toxicity in mice up to the highest dose administered (2000 mg/kg). All crude and solvent fractions of the leaves of Strychnos mitis inhibited parasitaemia significantly (p < 0.01). At the highest dose of 600 mg/kg, both aqueous and hydro-methanolic extracts demonstrated higher performance with 95.5 and 93.97% parasitaemia suppression, respectively. All doses of crude extracts and fractions of leaves of Strychnos mitis prolonged survival time of infected mice dose dependently. The highest two doses of the crude aqueous and hydro-methanolic extracts, and chloroform and aqueous fractions prevented weight loss in a dose dependent manner. Whereas, all doses of n-hexane fraction prevented loss of body weight but not in a dose dependent manner. The crude aqueous extract at the doses of 400 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg and hydro-methanolic extract at all dose levels significantly (p < 0.01) prevented packed cell volume reduction. Crude aqueous extract at a dose of 600 mg/kg and hydro-methanolic extract at all dose levels significantly prevented temperature reduction. Phytochemical screening of the crude aqueous and hydro-methanolic extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, anthraquinones, glycosides, terpenoids, saponins, tannins and phenols.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study provide support the traditional therapeutic use of Strychnos mitis for treatment of malaria. However, further in-depth study is needed to evaluate the potential of the plant towards the development of new antimalarial agent.
authors.affiliation: Wollo University, P.O. Box 1145, Dessie, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Selamawit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fentahun
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Eyasu
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Makonnen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biodiversity, P.O. Box 30726, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Tesfaye
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Awas
authors.affiliation: Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. mirutseg@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mirutse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giday
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D031451:Strychnos / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Antimalarial activity; Crude extract; Ethiopia; Fraction; Plasmodium berghei; Strychnos mitis