Evaluation of antiplasmodial potential of Aloe barbadensis and Allium sativum on plasmodium berghei-infected mice

A significant percentage of the developing countries are living in malaria-endemic communities and are prone to contacting the disease. The fight against malaria is faced with the occurrence of widespread resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to the available anti-malarial drugs. Thus, this study evaluates the anti-malarial activity of extracts of Aloe barbadensis and Allium sativum in Plasmodium berghei infected mice. To achieve this, crude extracts of A. sativum and A. barbadensis were prepared. These extracts were administered orally to P. berghei infected mice after 24 h of infection at the concentration of 400, 600 and 800 mg/kg/day respectively for three days following the modified Peter four- day suppressive test procedure. The clearance rates in P. berghei infected mice were determined. Following the internationally accepted principles for laboratory animal use, the blood sample of the experimental mice was collected through cardiac puncture and diluted with normal saline and the experimental mice were infected intravenously. Parasitaemia infection was confirmed using 10% Giemsa-stained thin film fixed with methanol. Clearance rate was evaluated using the same staining procedure after three days of treatment. A. barbadensis extract showed a clearance rate A. barbadensis extract showed a clearance rates (% parasitaemia) of 6.3, 18.3 and 32.0% respectively at 400 mg/kg concentration, 5.3 to 28.7% for 600 mg/kg concentration and 4.0 to 22.3% at 800 mg/kg concentration. Also, with Allium sativum, the clearance rates increased from 8.3% to 26.1%at 400mg/kg, 7.7%to 25.1%at 600mg/kg and 6.9% to 24.3%at 800mg/kg respectively. Each extract shows variable level of parasitaemia suppression in dose related manner, when compared with the control groups.  Key words: Antiplasmodial potential, Aloa barabadensis, Allium sativum, Plasmodium berghei.