Antimalarial Activity of the Extracts of Vernonia Amygdalina Commonly Used in Traditional Medicine in Nigeria: An in vitro Study

Malaria is a major infectious disease in the tropics and subtropics. P. falciparum resistance to almost all antimalarial drugs has necessitated the search for antimalarial compounds. The antimalarial activities of aqueous and ethanolic crude extracts of Vernonia amygdalina, a plant used by traditional healers to treat malaria and other diseases, were tested in vitro against 14 fresh isolates of P. falciparum from Damboa, Borno State, Nigeria. The extracts were also tested for acute toxicity and anti-inflammatory efficacy. There was a significant inhibition in schizont maturation relative to control (P = 0.05). Ethanolic extract exhibited higher antimalarial activity of 78.10%, IC50 of 11.2 µg/ml and aqueous extract had an activity of 74.02%, IC50 of 13.6 µg/ml. Both extracts showed moderate antimalarial activity. The extracts exhibited negligible toxicity in rats and showed a good measure of anti-inflammatory activity. This finding supports the plant's traditional use in malaria treatment. More research is needed to isolate, identify, and characterise the active principles in the plant.