The <i>In Vitro</i> Antiplasmodial Activities of Aqueous Extracts of Selected Ghanaian Herbal Plants

Abstract

In the SYBR Green 1 assay, aqueous extracts of <i>Alchornea cordifolia</i> exhibited moderate (IC₅₀ of 5.8, 17.4, and 15.8 <i>μ</i>g/ml) and <i>Mangifera indica</i> exhibited low (IC₅₀ of 65.4, 96.7, and 81.7 <i>μ</i>g/ml) activities against the NF54, Cam WT_C580Y, and IPC 4912 parasites, respectively, whilst <i>Polyalthia longifolia</i> and <i>Moringa oleifera</i> were inactive. Long-term treatment of NF54 parasites with 1 mg/ml of <i>Polyalthia longifolia</i> produced the highest densities of gametocytes and the least (56%) inhibition of asexual parasites on Day 7. Long-term treatment of NF54 parasites with 10 <i>μ</i>g/ml <i>Alchornea cordifolia</i> resulted in complete parasite (asexual and gametocyte) clearance on Day 7. <i>Conclusions. Alchornea cordifolia</i> exhibited a 'moderate' activity against the three parasites tested in the 72-hour SYBR Green 1 assay and also effectively cleared both asexual parasites and gametocytes. Long-term treatment of malaria parasites with herbal extracts mimics a treatment regimen and should be used to determine the antimalarial properties of herbal extracts.