The Potential of Nigerian Medicinal Plants as Antimalarial Agent: A Review

Malaria is an infectious disease that arises from the presence of parasitic protozoa of the genus plasmodium within the RBC. The disease is confined to tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world and is transmitted by the female anopheles mosquito. The bites of a mosquito inject the parasite into the bloodstream and this migrates to the liver and other organs where they multiply. With varying degrees of incubation period of 12 days to 10 months, the parasite returns to the bloodstream and invade the RBC. Consequential multiplication of the parasite result in the destruction of RBC and this causes a bout of shivering, fever, sweating and ultimately the loss of healthy RBC results in haemolytic anaemia. Several epidemiological evidences from literatures have shown the potential of Nigerian medicinal plant to possess schizonticidal, chemo-suppressive, chemotherapeutic, chemo-preventive and antipyretic properties similar to the synthetic antimalarial agents. However, with advent of resistance to various antimalarial drugs by the parasite, there is need to intensify effort and interest in research for natural antimalarial from Nigerian medicinal plants. This paper reviews the reports on the potencies of Nigerian grown medicinal plants as a good source for novel antimalarial drugs covered from 1999 to 2011.