116-119 Okolie

Ethanol extracts of two indigenous Nigerian plants Hibiscus sabdariffa and Azadirachta indica extracted using the soxhlet extraction method, were used to stain malaria parasites. The extracts were made with different percentages of ethanol (96%, 75%, 50% and 30%) and diluted to various concentrations. There was no previous record known on the use of H. saddariffa & A indica in staining intestinal protozoa according to the author's knowledge. By double dilution method, 0.13g/ml, 0.16g/ml, 0.11g/ml and 0.01g/ml to 0.08g/ml were made for H. sabdariffa, and 0.18g/ml, 0.09g/ml, 0.07g/ml, 0.05g/ml, 0.04g/ml, 0.03g/ml 0.02g/ml and 0.01g/ml for A.indica. Eggs of worms such as the ova of Ascaris lumbricoides, ova of Hookworm and Trichuris trichiura were deeply stained alike by high concentration of both dyes. Cyst of E. histolytica and E.coli stained grey in H. sabdariffa but were highly refractive with A.indica. In lower concentrations the outer covering of A.lumbricoides and T.trichiura were stained with the colour of the respective dyes while the granular segments retained its yellow-brown colour.