Development of anti-malaria herbal preparation / drugs from local medicinal plants

1. The screening for potential anti-malaria properties by bioassay guided fractionations. The biological properties were carried out using the plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase assay (pLDH) (Makler, 1993). 2. The harmful effect of the extract was determined by the MTT assay (Mossman, 1983). 3. The extracts were tested for its efficacy in animal model using rodent malaria parasite, P. berghei using the 4 Days Suppressive Test by Peters and Robinson, 1975. 4. The parasite and the host cell biology were investigated to determine the role of the drug on the biology of the host cells and the erythrocyte invasion pathways. 5. The probable mode of actions were also investigated through known mechanism of action such as the Heam Polymerization Assays (Basilico et al., 1997). The biologiccal screening was carried out using the pLDH assay, triplicate test were carried out at different time to ensure the reproducibility of the results. The data was analysed using probit analysis. The invivo assay was by 4 days suppressive test, For each parasite strain, 4 groups of mice with different doses given orally were used, each having 5 mice and another 4 groups of mice with the same doses given s/c and each group having as the earlier. The standard control used was chlorouine and the design was similar to the test group except that the oral and s/c doses were according to the standard dose from standard procedure by Peters and Robinson, 1975. Mode of actions, parasite erythorcyte invasion assay were according to known procedure. 30% of the local medicinal plants screened have potentials for anti-malarial. The herbal preparation of the E.longifolia standardized extracts were able to supressed the infection of the rodent malaria more than 80%. Detail results will be discuss in the presentation. E. longifolia herbal standardized extracts have potential for anti-malaria drug.