Abstract:
Background: In Tanzania and elsewhere, medicinal plants, including Maytenus senegalensis, are still widely used in
the treatment of malaria and other ailments. The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vivo
antiplasmodial and toxic effects in mice.
Methods: Oral antiplasmodial and acute toxicity of the ethanolic root extract of M. senegalensis was evaluated in
mice. The Peters 4-day in vivo antiplasmodial effect against early rodent malaria infection in chloroquine-sensitive
Plasmodium berghei NK 65 strain in mice.
Results: The M. senegalensis extract was found non-toxic and the oral median lethal dose in mice was determined to
be greater than 1,600 mg/kg body weight. The findings revealed a significant (P = 0.001) daily increase in the level of
parasitaemia in the parasitized untreated groups and a significant (P < 0.001) dose dependent decrease in parasitaemia
in the parasitized groups treated with varying doses ranging from 25 to 100 mg/kg body weight of M. senegalensis
extract and the standard drug sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine at 25/1.25 mg/kg body weight. Overall, the dose
dependent parasitaemia suppression effects were in the order of: 25/1.25 mg/kg body weight of sulphadoxine/
pyrimethamine > 100 mg/kg > 75 mg/kg > 50 mg/kg > 25 mg/kg body weight of M. senegalensis extract.
Conclusion: The implications of these findings is that M. senegalensis ethanolic root bark extract possess potent
antiplasmodial effect and may, therefore, serve as potential sources of safe, effective and affordable anti-malarial
drugs. The displayed high in vivo antiplasmodial activity and lack of toxic effect render M. senegalensis a candidate
for the bioassay-guided isolation of compounds which could develop into new lead structures and candidates for
drug development programmes against human malaria.
