Use of Nigerian Medicinal Plants Protected Liver from Injury in Plasmodium berghei Infected Mice

Abstract

The effects of ethanol leaf extracts of Spilanthes uliginosa, Ocimum basilicum, Hyptis spicigera and Cymbopogon citratus on mice infected with malaria parasite was investigated. Eighty four (84) swiss mice of both sexes were used for the study. All the mice were passaged intraperitoneally with 0.2 ml parasitized blood suspension and parasitemia assessed by Geimsa stain thin blood films after seventy two hours. The mice were divided into 6 groups namely; A, B, C, D, E and F. Groups B, C, D and E were subdivided into three (3): B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3, D1, D2, D3, E1, E2 and E3. Both groups and subgroups contained 6 mice each. The subgroups were treated with the extracts of Spilanthes uliginosa (Sw), Ocimum basilicum, Hyptis spiligera and Cymbopogon citratus each for five (5) consecutive days with 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight via oral intubation daily respectively. The results indicated a general significant (P<0.05) decrease in the average body weight of the parasitized untreated mice while the histological photomicrographs showed alterations in the liver architecture of parasitized untreated mice and restorative effects of all the plant extracts and standard drug on the liver architecture of the parasitized treated mice.