Suppressive, Curative and Prophylactic Potentials of Morinda lucida (Benth) against Erythrocytic Stage of Mice Infective Chloroquine Sensitive Plasmodium berghei NK-65

Malaria caused by plasmodium parasite is at the moment the highest killer disease in the tropics, killing mostly pregnant women and children under the age of five years. Efforts are on to developing more potent antimalarials from plants’ sources that will be cheaper, without adverse effects, readily available and will be able to replace existing antimalarials that are already facing resistance by plasmodium. Morinda lucida is a medicinal plant used in many part of Nigeria for the treatment of malaria and other diseases. This work was set out to investigate the in vivo antiplasmodial effect of M. lucida in mice. The oral median lethal dose (LD50) was calculated to be 6400 mg kg-1 body weight. The in vivo antiplasmodial activity of M. lucida against early infection, curative effect against established infection and prophylactic effect against residual infection were as well studied in chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei NK-65 –infected mice. The extract at all the doses (100, 200, 400, and 800 mg kg-1, p.o) administered, produced significant (p<0.05), dose-dependent activity against the parasite in the suppressive, curative and prophylactic studies. The result of this study showed that M. lucida aqueous leaf extract posses potent antimalarial effects and may therefore offer a potential drug lead for development of a safe, effective and affordable antimalarial.