In vivo antimalarial activities of ethanolic crude extracts and fractions of leaf and root of Carpolobia lutea

Carpolobia lutea [leaves and root] is used traditionally as malarial remedy by the Ibibios of Niger Delta of Nigeria and Benin. This study was aimed to investigate the antiplasmodial potentials of the crude leaf and root extracts of this plant as well as their fractions in vivo in Plasmodium berghei berghei -infected mice to give scientific proof to the ethnobotanical claims and correlate with the reported in vivo activity. The ethanolic extracts of Carpolobia lutea leaf [245-735mg/kg/day] and root [7-21mg/kg/day] were screened for blood plasmocidal activity against chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei in mice. The antimalarial activity in 4-day and curative tests was evaluated. Carpolobia lutea leaf extract [245-735mg/kg/day] and fractions exhibited significant [p<0.05-0.01] antiplasmodial activity both in 4-day early infection test and in established infection with a considerable mean survival time which was incomparable to that the standard drug, chloroquine [5mg/kg/day]. The root extract [7 - 21mg/kg/day] and fractions also demonstrated a promising blood schizontocidal activity in early and established infections. These plant extracts and fractions possess considerable antiplasmodial activities which justify their use in ethnomedicine and can be exploited in the control of malaria

In vitro antimicrobial activities of extracts of Carpolobia lutea root

Several plants are used in folk medicine to treat infections. Carpolobia lutea, G.Don [Polygalaceae] is a medicinal plant commonly used by herbalists in Southern Nigeria against dental and genitourinary infections. The study was to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activities of n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Carpolobia lutea root. Four typed cultures of bacteria namely, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and two clinical strains of fungi, namely Candida albicans and Tinea capitis were analyzed using agar well diffusion method. The extracts that showed antimicrobial activity were then tested to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration for each bacterial or fungal sample.The ethyl acetate extract gave the widest zone of inhibition [21.0mm] followed by chloroform when tested on E. coli. No inhibition was observed with E.Coli. None of the extracts showed any inhibitory effect against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the fungal strains of Candida albicans and Tinea capitis. The most potent of these extracts was Chloroform extract with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration [MIC] of 25mg/ml for bacteria. The phytochemical screening of the root of C. lutea revealed the presence of saponins, anthraquinones, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, simple sugar and terpenes