Assessment of the prophylactic efficacy of a crude aqueous extract of morinda lucida leaves on plasmodium falciparum infection of albino rats.

ABSTRACT

A study on the prophylactic efficacy of a crude aqueous extract of the leaves of Morinda lucida on plasmodium falciparum was carried out using sixteen albino rats grouped into curative, suppressive, prophylactic and control ;A,B,C and D respectively. The rats were inoculated with the parasites and allowed for 21days before 2mls of the extract was administered to each of the rats in group A twice daily for 3days, and for group B, 2mls was administered just once, 3hours before scarifying them, while for group C, 2mls was given twice daily for 3days before inoculation with the parasites, but group D were not given the extract. The results showed that the extract cleared the parasites in group A rats and did not allow its growth in group C rats, but did not suppress it in group B rats, while the control showed the ability of the parasites surviving in the rats. There was a significant at (P< 0.05) weight loss by the rats in all the groups, following the inoculation of the parasite. It can be inferred therefore, that a crude aqueous extract of Morinda lucida has a prophylactic efficacy in addition to its curative activity against plasmodium parasites and could be used to mitigate the impact of plasmodium parasites.