2022, Vol. 10, Issue 1, Part A

Malaria has claimed many lives, especially of children less than five years of age and pregnant mothers. Availability of vector breeding sites influence continuous transmission of the disease in developing African nations and other tropical regions of the world. Although, a new vaccine for malaria was recently approved for use in endemic regions, resistance to frontline antimalarial drugs in clinical use is apparently high. Poverty has necessitated many families to depend on herbal remedies for treatment of malaria and other infectious diseases. In this study, the prophylactic and curative antimalarial properties of Artemisia absinthium was assessed in Chloroquine sensitive Plasmodium berghei (NK 65) infected mice. Results obtained revealed the presence of Anthraquinones, Alkaloids, flavonoids and other essential phytochemicals in crude A. absinthium (aqueous) extract. Similarly, GCMS analysis of the extract showed the presence of Humulene, Aromadendrene Methyl chloroformate, Carbonic acid and Ethanamine among other important compounds. Findings revealed no sign of acute toxic reaction in mice, following the administration of 2000 mg/kg body weight of the extract. Similarly, results further revealed 52.72% and 89.12% repository and curative antimalarial activities respectively, when mice were dosed with 200 mg/kg body weight of the extract. These findings showed that A. absinthium has good antimalarial activity and substantiate the traditional claim for its use in the treatment of fever related illnesses suspected to be malaria by locals. Further fractionation of the extract and assessment of the antiplasmodial properties of individual fractions is essential, to underpin the exact compound responsible for the biological activity identified.