October 2014 Vol. 2 No. 10

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Short Communication

Effect of Di-Herbal Mixture of Annona Squamosa Linn. and Alstonia Boonei De Wild on some Biochemical Parameters of Malaria Infected Albino Mice

¹*Onwusonye J.C., ²Uwakwe A. A. and ²Patrick-Iwuanyanwu K. C.

¹Department of Biochemistry, Federal Polytechnic, Nekede-Owerri Imo State, Nigeria.
²Department of Biochemistry, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria.

*Corresponding Author's E-mail: Jconwusonye@gmail.com; Tel: +2348030729137

Accepted October 21, 2014

Abstract

The effect of di-herbal mixture of Alstonia boonei and Annona Squamosa (two plants traditionally used in the treatment of malaria) on serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine amino-transferase (ALT) and total protein of malaria infected mice was studied. Mice of both sexes (n = 30), weighing between 24 – 36g were inoculated with Chloroquine sensitive Plasmodium berghei infected erythrocytes, each mouse receiving about 1 x 10⁷P. berghei parasites. 72 hours after parasite inoculation, the animals were randomly distributed into five treatment groups, A – E (n = 6 each). Groups A – C were treated with the herbal mixture at respective doses of 400mg/kg, 600mg/kg and 800mg/kg while groups D and E received 5mg/kg chloroquine and 5ml/kg normal saline respectively. Treatments lasted for five days. On the sixth day, blood samples were taken from the animals for serum biochemistry. Animals treated with the herbal preparation showed serum levels of the parameters which were very similar to that of the animals treated with the standard drug (chloroquine). The untreated animals however, showed significant elevations in the values of these parameters. These findings thus support the combination of the two herbs for higher synergistic antimalarial effect.

Keywords: Alstonia boonei, Annona Squamosa, biochemical parameters, plasmodium berghei, mice.