Hepatoprotective Effects of Plasmodium berghei Infected Swiss Mice Treated with some Plant Extracts

A.J. Uraku

Hepatoprotective effects of ethanol leaf extract of Spilanthes uliginosa, Ocimum basilicum, Hyptis spicigera and Cymbopogon citratus against Plasmodium berghei induced malaria in Swiss mice were investigated. Eighty four swiss mice of both sexes were used. All the mice were infected intraperitoneally with 0.2 mL parasitized blood suspension and parasitemia assessed by Giemsa stain thin blood films after three days (72 h). The mice were divided into 6 groups namely; A, B, C, D, E and F. Groups B, C, D and E were subdivided into three: B₁, B₂, B₃, C₁, C₂, C₃, D₁, D₂, D₃, E₁, E₂ and E₃. Both groups and subgroups contained six mice each. The subgroups were treated with the extracts of Spilanthes uliginosa (Sw), Ocimum basilicum, Hyptis spicigera and Cymbopogon citratus each for five consecutive days with 200, 400 and 800 mg kg^–1 b.wt., via oral intubation once daily. The results indicated a general significant (p<0.05) decrease in the average body weight of the parasitized untreated mice and a dose dependent significant reductions (p<0.05) in the activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in parasitized treated mice. Dose dependent significant elevations (p<0.05) were observed in total protein and albumin concentrations of parasitized treated mice. The results suggest that these plants possess hepatoprotective potential.

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