Abstract

Evaluation of the antimalarial activity of aqueous leaf extract of Cola nitida was carried out on Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Six groups of eight mice each were used. Groups D, E and F were treated with 100, 200 and 300 mg/Kg body weight of extract respectively. Group C was treated with 20 mg/Kg body weight chloroquine. Group A served as normal control while B was untreated control. Treatment commenced 3 days after inoculation for 3 days. Tail blood was collected on days 4, 7, and 10 after inoculation to check parasitaemia. Seven days after inoculation, five mice from each group were sacrificed and blood collected for analyses. Phytochemical screening revealed alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, phlobatannins, and phenolics. The extract exhibited antioxidant activity in vitro using DPPH radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays. Treatment significantly reduced (p<0.05) parasitaemia. Infection caused a significant decrease (p<0.05) in packed cell volume, haemoglobin, red blood cells and platelets and significant increase (p<0.05) in MCV, MCH, MCHC, white blood cells, neutrophils and the activities of all the enzymes studied compared to control. Treatment with the extract restored the altered parameters towards normal. Cola nitida leaves possess good antimalarial and antioxidant potentials that can be exploited.