Anti-Plasmodial Effects of Ethanolic Extract of Florida Beggar Weed (Desmodiumtortuosum) on Albino Mice-Infected with Plasmodium Bergheiberghei

The aim of this study is to investigate the anti-plasmodia effects of ethanolic extract of Florida beggar weed on albino mice experimentally infected with Plasmodium bergheiberghei Malaria infection in mice was initiated by intraperitoneal (IP) inoculation of 0.5 ml blood, diluted to contain 2 x 107 parasitized red blood cells (PRBC) from a donor mouse infected with P. b. berghei. Controls to malaria-infected mice were given an equivalent volume and dilution of normal uninfected red blood cells inoculation period was for four days. Nine groups in a plastic wire cages were created. Three control groups were created viz: Normal (non-inoculated) negative (inoculated but untreated) and positive control (inoculated and treated with 10mg/kg Chloroquine). Two categories with three sub-groups were created with each category representing the ethanolic extracts of Desmodiumtortuosum leaf and stemrespectively. The three sub-groups in each category represent the three serial dilutions of 100, 200 and 500mg/kg ethanolic extracts each of the leaf and stem administered for four days for the treatment of the parasite. To Measure the parasitaemia levels in the animals, thick and thin film smears were made on slides for microscopic viewing.Slides were viewed under light microscopy with oil immersion (1000x magnification). The average Parasitaemia was calculated as well as the average percentage parasite inhibition (suppressive effect) was obtained. Result showed that the parasitemia level for the treated groups decreased progressively for the five days period. This is indicative in the mean number of the percentage parasitized red cells of 500mh/kg doses as 3.50±1.25 and 4.00±1.22 on the first day post inoculation and 1.50±0.28 and 1.50±0.28 for Desmodiumtortuosum leaf and stem respectively by the fifth day. The decrease is also observed in the 100 and 200mg/kg groups of each sample. Except for the untreated group which showed a progressive increase in parasitemia level showing the mean number of the percentage parasitized red cells as 3.50±0.64 on the first day post inoculation and 13.25±1.31by the fifth day. The hematological result showed a significant (p