Investigation of the Anti-malaria Potency and Chemical Constituents of the Bark Extracts of Ficus elastica in Plasmodium berghei Infected Mice

Malaria is an Anopheles mosquito-borne transmissible illness that afflicts other animals and humans globally, particularly in tropical Africa. The investigation of the phytochemical, acute toxicity and in vivo antiplasmodial activity of the leaves of Ficus elastica Roxb.exHornem was carried out to examine its impacts on mice infected with the malaria parasite. The presence of glycosides, terpenoids, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoid, phenolics, tannins and eugenols with no traces of steroids was revealed by the phytochemical screening of the methanol extract of Fiscus elastica. The acute toxicity investigation revealed that the plant extract is comparatively harmless within the 14 days of administered doses of 100 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg. In vivo, cell-growth inhibition assessment of the graded doses (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) of the F. elastica tree bark methanol extract (FBME) against Plasmodium berghei strain revealed a significant rise in the inhibitory activity (68%, 70% and 71%) as the concentration of the methanol extract of F. elastica Roxb.exHornem increased. For the prophylactic study against P. berghei, the level of significance also increases as the administered doses of the FBME (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) increased when compared to the control (0.2 ml distil water and 10 mg/kg chloroquine). The result signifies that methanol leave extract of F. elastica Roxb.exHornem posses' significant antiplasmodial activities and could be used for treating malaria parasites.