ANTIPLASMODIAL ACTIVITY OF CRUDE EXTRACTS AND ESSENTIAL OIL OF LIPPIA MULTIFLORA IN MICE

Abstract

The search for common and cheaper antimalarial drug in Nigeria cannot be over-emphasis
considering the endemicity of the disease. Traditional medicines (whole plants or Parts of plants)
have proven to have good antimalaria efficacy. The evaluation of the anti-malarial properties of
the crude extract and essential oil of Lippia multiflora was carried out using standard procedure
(curative) tests in laboratory mice. The result of the curative test showed 5% essential oil to have
good antimalaria efficacy (75.00%) against Plasmodium berghei. Other experimental essential
oils (20%, 10%) and crude extracts (100%, 50%, 25%) employed in this study all showed
significant difference in parasiteamia percentage reduction when compared to the negative
control group. All essential oils and crude extracts only reduced the parasiteamia in the mice but
could not clear it all after termination of treatment. The constituents of the essential oils can
therefore be isolated to test for the efficacy of each constitute