Preliminary studies on the antiplasmodial potential of aqueous and methanol extracts of eucalyptus camadulensis leaf

Objective: The rising problem of resistance to the classical drugs like chloroquine and the\udproblem of recrudescence of malaria after treatment with artemisinin suggest the need for\udnew antimalaria agents. This project was designed to explore the antiplasmodial potential of\udEucalyptus camaldulensis leaf extracts. Methods: The antiplasmodial potential of the methanol\udand aqueous extracts of Eucalyptus camadulensis (leaf) were evaluated in a mouse model of\udmalaria. Swiss albino mice were intraperitoneally infected with plasmodium berghei (NK65), a\udrodent malaria parasite. The level of parasitemia, life span, variation in weight and percentage\udpacked cell volume (% PCV) of infected and treated mice were used to assess the efficacy\udof extracts. Treatment with the extracts at dose levels of 100, 200 and 400mg/kg body weight\udcommenced 72 hours post infection for the test groups, while a standard antimalarial drug,\udArtesunate, at a dose of 50mg/kg body weight was administered on the positive control group. The\udnegative control group was left untreated. Results: Animals treated with the methanol extract\udshowed a significant decrease in parasitaemia (p < 0.05), and survived for 29 days compared\udwith those treated with the aqueous extract which survived for 19 days with a higher level of\udparasitemia. However, the control group treated with Artesunate showed a significantly lower\udparasitaemia (p < 0.05) and survived for 34 days when compared with the groups treated with\udmethanol and aqueous extracts. The level of parasitemia, decrease in weight and %PCV in all\udthe treated groups was significantly lower (P < 0.05) compared with the infected but untreated\udgroup (negative control) which survived for only 7 days. Conclusions: The methanol extract of the\udleaves of E. camadulensis has an antimalarial potential that could be exploited for the benefit of\udmankind