Abdulai Turay, Hamza Amin Kargbo, Eugene BS Conteh and Ishmael Abdulrahman Kamara

Background: Malaria remains a major public health issue in Sierra Leone, exacerbated by limited access to modern treatments and increasing resistance to conventional antimalarial drugs. Traditional medicinal plants, widely used in local healthcare practices, offer a valuable source of potential alternative therapies.

Methods: This study investigated the phytochemical composition and antimalarial activity of four traditionally used medicinal plants: Moringa oleifera, Senna siamea, Cassia sieberiana, and Nauclea latifolia. Plant materials were collected from different parts of Sierra Leone and subjected to Soxhlet extraction using methanol and petroleum ether. Phytochemical constituents were identified through standard screening tests and profiled using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). In vitro antiplasmodial activity was tested against Plasmodium falciparum-infected human blood, while in vivo efficacy was evaluated using Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Parasite load was determined microscopically.

Results: All plant extracts contained various bioactive compounds, including alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and terpenoids, with higher concentrations observed in methanol extracts. TLC revealed diverse non-polar compounds, especially in the leaf samples. Methanol extracts of Senna siamea (leaves and bark), Cassia sieberiana (roots and bark), and Nauclea latifolia (roots) achieved complete parasite clearance in vitro. In contrast, petroleum ether extracts showed only moderate efficacy, with no complete clearance observed.

Conclusion: The methanol extracts of the selected plants demonstrated promising antiplasmodial activity and rich phytochemical content, underscoring their potential for antimalarial drug development. Methanol was more efficient in extracting bioactive compounds than petroleum ether. These results warrant further investigation, including the isolation of active constituents, elucidation of their mechanisms of action, and comprehensive in vivo and toxicity studies to ensure safe therapeutic use.

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