Antimalarial activity of the aqueous extract of the latex of Aloe pirottae Berger. (Aloaceae) against Plasmodium berghei in mice.

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance In spite of worldwide efforts, malaria remains one of the most devastating illnesses in the world. The huge number of lives it takes and the resistance of malaria parasites to current drugs necessitate the search for new effective antimalarial drugs. Medicinal plants have been the major source of such drugs and A. pirottae is one of these plants used traditionally for treatment of malaria in Ethiopia. Aim this study was aimed at evaluating the antimalarial activity of the aqueous extract of A. pirottae against chloroquine sensitive P. berghei in mice. Materials and methods The extract was obtained by macerating the latex of A. pirottae with distilled water. To determine its antiplasmodial activity, 4-day suppressive model was used by dividing 40 mice into five groups of 8 mice each and given 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg & 600 mg/kg of the extract, the standard drug (chloroquine 25 mg/kg) and the vehicle (distilled water). Then parasite suppression by the extract, survival time and prevention of loss of body weight, rectal temperature and packed cell value were assessed. All data were presented as the Mean ± SEM (Standard Error of the Mean) and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20. Results The extract showed moderate antimalarial activity by significantly (p  Conclusion According to the results of this study, A. pirottae is endowed with moderate antimalarial activity that may be attributed to the different secondary metabolites contained within the plant. The findings of this study is in agreement with the traditional claim of A. pirottae, hence may be used as a basis for further studies to be conducted on antimalarial activity of the plant.