Effects of Powdered Stem Bark of Terminalia avicennioides Made as Dietary Feed Fed to Mice Infected with Plasmodium berghei, on Liver Function

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the antiplasmodial activity and effect of stem bark of Terminalia avicennioides made as dietary feed fed to mice infected with Plasmodium berghei, on some serum biochemistry.

Methodology: Twenty (20) mice were divided into four groups. Group 1 was not infected with Plasmodium berghei (normal control), Group 2 was infected with P. berghei but not treated (negative control). Group 3 was infected and treated with 5.0 mg/kg of Arthemeter-Lumefantrine (positive control). Groups 4 was infected and fed with treated feed (T. avicennioides). Treatments were carried out for five days. Blood was taken daily from the tail of the mice before treatment for the assessment of parasitaemia. The animals were sacrificed on the fifth day and the whole blood was collected into EDTA bottle. Serum obtained was used to assay for biochemical parameters.

Results: Parasitaemia count was significantly lower (p<0.05) in all the treated groups when compared with the negative control group. The high-density lipoprotein was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the normal control (123.14±3.19) when compared with the positive control (99.18±2.76), negative control (85.29±0.85) and the group treated with T avicennioides (86.14±3.21). The serum alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase level in the group treated with T. avicennioides (167.90±4.13, 15.87±1.32 and 17.50±1.95) respectively were significantly reduced (p<0.05) when compared with the negative control (197.25±5.44, 20.01±1.32 and 26.71±0.45) respectively. The mean bilirubin and albumin level in the negative control showed no significant difference when compared with the group fed with T. avicennioides.

Conclusion: The study concluded that T. avicennioides have antiplasmodial activity with a mild adverse effect on liver function.