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Malaria remains a disease of public concern according to reports by the World Health Organization which recommends diverse therapeutic approach including the use of plant derived products to combat drug resistance in malaria treated individuals. This study therefore, evaluates the antiplasmodial effects of black seeds (Nigella sativa), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) and coriander seeds (Coriandrum sativum) and their effects on packed cell volume and weight of experimental mice. Phytochemical analysis of the extract was conducted using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis to establish the presence of antimalarial constituents. The plant extracts were screened for curative activities at dosages of 50mg/kg, 100mg/kg and 200mg/kg, in mice inoculated with Plasmodium berghei from donor mice. Chloroquine (6mg/kg body weight) was used as standard control drug. A 4-day curative assay was used to evaluate the antimalarial potentials of the plant extracts. Comparison between treated samples were analyzed using single factor analysis of variance at 95% confidence interval and 5% significance level (P<0.05). The results obtained from this study revealed significant suppression rate at 50mg/kg for Nigella sativa (67.0%), 200mg/kg for Trigonella foenum-graecum (68.3%), and 200mg/kg for Coriandrum sativum (66.7%). Chloroquine (6mg/kg) showed a higher inhibitory performance at 86.6% on day 7 post treatment compared to the plant extracts. The packed cell volume increased in groups treated with chloroquine compared to the extract treated group while the weight of mice increased in all extract groups significantly compared to the chloroquine treated group. The results of the study were statistically significant at P<0.05.
Francis et al. (Sat,) studied this question.