Anti-malarial and haematological evaluation of the ethanolic, ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions of Chromolaena odorata

Malaria is a global health challenge with endemicity in sub-Saharan Africa, where there are multiple drug-resistant strains and limited access to modern health care facilities, especially in rural areas. Studies indicate that African traditional medicine could make a substantial contribution to the reduction of malaria-related deaths and achievement of universal health coverage (UHC), particularly in these regions. Thus, this study evaluated the curative antimalarial effects of Chromolaena odorata leaf extract using mouse model. Forty-five (45) albino mice weighing between 18 and 22 g were grouped into nine groups of 5 animals each. Animals in groups 2–9 were infected with the chloroquine-resistant strain of Plasmodium berghei, while animals in groups 3–9 were subsequently treated with 10 mg/kg chloroquine, a combination of 1.4 mg/kg artemether and 8.75 mg/kg lumefantrine (Coartem), and varying concentrations of the fraction from the aqueous leaf extract of C. odorata at day 3 post-infection. The findings from this study indicate that treatment with 400 mg/kg of the ethanolic fraction of the crude extract resulted in a significant decrease in parasite load (97.6%), which was comparable to the activities of the conventional drugs chloroquine (98.6%) and Coartem (98.8%). The ethyl acetate and ethanolic fractions at 400 mg/kg also ameliorated the significant alterations in the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets of the infected animals. The high antimalarial activity displayed by the ethanolic fraction could be due to the presence of quercetin and kaempferol, as detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The findings suggest that the fractions from C. odorata could serve as an alternative source of malaria therapy, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.