Phytochemistry and antiplasmodial properties of aqueous and methanol leaf extracts of <i>Jatropa curcas</i>

Abstract

This study was aimed at evaluating the phytochemistry and antiplasmodial properties of the aqueous and methanolic leaf extracts of Jatropa curcas against the malaria parasite; Plasmodium falciparum. The need for new therapeutic compounds against malaria parasite is made more urgent by the continued spread of resistance to almost all the available anti malarial drugs. Phytochemical detection followed by antiplasmodial sensitivity test was carried on the two leaf extracts following standard procedures. The pyhtochemicals detected from both extracts were alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, saponins, phenol, steroids and flavonoids. The result of Plasmodium sensitivity tests revealed that both the aqueous and methanolic leaf extracts of Jatropa curcas were highly effective against the malaria parasite. However, the methanolic extract showed greater activity than the aqueous extract. At extract concentration of 10mg/ml, the methanol extract produced the highest parasite clearance rate after 72 hour incubation period, with percentage elimination of 95.4% while the aqueous extract produced 87% elimination at the same concentration and incubation period. These observations showed that Jathropa plant may contain chemicals with promising antimalarial properties which when fully harnessed could constitute a novel therapy for the management of clinical malaria.

Keywords: Antiplasmodial, Jatropha Curcas, Extracts, Phytochemistry.