Anti-plasmodial and Anti-malarial Potentials of Some Medicinal Plants in Africa: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Malaria remains a scourge in various sub-Sahara African countries, with 30% infants’ mortality rate and 11% for adults. Resistance to artemisinin by Plasmodium has necessitated urgent search for alternative treatments. This study evaluated the anti-plasmodial and anti- malarial potentials of different African-medicinal plants. A review was conducted following PRISMA (2020) guidelines. Relevant articles were obtained from Google Scholar, PubMed as well as ResearchGate using keywords such as “Plasmodium,” “anti-plasmodial activity,” “anti- malarial activities,” “herbal medicine,” “African medicinal plants.” Articles that reported in- vivo, in-vitro or both studies on African medicinal plants were screened and reviewed. Ultimately, 56 eligible articles were selected after removing duplicates. In total, 160 in-vitro and 100 in-vivo plant species were analyzed based on the plants’ family, extraction solvent, level of biological activity using IC50 values and percentage parasite suppression. The result of the in-vitro studies revealed that 51.3% of plant species had moderate anti-plasmodial activity, 30.0% had good activity, and 18.7% had very good activity. Potent species included Alchornea cordifolia (IC50 = 0.2 – 0.5 μg/mL) as well as Annickia kummeriae (IC50 = 0.12 μg/mL). For in-vivo studies, 52% of the plant species had moderate anti-plasmodial activity, 30% were good and 18% showed very good, with the highest suppression rates in Maytenus senegalensis (98.1%) and Triphyophyllum peltatum (99%). Based on the extraction solvent, methanol and ethanol were frequently used solvents that produced higher activity profile. However, significant discrepancy was observed in both in-vivo and in-vitro activities across the studies. This variation raises concerns about the dependability of the activity of the studied plant species and their potential as anti-malarial agents. Hence, the need to identify active compounds and validate their therapeutic efficacy through bioassay-guided fractionation and detailed mechanistic evaluations. This review points biotechnology researchers to exploring bioassay-guided fractionation, phytochemical screening, in-silico drug design, standardization, and molecular studies for creating effective plant-based anti-malarial therapies.