Phytochemical investigation on Namibian plants for anti-malaria compounds
Loading...
Date
2012
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Namibia
Abstract
Malaria is on the decline in Namibia due to interventions by the Ministry of Health and Social
Services (MoHSS) and the country is moving towards pre-elimination of the disease. However,
barriers such as resistance of the uptake of interventions by "at risk" communities, e.g.
lack of treatment seeking behavior for WHO recommended ACT's exist. Some communities
in malaria-endemic areas do not accept Western medicine, preferring traditional medicines
as prescribed by traditional healers. It is important to balance people's cultural beliefs and
practices with the MoHSS's objective of malaria elimination by 2020. To facilitate integration
of traditional treatments into mainstream malaria case management, documentation and
validation of the treatments to allow their safe and effective use have to be carried out. This
study was conducted to document and validate the use of seven plants native to Namibia,
targeted on the basis of their indigenous uses which suggest their toxicity to Plasmodium
parasites. Crude extracts were prepared using methanol-dichloromethane (1/1V/V) and
distilled water at 60 C. The extracts were further Partitioned with chloroform-methanol
water (12/6/lV/V). Preliminary phytochemical screening was performed to detect the presence
of selected Antiplasmodial compounds. Phytochemical tests revealed the presence of
anthraquinones, flavonoids, terpenoids, coumarines, and glycosides; alkaloids and steroids
were not detected. Paradoxically, thin-layer chromatography analysis on the crude extracts
of the same plants tested positive for all compounds. The presence of these phytochemicals
and the data generated support the ethno-medicinal uses for these plants
Description
Keywords
Malaria pandemic, Phytochemical tests, Antiplasmodial compounds
Citation
Du Preez, I., Mumbengegwi, D. 2012. Phytochemical investigation on Namibian plants for anti-malaria compounds.Journal for Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences 1(1)147-158.