ANTI-MALARIAL EFFECT OF NIGELLA SATIVA SEEDS (BLACK SEED) EXTRACT ON MICE INFECTED WITH PLASMODIUM BERGEI (NK 65).

O. F. Ashcroft*, O. F. Salaudeen, K. Mohammed, T. H. I. Spencer, M. K. Garba, S. U. Nataala, M. L. Umaru and U. M. Iduh

ABSTRACT

Nigella sativa have been used for thousands of years as a curative remedy for various disorders. It is known as a source of alkaloids, tannins, saponins, cardiac glycoside, flavonoids, carbohydrate, protein, terpenoids, fixed oil, thymoquinone, thymohydroquinone, and thymol. The immeasurable medicinal properties and therapeutic uses of N.sativa prove its importance as a valuable medicinal plant. Oral administration of methanol and aqueous seed extracts (25mg/kg, 50mg/kg and 100mg/kg) of N. sativa were screened in the 4-day suppressive assays for their anti-malarial properties against Plasmodium bergei in mice. The oral treatment of the seed extracts showed suppression activities in all groups of mice which significantly (p<0.05) decreased the parasitaemia. The results of this study reveals the antimalarial properties of this extracts, shows a correlation between anemia and malaria and open a new opportunity to further investigate the potentials of new plant based antimalarials in the future. However, the exact principles for this antimalarial action are yet to be identified, which need further studies to elucidate the antimalarial mechanism of their action.

Keywords: Malaria, Plasmodium bergei, Nigella sativa.