Treatment of Plasmodiasis: Preparation, Phytochemical Studies and Nutrient Evaluations of a New Herbal Formula

The high cost of standard drugs and nutraceuticals, persistence of substandard drugs and food products in many African markets as well as development of resistance to standard drugs by disease pathogens have led to continued search for alternative medications and local sources of essential food nutrients. In this study, a multi-herbal formula was made from four African medicinal plants, Alstonia scholaris, Annona senegalensis, Pteridium aquilinum and Caesalpinia bonducella. This formulation was hereby subjected to phytochemical, proximate and mineral evaluations. The herbal formula was subjected to both qualitative and quantitative analysis for phytochemical determinations, atomic absorption spectroscopy and inductively coupled Plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) for mineral determinations, while proximate analysis was done by the methods described by Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). Results showed the presence of the following phytochemicals: alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, tannins, tarpenoids and essential oils in the sample. Quantitatively, these bioactive compounds occurred in appreciable amounts in the formula with alkaloids, tannins and glycosides contents being as high as 642, 1350 and 685mg/100g respectively. Proximate analysis showed that the sample is rich in carbohydrates (40.35 ), crude protein (22.70 ), and crude fibre (13.01 ). Appreciable amounts of minerals were found in the sample, the highest being: Ca (1206.51 8.30mg/100g), Mg (586.92 5.00mg/100g, potassium (350.10 6.00mg/100g) and Fe (295.68 4.00mg/100g). It was concluded that the herbal formula, apart from its observed antimalarial activities, can also be used to manage other ailments, as well as contribute significantly to human/livestock nutritional needs.