Urena Lobata As A Potential Anti Plasmodium

Electrical Electronics Engineering

Urena lobata, commonly known as Caesarweed or Congo jute, exhibits promising potential as an anti-Plasmodium agent, particularly in combating malaria, a disease caused by Plasmodium parasites. Research on U. lobata highlights its diverse pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects, which collectively contribute to its efficacy against Plasmodium. The bioactive compounds present in U. lobata, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins, possess significant anti-Plasmodium activity by interfering with the parasite’s life cycle, inhibiting its growth, and disrupting key cellular processes. Moreover, U. lobata extracts have demonstrated notable efficacy in inhibiting Plasmodium species both in vitro and in vivo, indicating its potential as a natural alternative for malaria treatment and prevention. Further exploration of U. lobata’s anti-Plasmodium mechanisms and its integration into traditional and modern medicine could provide valuable insights for the development of novel antimalarial therapies and contribute to global efforts in combating malaria.

ABSTRACT

The medicinal plant, Urena lobata L. (Malvaceae) is commonly known as aramina fibre, caesar weed or congo jute is a shrub belonging to the family Malvaceae widely distributed in the world. The ethnopharmacological usages of the parts of this plant are antique for the treatment of various diseases. The plant is utilized by the traditional healers for various ailments such as arthritis, diabetes, cough and malaria. In the present study, phytochemical constituents and anti-plasmodium property of Urena lobata was studies in both normal extract and silver nanoparticle form. We have reported alkaloid activity by DPPH method from this plant, and Quinine (which is popularly used for malaria treatment) is an alkaloid that acts as a blood schizonticidal and weak gametocide against Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium malariae. As an alkaloid, it is accumulated in the food vacuoles of Plasmodium species, especially Plasmodium falciparum. The purpose of this work is to determine the anti-plasmodium potential of Urena lobata.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWELDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

PROBLEM STATEMENT
AIM/OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
RESEARCH QUESTION
RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
SCOPE/DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

AN OVERVIEW OF URENA LOBATA
ETHNIC IDENTIFICATION OF URENA LOBATA
TRADITIONAL USAGES OF URENA LOBATA
BENEFITS AND DETRIMENTS OF URENA LOBATA
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS
URENA LOBATA POTENTIALS REVIEWED
AN OVERVIEW OF PLASMODIUM

CHAPTER THREE

MATERIALS AND METHOD

COLLECTION OF PLANT MATERIAL
PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING EXTRACTION OF METABOLITE
TEST FOR ALKALOID

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULT ANALYSIS

RESULTS DISCUSSION

CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION
REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The plant with precious medicinal properties continues to obtain a keen awareness by several scientists for the complete range of biological activities, which range from antibiotics to antitumor. Plants and natural products have long played a crucial role in the treatment of various illnesses either as pure compounds or as extracts. They offer an invaluable source of compounds with a wide variety of chemical structures, biological activities and provide important prototypes of the development of novel drugs. There is a huge range of compounds that can be extracted and characterized by plants. Extraction of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants permits the exhibition of their physiological activity. Malaria is among the most dreaded diseases of the twentieth century and spreading further with the continuance and increasing frequency in the century. Urena lobata Linn. (Commonly known as Caesar weed, Congo jute) is a shrub (60–100 cm in length) belonging to the Malvaceae family, widely distributed throughout world today. The active constituents of the plant are flavonoids glycoside, alkanes, β-sitosterol stigma-sterol, furocoumarin, imperatorin, mangiferin and quercetin [1]. Various extracts of the leaves and roots of the plant are used in herbal medicine to treat varied ailments such as cough, malaria, venereal diseases, wounds, toothache, and rheumatism. It also serves as food material for humans as well as animals [2]. It is reported that urenalobasides, a megastigmane glycosides of U. lobata inhibits in vitro production of nitric oxide in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells [3]. Oral administration of aqueous extract U. lobata leaves at different doses was found effective to altered the blood glucose and insulin levels and increases the glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 levels in diabetic rats [4]. Alcohol root extracts from U. lobata possess significant protective effect against S. aureus pneumonia and combined therapy of these extracts with Cefazolin sodium have shown additive effects [5]. Clematoside- S a triterpenoid saponin isolated from the leaves of U. lobata showed to possess anti-yeast activity. There is an increasing demand for clean, biocompatible, and eco-friendly techniques so many biological approaches for both extracellular and intracellular nanoparticles synthesis have been reported using microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and plants [6, 8]. Plants provide a better platform for nanoparticles synthesis, provide natural capping agents and also reduces the cost of microorganisms isolation and culture media [7]. Silver nanoparticles have been found to possess both anti-bacterial and anti- inflammatory properties and that is why it has been integrated into many commercially available wound dressings, pharmaceutical preparations, and medical implant coatings, but, there is still need for economic commercially viable as well as environmentally clean synthesis route to synthesize the silver nanoparticles. In the textile industry, silver-embedded fabrics are now used in sporting equipment [9-12]. Various metal nanoparticles synthesis have been reported using fungi like Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium sp. and using some bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis etc [13-15] but, synthesis of nanoparticles using plant extracts is the most advantageous for green, eco-friendly production of nanoparticles because plants are widely distributed, easily available, much safer to handle and act as a source of several metabolites [16]. Several medicinally important plants viz. Oryza sativa, Helianthus annus, Saccharum officinarum, Sorghum bicolour, Zea mays, Basella alba, Aloe vera Capsicum annuum, Magnolia kobus, Medicago sativa (Alfalfa), Camellia sinensis, Azadirachta indica), Cinamomum camphora, and Geranium sp., marigold flower, Ziziphora tenuior, Abutilon indicum, Solanum tricobatum, Erythrina indica, beetroot, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Spirogyra varians, Melia dubia, olive, have been used for synthesis of silver nanoparticles, in the field of pharmaceutical applications and biological industries [17]. This work is aimed at carrying out a research on the anti-plasmodium potential of urana lobata.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Malaria infection is a major public health problem in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world and Nigeria in Particular. The burden of malaria infection is caused mainly by Plasmodium falciparum, the most common malaria species in Africa (WHO, 2010). Everyone is vulnerable to malaria, which is a major cause of prenatal mortality, low birth weight, and maternal anaemia (Greenwood, 2007).

There have been a considerable number of reports about poor knowledge and practices among people to malaria and its control from different parts of Africa. The disease remains the world’s most important tropical health challenge. Access to medical care is limited in many malaria-endemic areas and where medical services exist, they commonly lack facilities for laboratory diagnosis, and treatment option. This forces malaria victims to use various forms of substances and traditional herbs for curing malaria.

1.3 AIM /OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main aim of the study is to determine the potential of urena lobata as an anti-plasmodium. While, the specific objectives include;

To determine influence of socio-economic status on the use of urena lobata as a traditional herbs in the treatment of malaria.
To find out if urena lobata has the ability of fighting or curing plasmodium (malaria).

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

The following research questions were raised in this study;

Does Urena lobata used in Nigeria as anti-plasmodium?
Does Urena lobata use for the treatment of malaria?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The following null hypotheses were formulated in the study:

Urena lobata has anti-plasmodium potential
Urena lobata has no anti-plasmodium potential

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings from this study would be useful to the following; pregnant women, ministries of health, parastatals, health sectors, policy makers and government.

Women: the study will help them to develop a positive attitude towards antenatal care and the possible dangers in the use of traditional herbal medicine (Urena lobata) in malaria prevention and treatment among pregnant women.
Health sectors: Health practitioners would benefit from this study; as it would help them in caring adequately and planning well for malaria treatment.
Ministries: This study would be of great importance to ministries of health by informing them on the importance of this study is to address the issue concerning the attitude towards the use of Urena lobata for anti-plasmodium.
Policy makers: This study will help policy makers to formulate relevant policies on anti-plasmodium.
Government: This study would be useful to government and parastatals by educating them on the need to provide concerted health education intervention to improve the attitude and knowledge of people regarding poor health seeking behavior and adequate strategies for malaria prevention.

1.7 SCOPE/DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study is delimited in scope to the use of Urena lobata as an anti-plasmodium. This study was carried out because of the popular use of Urena lobata.