Comparative Antioxidants Status of Leaves Extracts of Some Common Antimalarial Plants in West Africa

Objective: Malaria chemotherapy remains relevance and gives way to the re-evaluation of medicinal plants that has already gain approval in the traditional treatments of Malaria. This work evaluated and compared the antioxidant status of methanol leaves extracts of Azadirachta Indica (MAI), Vernonia Amygdalina (MVA) and Carica Papaya (MCP). Methods: Phenols, Flavonoids,percentage inhibition of lipid peroxidation and radical scavenging activities using 1,1-diphenyl-2- picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and Hydroxyl radicals were determined spectrophotometrically based on international standardized methods . Results: Total Phenolic content in garlic acid equivalence (GAE)were expressed maximally at 700μg/ml by 0.015±0.002, 0.019±0.017, 0.013±0.006 mg/g and flavonoids contents at 350μg/ml by 0.063±0.004, 0.020±0.031, 0.049±0.002 Mg/g quercetin equivalence (QE) for MAI, MVA and MCP respectively. DPPH scavenging activities of 78.60, 55.55 and 54.96 % were obtained at 350μg/ml by MAI, MVA and MCP respectively in the order MAI>MVA>MCP. At 300μg/ml, the extracts scavenged hydroxyl radicals significantly( p≤0.05) by72.00, 77.80 and 53.15 % in the order MVA>MAI>MCP. Intriguingly, extracts also convered significantly (p≤0.05), 50% cell protection as they inhibited lipid peroxidation by50.00, 66.20 and 64.30% in the order MVA>MCP>MAI at 350μg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: Antioxidative properties exhibited by extracts may be correlated with their antimalarial functions, bioactive contents and suggestive of MVA as more potent antimalarial of the evaluated plants which may serve as template for malaria drugs and its local usage encouraged in poverty- stricken malarial-endemic areas of West Africa. Keywords: AzadirachtaIndica, Antimalarial, Antioxidants, CaricaPapaya, Malaria, Vernonia Amygdalina.