Abstract

PLANTS AS ANTIMALARIAL DRUGS: A REVIEW

Modupe Iretiola Builders*

ABSTRACT

Malaria is a protozoa disease, transmitted by the Anopheles species of mosquito carrying the Plasmodium parasite. Despite the substantial progress made in the treatment of parasitic diseases, malaria remains a significant therapeutic challenge especially because of the wide spread resistance of malaria parasites to currently available anti-malarial agents, the resistance of the mosquito vectors to currently available insecticides, the limited success in the development of malarial vaccines and the debilitating adverse reactions of conventional anti-malarial drugs . These have stimulated the search for new pharmacologically active agents that can overcome these barriers. There is a long standing tradition for the use of phytomedicines for the treatment of malaria. The plant kingdom remains a major target in the search of lead compounds and new drugs to treat this debilitating parasitic disease. This review gives a detail account of plants possessing significant antimalarial activities.

Keywords: Plants, Malaria, Traditional Medicinal Practitioners, Antimalarial herbal drugs, Active metabolite.