Green-synthesized silver and iron nanoparticles from Alstonia boonei and Terminalia catappa as antimalarial agent in mice model

Malaria a major health scourge of high impact in sub-sahara, with a major control-drawback on issues of resistance of the parasite to antimalaria. Nanoparticles have been investigated for their capacity to effectively deliver antimalarial drugs to kill the parasites, avoid drug resistance evolution and maintain a low toxic side effects. This study investigated the antiplasmodial efficacies of two plant green-synthesized with AgNO3 and FeSO4 salts against Plasmodium berghei infected mice using, an acute toxicity test (LD50) of the Terminalia-catappa AgNPs (TCA), Alstonia-boonei AgNPs (AA), Terminalia-catappa FeSO4 (TCF) and Alstonia-boonei FeSO4 (AF) in accordance with Lorkes method. The LD50 was above 5000 mg/kg of TCA and AA while 223.6 mg/kg in TCF and AF. Each nanoparticles exhibited high dose dependent P. berghei inhibition which was 62.20 % and 75.6 % in the TCA 200 mg/kg AA 100 mg/kg, 61.5 % and 75.3 % in the TCF 300 mg/kg and AF 200 mg/kg and doses in the curative groups, 92. 4 % and 93.1 % for TCA 100 mg/kg, AA 100 mg/kg 94.1 in 100 mg/kg dose and AF had 92.1 % at 300 mg/kg doses in the prophylactic groups. The groups treated with orthodox drugs had low parasitemia while the negative control recorded high parasitemia. There was no significant difference (P 0.05) in the mean change of the dosage in the different nanoparticles. These findings revealed all nanoparticles possesses a dose-dependent curative and prophylactic antiplasmodial activity and calls for their development and standardization as effective and readily available antimalarial options.