IN VITRO ASSESSMENT OF ANTIPLASMODIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIALS OF CHRYSOPHYLLUM ALBIDUM KERNEL EXTRACTS

Authors

  • Godbless T. Igbi Department of Medical Biochemistry, Delta State University, Abraka Author
  • Opajobi O. Adefunke Department of Medical Biochemistry, Delta State University, Abraka Author
  • Awhin E. Prosper Department of Medical Biochemistry, Delta State University, Abraka Author
  • Gabriel N. Enudinisu Department of Medical Biochemistry, Delta State University, Abraka Author
  • Innocent Onyesom Department of Medical Biochemistry, Delta State University, Abraka Author
  • Uzuegbu E. Ugochukwu Department of Medical Biochemistry, Delta State University, Abraka Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26538/tjdr/v3i2.3

Keywords:

Chrysophyllum albidum, kernel extract, antiplasmodial activity, Plasmodium falciparum, antioxidant activity, selectivity index

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the In vitro antiplasmodial, cytotoxic and antioxidant activities of Chrysophyllum albidum (African star apple) kernel extracts, with emphasis on their potential as dual-function antimalarial agents. Methods: Ethanol, aqueous and essential oil extracts of C. albidum kernels were prepared using standard extraction procedures. Antiplasmodial activity was assessed against Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 (chloroquine-sensitive) and Dd2 (chloroquine-resistant) strains using a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) fluorescence assay at concentrations of 1.56–25 µg/mL, with chloroquine and artemisinin as reference drugs and resistance index was dertermined. Cytotoxicity was evaluated on RAW 264.7 macrophage cells at 62.5–1000 µg/mL using a resazurin-based assay to determine CC50 and selectivity index (SI). Antioxidant activity was determined using DPPH (1–30 µg/mL), nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide (10–100 µg/mL) scavenging assays. IC50 values were calculated by nonlinear regression analysis. Results: Ethanol and essential oil extracts exhibited notable antiplasmodial activity (IC50 : 4.08–5.50 µg/mL) against both parasite strains, with slightly higher efficacy against the 3D7 strain compared to Dd2. The aqueous extract showed comparatively higher IC50 values, indicating lower potency. All extracts demonstrated low cytotoxicity (CC50 > 479 µg/mL) and high selectivity indices (SI > 10), suggesting preferential toxicity towards the parasite. Resistance indices (≤ 1.5) indicated minimal cross-resistance with standard drugs. The extracts also showed strong antioxidant activity across all assays, with IC50 values ranging from 33 to 46 µg/mL, and were most effective in DPPH radical scavenging, comparable to ascorbic acid. Conclusion: These findings support the traditional use of C. albidum kernel extracts as potential sources of antiplasmodial and antioxidant agents, warranting further isolation of active compounds.

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Published

2026-04-20

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): Tropical Journal of Drug Discovery

Section

Articles

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Igbi, G. T., Adefunke, O. . O., Prosper, A. E., Enudinisu, G. N., Onyesom, I., & Ugochukwu, U. E. (2026). IN VITRO ASSESSMENT OF ANTIPLASMODIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIALS OF CHRYSOPHYLLUM ALBIDUM KERNEL EXTRACTS. Tropical Journal of Drug Research, 3(2), 390-396. https://doi.org/10.26538/tjdr/v3i2.3

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