Evaluation of the use of Cocos nucifera as antimalarial remedy in Malaysian folk medicine

• Main Authors: Al-Adhroey, A.H., Nor, Z.M., Al-Mekhlafi, H.M., Amran, A.A., Mahmud, R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: R Medicine
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/4230/1/Al-Adhroey-2011-Evaluation_of_the_us.pdf; http://eprints.um.edu.my/4230/
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

Ethnopharmacological relevance: White flesh extract of Cocos nucifera (coconut) was studied to ascertain the ethnopharmacological standing of its antimalarial usage in Malaysian folk medicine. Materials and methods: The crude methanol extract was investigated for phytochemical constituents and acute oral toxicity. Antimalarial activity of different extract doses of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg were investigated in vivo against Plasmodium berghei (NK65) infections in mice during early, established and residual infections. Chloroquine (20 mg/kg) and pyrimethamine (1.2 mg/kg) were used as reference drugs. Results: The results revealed that the extract contained some phytochemical constituents and is toxicologically safe by oral administration. The extract significantly reduced the parasitaemia by the 200 and 400 mg/kg doses in the all three in vivo assessment assays. However, the extract did not significantly increase the survival time of the infected mice. Conclusions: The observed pharmacological activities suggest that the Malaysian folkloric medicinal application of Cocos nucifera has a pharmacological basis. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.