IN VIVO ANTIPLASMODIAL ACTIVITY AND ACUTE TOXICITY OF STANDARDIZED EXTRACT OF EURYCOMA LONGIFOLIA JACK. ROOT TRADITIONALLY USED TO TREAT MALARIA

A series of studies has been conducted to prove the Eurycoma longifolia Jack. root as an antimalarial. However, the in vivo antiplasmodial activity of E. longifolia Jack. root standardized extract and its lethal dose 50% (LD50) values is unknown. In vivo antiplasmodial activity was conducted on Plasmodium berghei infected Swiss mice as malaria model with 4-day suppression methods. Sixty mice were divided into 6 groups. Five groups as treatment groups received test material with 5 various doses and one group was given distilled water as control group. Parasite growth inhibition was calculated by comparing the parasitemia at treatment groups to control group. Effective dose that could inhibit parasite growth by 50% (ED50) was calculated by probit analysis based on the relationship between dose and the percentage of parasite growth inhibition. The results showed that E. longifolia Jack. root standardized extract have in vivo antiplasmodial activity in P. berghei infected Swiss mice with ED50 value of 28.78 mg kg^-1. Acute toxicity testing was conducted on 60 mice, divided into 6 groups. Five groups received test materials with 5 various doses as a single dose orally. One other group was given distilled water as control group. Each animal was observed for the first 24 h and observation was continued for 14 days. The lethal dose 50% (LD50) was calculated by probit analysis based on the number of animal deaths that occurred within 24 h after the administration of the test material. The results showed that the LD50 value of E. longifolia Jack. root standardized extract was 6128.71 mg kg^-1. Therapeutic Index was calculated as ratio of the LD50 and ED50 with results 212.95. It showed high therapeutic index which indicated that E. longifolia Jack. root standardized extract has low toxicity.