COMPARATIVE STUDY, β-HEMATIN INHIBITORY POTENTIAL, METHANOL STEMBARK EXTRACTS, ANNICKIA AFFINIS, ANNICKIA CHLORANTHA

Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum is still a global challenge to date. The major process for malaria parasite survival within red blood cells is the detoxification of heme, a toxic byproduct released from hemoglobin digestion, into a crystalline pigment called hemozoin. Agents which inhibit this process can be used to curb the parasitic development. The discovery of such agents can be done using the β-hematin inhibition assay, in-vitro studies using hemin, otherwise known as synthetic heme. The ability for hemin to polymerize into β-hematin provides the assay the characteristic capacity to be used as a means to study the inhibition of hemozoin formation (β-hematin). This study seeks to compare the β- hematin inhibitory potential of the methanol stembarks of Annickia affinis and Annickia chlorantha. Annickia affinis and Annickia chlorantha stembark extracts were observed to possess notable capability in inhibiting β-hematin formation with A. chlorantha performing better at inhibiting β-hematin formation than A. affinis