Antioxidant Effect of Aqueous Seed Extract of Aframomum Sceptrum (kschum) on Brain and Kidney of Malaria Infested Mice

The present study investigated the antioxidant effect of aqueous seed extract of Aframomum sceptrum against oxidative stress induced in Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Adult-albino mice (male), weighing 15-25 g, were inoculated intraperitorically with 0.1 ml parasitized blood suspension. A. sceptrum extract was orally administered at different dosages (250 and 350 mg/kgb.wt), daily to both normal and malaria induced mice for a period of 4 days. There was increase in uric acid level and decrease in albumin, respectively, in brain and kidney in malaria mice compared to normal control. After treating with A. sceptrum, a significant (p<0.05) decrease and increase in uric acid and albumin levels, respectively, in the parasitized mice’s brain and kidney were observed compared to the parasitized control. The results suggest that A. sceptrum extract may contribute to the prevention of oxidative damage caused by malaria.