Phytochemical Profile and In Vitro Bioactivities of Agelanthusdodoneifolius: Antimalarial, Antimicrobial, and Antioxidant Effects

Abstract

Agelanthusdodoneifolius (Loranthaceae), a hemi-parasitic plant widely used in Northern

Nigerian ethnomedicine for treating malaria, wounds, and infections, was investigated for

its phytochemical composition and in vitro bioactivities to validate its traditional uses.

Aqueous, chloroform, and ethanol leaf extracts were subjected to qualitative

phytochemical screening, revealing the presence of tannins, glycosides, saponins,

phenols, and flavonoids, but the absence of alkaloids, anthraquinones, and phlobatannins.

In vitro antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum (5% parasitemia) was

assessed using the Giemsa staining method, with chloroform and ethanol extracts

exhibiting dose-dependent activity. The chloroform extract achieved 84.7% parasite

elimination at 10 mg/mL after 48 hours, significantly higher than the ethanol extract

(82.4%, p = 0.0145), though less potent than artemether (92.7%). Antimicrobial activity

was evaluated via the broth microdilution method against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC

25923), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), and Candida albicans (ATCC 10231), with

minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.625 to 5 mg/mL for ethanol extracts

and 1.25 to 10 mg/mL for chloroform extracts, supporting traditional uses for wound

healing. Antioxidant activity, assessed by the DPPH assay, showed IC₅₀ values of 0.45 ±

0.03 mg/mL (ethanol) and 0.82 ± 0.05 mg/mL (chloroform), indicating significant radical

scavenging potential compared to ascorbic acid (0.02 ± 0.01 mg/mL). These findings

validate the ethnomedicinal applications of A. dodoneifolius and highlight its potential as

a source of antimalarial, antimicrobial, and antioxidant agents. Further studies are

warranted to isolate bioactive compounds, elucidate mechanisms of action, and assess in

vivo efficacy and ecological sustainability for therapeutic development.