Ethnomedicinal Potentialities of Antimalarial Plants: An Overview
Anuradha Das
Department of Botany, Sindri College Sindri, Binod Bihari Mahto Koylanchal University, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India.
Kadambini Das
University Department of Botany, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India.
Saraswati Majhi
P.G. Department of Botany, Shailabala Women's Autonomous College, Cuttack, Odisha, India.
Niraj Kumar
Department of Zoology, Laxmi Narain Dubey College, Motihari, East Champaran, Bihar, India.
Shivakumar P
Department of Zoology, Government Science College, Hassan, Karnataka, India.
Sanjeet Kumar
Ambika Prasad Research Foundation, Odisha, India.
Rajkumari Supriya Devi
Ambika Prasad Research Foundation, Odisha, India.
Bhagwati Prashad Sharma
*
Department of Botany, Sidharth Government College, Nadaun, Himachal Pradesh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Malaria continues to be a significant life-threatening parasitic disease, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. It is transmitted by infected Anopheles mosquitoes that carry Plasmodium species. In India, the predominant species are P. falciparum and P. vivax, with the emergence of drug-resistant strains highlighting the urgent need for alternative treatment options. Ethnomedicinal plants have long been used by rural and tribal communities for the prevention and treatment of malaria. This review systematically compiles information on 33 indigenous plant species used across India, detailing the plant parts used, preparation methods, and bioactive compounds present. Key phytochemicals, such as alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides etc etc demonstrated the potentialities antiplasmodial, immunomodulatory, symptomatic relief activities etc. Important ethnomedicinal species, including Andrographis paniculata, Swertia chirata, Azadirachta indica, Artemisia nilagirica etc demonstrate efficacy against both chloroquine-sensitive and resistant strains of malaria. These findings demonstrate the scientific and therapeutic relevance of ethnomedicinal plants as accessible, affordable and effective alternatives for malaria management. They also emphasize the importance of traditional knowledge in drug discovery and public health policies.
Keywords: Ethnomedicinal plants, mosquito, phytochemicals, treatment