[01] Okpe Oche, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria. [02] Upev Vincent Aondohemba, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria. [03] Eimonye Jack Onmoiji, Department of Chemical Pathology, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria. [04] Iekaa Mimidoo Paula, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria. [05] Enoyi Cecilia Oowole, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria. [06] Josiah Silas Ojor, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria.

Plasmodium species and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is implicated in cerebral malaria, which is the cause of 12% of psychiatry disorder and a leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study we examined the AChE activity in the blood of mice infected with plasmodium berghei (P. berghei) and treated with leaf extracts of T. occidentalis, V. doniana, V. amygdalina, O. basilicum and Artesunate respectively. The parasitemia level and PCV evaluated; and the AChE activity in each mouse were determined using acetylthiocholine as substrate. There was significant (p˂ 0.05) increase in AChE activity in the extracts groups (0.0491-0.1573, 0.0431-0.2061, 0.0327-0.2031, 0.0513-0.0992 × 10^-3 µmol ACTC min^-1mg protein^-1 respectively) and the standard drug (0.044-0.147 × 10^-3 µmol ACTC min^-1mg protein^-1) of mice infected and treated for 7 days compared with the Normal and Disease control groups (0.3898-0.3898 and 0.156-0.0888 × 10^-3 µmol ACTC min^-1mg protein^-1 respectively). The parasitemia level in the disease control group increases with days, which significantly (p˂ 0.05) reduces in groups that received plant extracts and Artesunate treatment. The PCV was stabilized in the treatment groups after an initial reduction. This finding reveals that the blood AChE activity decreases during infection of P. berghei, which was reversed upon administration of plant extracts and Artesunate. The increase in enzyme activity inversely correlates with reduction in parasite load. The findings have major implications for understanding how the plant extracts interact to enhance resistance to P. berghei proliferation in the body system.

Plasmodium berghei, Acetylcholinesterase, Parasitemia, Plant Extracts, Artesunate

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