Contribution of Traditional Medicines to the Development of Modern Medicine for Malaria

Malaria is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium. The most serious forms of the disease are caused by Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, but other related species (Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae) can also affect humans. The initial symptoms of malaria which include fever, headache and muscular aches. Plasmodium develops in the gut of the mosquito and passed in the saliva of an infected insect each time it takes a new blood meal. The parasites are then carried by the blood in the victim's liver where they invade the cells and multiply. After 9-16 days they return to the blood and penetrate the red cells, where they multiply again, progressively breaking down the red cells. In cerebral malaria, the infected red cells obstruct the blood vessels in the brain. The four species of malaria are distinguished by their different appearances of Trophozoites, Schizonts, Gametocytes and staining, size and shape of infected red blood cells, and other characteristics. The key role of traditional medicine in the development of modern medicine for prevention of malaria is discussed in this article. In-vitro and in-vivo antiplasmodial activities are experimental models for detecting antiplasmodial activity of plant extracts in the erythrocytic stage of malaria parasites. The study is likely to promote a rational use of botanicals and must be continued focusing on the isolation and characterizing active principles of the crude extract, its pharmacological validation, standardization and formulation.