Phytochemical Constituents of Aqueous Leaf Extract of Morinda Lucida and Their Potential Antimalarial Relevance

Morinda lucida Benth. is widely used in African traditional medicine for the treatment of malaria and other febrile illnesses. Scientific characterization of its phytochemical constituents is essential to validate its ethnomedicinal use and identify bioactive compounds with potential antimalarial activity. This study qualitatively and quantitatively characterized the phytochemical constituents of the aqueous leaf extract of M. lucida and evaluated their relevance to its reported antimalarial properties. Fresh leaves were collected, authenticated, air-dried, pulverized, and extracted by cold maceration using distilled water. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses were conducted using standard analytical procedures to determine the presence and concentrations of major secondary metabolites. Qualitative screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, saponins, and glycosides, whereas terpenoids, steroids, and anthraquinones were not detected. Quantitative analysis showed that phenolics (21.2 ± 1.1 mg/g dry extract) and flavonoids (18.1 ± 1.2 mg/g dry extract) were the most abundant phytochemical constituents, followed by glycosides (13.5 ± 0.6 mg/g), alkaloids (12.3 ± 0.6 mg/g), saponins (9.3 ± 0.6 mg/g), and tannins (7.2 ± 0.5 mg/g). The high levels of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, together with the presence of other pharmacologically important secondary metabolites, may contribute to the plant's reported antiplasmodial and antioxidant activities. These findings provide scientific evidence supporting the traditional use of M. lucida in malaria management and establish the aqueous leaf extract as a promising source of bioactive compounds for further pharmacological evaluation and natural product-based antimalarial drug development. Further studies involving compound isolation, mechanistic investigations, and toxicity assessment are recommended to validate its therapeutic potential.

Morinda lucida, Phytochemical constituents, Aqueous leaf extract, Antimalarial activity, Medicinal plants.

1. Adewole, K. E., Attah, A. F., & Adebayo, J. O. (2021). A review of ethnomedicine, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Morinda lucida Benth. (Rubiaceae). Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 276, 114055. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2021.114055. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Akande, O. A., Ndams, I. S., Natala, A. J., & Babamale, O. A. (2022). In vivo antiplasmodial activity of methanolic leaf extracts of Jatropha curcas on Plasmodium berghei (NK 65)-infected mice. Journal of Phytomedicine and Therapeutics, 20(2), 702–713. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Babangida, S., Sow, G., & Shehu, D. (2021). Antiplasmodial and haematological effects of Senna occidentalis leaf ethanolic extracts on Plasmodium berghei-infected Swiss albino mice. Bayero Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences. https://doi.org/10.4314/bajopas.v12i2.17. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Belete, T. M. (2020). Recent progress in the development of new antimalarial drugs with novel targets. Drug Design, Development and Therapy, 14, 3875–3889. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Chaachouay, N., & Zidane, L. (2024). Plant-derived natural products: A source for drug discovery and development. Drugs and Drug Candidates, 3(1), 184–207. https://doi.org/10.3390/ddc3010011. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Evans, W. C. (2009). Trease and Evans' pharmacognosy (16th ed.). Elsevier. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Gboeloh, L. B., Ofuru, R. O., & Elele, K. (2021). In vivo assessment of anti-plasmodial properties of the methanolic extracts of Morinda lucida on albino mice experimentally infected with Plasmodium berghei. Direct Research Journal of Health and Pharmacology, 9, 20–27. https://doi.org/10.26765/DRJHP30673164. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Harborne, J. B. (1998). Phytochemical methods: A guide to modern techniques of plant analysis (3rd ed.). Chapman & Hall. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Mlugu, E. M. (2023). Malaria treatment landscape: Current trends and future directions. In Malaria—Transmission, Diagnosis and Treatment. IntechOpen. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Oladeji, O. S., Oluyori, A. P., & Dada, A. O. (2022). Antiplasmodial activity of Morinda lucida Benth. leaf and bark extracts against Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 29(4), 2475–2482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.12.017. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Oladipo, H. J., Tajudeen, Y. A., Oladunjoye, I. O., Yusuff, S. I., Yusuf, R. O., Oluwaseyi, E. M., ... El-Sherbini, M. S. (2022). Increasing challenges of malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa: Priorities for public health research and policymakers. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 81, 104366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2022.104366. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Tseha, S. T. (2021). Plasmodium species and drug resistance. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98344. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. World Health Organization. (2025). World malaria report 2025. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/teams/global-malaria-programme/reports/world-malaria-report-2025. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Tribal Child Nutrition and Health in District of Sundargarh: A Public Health Review of ICDS Intervention
• Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Towards Prostate Cancer Screening Amongst Men Aged 40-60 Years in The Buea Health District: A Cross-Sectional Study
• Compliance with JCI Protocols: A Focus on Employee Safety
• Influence and Involvement of Teachers in Menstrual Hygiene Management of Female Secondary School Students in Kogi State, Nigeria
• A Critical Evaluation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in Bihar