Abstract

Malaria remains a global health burden, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where rising drug resistance and 
treatment costs necessitate alternative therapeutic strategies. Medicinal plants, long central to traditional 
medicine, represent a valuable reservoir of bioactive compounds with proven and potential antimalarial properties. 
Historically significant agents such as quinine (from Cinchona bark) and artemisinin (from Artemisia annua) 
highlight the enduring importance of plant-derived compounds in malaria chemotherapy. Ethnobotanical surveys 
across Africa and Asia document thousands of plant species used in malaria management, though only a fraction 
have been systematically investigated. Phytochemicals including alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolics 
demonstrate significant in vitro and in vivo antiplasmodial activity, acting through diverse mechanisms such as 
inhibition of hemozoin formation, interference with parasite metabolism, and immunomodulation. Despite 
promising laboratory findings, translation into clinical application remains limited due to variability in plant 
sourcing, extraction methods, bioavailability, and lack of mechanistic and safety studies. Regulatory and 
standardization challenges further hinder phytomedicine development. This review synthesizes evidence on 
antimalarial medicinal plants, highlighting validated agents, mechanisms of action, clinical potential, and the 
research and regulatory gaps that must be addressed to advance phytochemical-based malaria therapeutics.