92ASSESSMENT OF ANTIMALARIAL POTENCY AGAINST PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM AND PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF SARCOCEPHALUS LATIFOLIUSMalaria is a major health concern in Sub Saharan Africa and there are few effective treatment options. Nigeria has diverse flora with potent antimalarial phytochemicals and high ethnomedicinal plants uses. This study was conducted to investigate the antimalarial potency and phytochemical constituents of the leaves of Sarcocephalus latifolius used in the local treatment of malaria. The crude ethanol extract from the medicinal plant (SL-01) was fractionated into ethyl acetate (SL-01-01), chloroform (SL-01-02) and n-hexane (SL-01-03) fractions. In vitro antiplasmodial assay and phytochemical screening were conducted on the fractions from the plant. Alkaloids, saponins tannins, flavonoids, steroids and glycosides were detected though not in all the extracts of the plant. The leaves of the plant extracts and fractions were found to be active against Plasmodium falciparum. The results of the analysis revealed that percentage elimination increases as the concentrations of the extract and fractions increase. It can be observed that at 0.5mg/cm3, SL-01-03 has the highest activity of 52.27% while at concentration of 5.0mg/cm3, SL-01-01 has the highest activity of 84.10%. Mann-Whitny U test and Spearma rank correlation were used to analysis the results of the fractions and that of the standard (positive control). Mann-Whitny U test confirmed that there is no significant difference between them at 90% confidence interval. Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that there is correlation at 10% level of significance with degree of relationship obtained as unity, (Ë s = 1)enemakwuthomas@gmail.comResearch612016In-Vitro,antimalarial,Phytochemical,Sarcocephalus latifoliusTA Enemakwu,MM Adeyemi,L SalihuDepartment of Chemistry, Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, Nigeria.,Department of Chemistry, Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, Nigeria.,Department of Chemistry, Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, Nigeria.