Laboratory treatment of <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i> - infected rats with a combination of Securidaca longepedunculata and Diminazene aceturate

Abstract

Trypanocidal potency of Securidacalongepedunculata (violet tree), a common savannah shrub with broad spectrum medicinal use throughout tropical Africa was compared and combined with Diminazene aceturate (Berenil ®), a standard but toxic and costly trypanocidal drug. Subsequently, various experimental groups of laboratory maintained Wister albino rats, were infected with stocked T. evansi and thereafter given, as soon as parasitaemia was established, intra-peritoneal injections of separate or combined doses of Bereni ® and/or 40.6% yield of the dried crude root extract of oral Securidaca respectively. The result showed that sub-therapeutic doses of the combined Bereni ® (1.7 mg/kg) and Securidaca (100 mg/kg), was as good as therapeutic doses (3.5 mg/kg) of Berenil ® alone, at significantly (p<0.05) reducing parasitaemia caused by T. evansi, from the first post-administration day until animals became parasite-free by the 14-15th day. However relapse parasitaemia occurred two days later, in animals treated with therapeutic doses (200 mg/kg) of Securidaca alone, while PCV rate (%) and mean WBC count (10 3/mm 3) increased from 31.3 ± 0.3 and 7.4 ± 0.2 at parasitaemia, to 40.6 ± 0.3 and 9.7 ± 0.1 in animals treated with Berenil ® alone compared with 43.9 ± 0.4 and 11.5 ± 0.4 in animals treated with a combined Berenil ® and Securidaca respectively. The RBC counts and hemoglobin values showed similar pattern of improvement with the respective treatments. Infected but untreated control animals died of parasitaemia in 9-11 days while uninfected controls remained parasite-free and healthy. It was concluded that the anti-trypanosome efficacy of combined Berenil ® and Securidaca was as effective as Berenil ® alone and that the combination drug was less toxic and less costly than monotherapy with Bereni ®.

Animal Production Research Avancees Vol. 3 (1) 2007: pp. 38-42