Antitrypanosomal activity of <i>Anogeissus leiocarpa<i/> in <i>Rattus Norvegicus<i/> (Wister rats) experimentally infected with <i>Trypanosoma brucei brucei<i/>

Abstract

Trypanosomiasis is an important disease affecting livestock where infertility, abortion and loss in productivity leading to deaths are imminent in the infected herds. Therapeutic and prophylactic measures using trypanocidal drugs are hampered by drug resistance, toxicity, prolonged treatment regimens and antigenic variations. Hence the need to explore more alternate strategies such as the use of plants with the potential in the treatment of trypanosomiasis is indispensable. In vivo anti-trypanosomal activity of Anogeissus leiocarpa (African birch) was tested on Rattus norvegicus (wistar rats) infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei. The experimental animals were grouped into seven groups of five rats per group. Doses of 200 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg of methanol crude extract of leaf and stem bark were administered orally to four groups while three served as control groups (ie. infected untreated, uninfected untreated and infected treated with standard drug/Diminazine aceturate). The level of parasitemia, packed cell volume (PCV), total leukocyte counts (TLC) and differential leukocyte counts (DLC) were evaluated. Results of the phytochemical screening of the extracts revealed the presence of saponins, tannins, steroids, glycosides, alkaloids flavonoids and anthraquinones. The mean parasitaemia of the treated groups was significantly lower (P<0.05) than the mean parasitaemia of the untreated groups. The groups treated with higher concentrations resist sudden drop in PCV and reduction in the level of parasitaemia. From the findings of this research, it could be concluded that treatment of T. brucei brucei infected rats with A. leiocarpa extract resulted in the improvement in PCV, TLC, neutrophils and lymphocytes, where group B (Stem at 200 mg/kg) prolonged the lives of the animals beyond the negative control group.