Phytochemical composition of <i>Annona senegalensis</i> leaf and its antioxidant activity during <i>Trypanosoma brucei brucei</i> induced oxidative stress in mice

Abstract

The quantitative phytochemical analysis of Annona senegalensis leaf was carried out and the effects of its ethanolic extract on some haematological and biochemical parameters of oxidative stress in Trypanosoma brucei brucei infected mice were determined. Treatment of T. b brucei-infected mice with 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg body weight of ethanolic extract of A. senegalensis leaf, which commenced on the first day parasites were sighted in the blood of rats was done daily for seven days. Parasitaemia levels of mice were observed daily. Haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, packed cell volume (PCV), lipid peroxidation; catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were determined after the seventh day treatment. A. senegalensis leaf was found to contain 34% tannins, 20% flavonoid, 7.9% alkaloids, 7.42% saponins and 3.2% steroids. Treatment with 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg of ethanolic leaf extract of Annona senegalensis reduced the parasitaemia of infected mice by 70%, 87.86% and 88.57% respectively by day 9 post infection. The values of haemoglobin concentration and packed cell volume, as well as SOD and CAT activities were significantly increased (p<0.05) and lipid peroxidation significantly reduced (p<0.05) in T. b. brucei-infected mice treated with 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg the ethanolic extract compared with the infected untreated ones. The high percentage of tannins and flavonoids contained in A. senegalensis leaf as observed in this study could have played a significant role in the antitrypanosomal and antioxidant activity displayed by the extract and this might be useful in the fight against sleeping sickness.

Keywords: Annona senegalensis, Trypanosoma brucei, oxidative stress, iron chelation, phytochemical ana