The efficacy of aqueous leaf extract of <i>Solanum tuberosum</i> on <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i>-infected albino mice

Abstract

Human schistosomiasis is one of the important diseases of helminth origin; it is among the most devastating infectious parasitic disease responsible for several deaths and economic losses amongst half of the world’s population. Control of schistosomiasis is solely dependent on chemotherapy. There is need to explore other control measures to interrupt the biology of the parasite. Solanum tuberosum had been used to control the intermediate host (snail) hence the choice of plant extracts to scientifically investigate the schistosomicidal efficacy. The mature leaves of Solanum tuberosum plant were collected from the potatoe research farm of National Root Crop Research Institute, Potatoe Programme, Kuru, Vom, and identified in the Federal College of Forestry, Jos, Nigeria. The Biomphalaria pfeifferi snail vectors were collected from the Miango Irrigation Ponds in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State and exposed to sun light for 45 minutes for cercarial shedding. Sixty (60) albino mice of eight weeks weighing between 18 and 25 g were divided into six Groups (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6), Group 1-5 were used for the experiments while Group 6 served as control. The skinned suspended tails were then immersed in the test-tube containing 150 cercariae suspension for mice infections. Group 1 was administered 1.5 mg/ kg, (2) 3 mg/kg, (3) 6 mg/kg, (4) paraziquantel 60 mg/kg divided into two doses respectively while Group 5 was infected but not treated while 6 was the uninfected control and feaces examined after 14 days post-treatment for egg recovery. The mice in the untreated Group 5 post infection (19 days) had the highest number of Schistosoma mansoni ova.

Keywords: Solanum tuberosum; S. mansoni; B. pfeifferi; cercariae; albino mice and paraziquantel