EVALUATION OF ANTITRYPANOSOMAL EFFECT OF STEM-BARK EXTRACTS OF SECURIDACA LONGEPEDUNCULATA (FRES. HOLL) AGAINST TRYPANOSOMA BRUCEI BRUCEI INFECTION IN WISTAR RATS

EVALUATION OF ANTITRYPANOSOMAL EFFECT OF STEM-BARK EXTRACTS OF SECURIDACA LONGEPEDUNCULATA (FRES. HOLL) AGAINST TRYPANOSOMA BRUCEI BRUCEI INFECTION IN WISTAR RATS

ABSTRACT

Due to numerous problems associated with current treatment of trypanosomosis, there is increasing need to find effective drug against trypanosomosis ravaging sub-Saharan Africa from traditional medicinal herbs. This work is aimed at evaluating efficacy of stem-bark extracts of S. longepedunculata against T. brucei brucei infected Wistar rats. The in vitro study and drug incubation infectivity test were carried out in duplicates. One hundred microlitre of blood containing 30-35 parasites per field was mixed with 50 µl of extract at 3 mg/ml and 6 mg/ml of crude methanol, ethyl acetate and aqueous methanol extracts of S. longepedunculata and incubated at 37 ºC for 90 minutes. Similarly, diminazene aceturate, normal saline and parasiteladen blood served as controls. Motility of the parasite was monitored under microscope at 5 minutes interval throughout 90 minutes observation period. The mixtures were subsequently inoculated into rats that were not previously infected with trypanosomes. In the in vivo studies, 40 adult Wistar rats of both sexes were divided into eight groups of 5 rats each and were individually infected intraperitoneally (i.p) with 106 T. brucei brucei per ml of blood. Animals in groups I and II were treated with crude methanol extract at 0.7 and 0.35 mg/kg i.p, groups III and IV were treated with ethyl acetate fraction at 0.7 and 0.35 mg/kg, while groups V and VI were treated with 0.9 and 0.45 mg/kg of aqueous methanol fraction, respectively. Animals in groups VII and VIII were treated with diminazene aceturate at 3.5 mg/kg and normal saline (2 ml/kg), respectively. Four animals in group IX were neither infected nor treated and served as neutral control. In the prophylactic studies, 25 rats of both sexes were divided into V groups of 5 rats each. Animals in groups I, II, and III were pre-treated with crude methanol extract at 0.35 mg/kg IP for 3, 5 and 7 days, respectively; while group IV received normal saline and served as viii negative control. The animals were then individually infected with 106 parasites per ml of blood. Animals in group V served as neutral control. Phytochemical screening of the extracts revealed the presence of carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, saponins, steroid, triterpenes, flavonoids and tannins. However, aqueous and ethyl acetate fractions were devoid of flavonoids. In the in vitro study, crude methanol extract immobilized parasite within 75 minutes while ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts induced slight reduction in motility at 90 minutes. However, inoculated rats developed infection and succumbed to the infection. The stem-bark extracts could not eliminate the parasites in all the groups tested. Nonetheless, crude methanol extract prolonged the survival period of rats when compared to other groups, though not statistically significant (P<0.05). Pretreatment of animals with crude methanol extract before challenge with the parasite could not prevent infection. Thus, stem-bark of the plant could be said to possess trypanostatic activity against the parasite.

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