Investigation of the antitrypanosomal activity of Buchholzia coriacea seed extract against a field strain of Trypanosoma congolense

• Published in: African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines Vol. 8; no. 5 Suppl; pp. 175 - 180
• Main Authors: Nweze, N E, Anene, B M, Asuzu, I U
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nigeria African Networks on Ethnomedicines 01.01.2011
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Animals; Capparaceae - chemistry; Diminazene - analogs & derivatives; Diminazene - pharmacology; Diminazene - therapeutic use; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Hematocrit; Male; Methanol; Mice; Parasitemia - drug therapy; Parasitemia - veterinary; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Research Papers; Seeds - chemistry; Trypanocidal Agents - pharmacology; Trypanocidal Agents - therapeutic use; Trypanosoma congolense - drug effects; Trypanosoma congolense - isolation & purification; Trypanosomiasis, African - drug therapy; Trypanosomiasis, African - parasitology; Buchholzia coriacea; Antitrypanosomal activity; Trypanosoma congolense
• ISSN: 0189-6016; 2505-0044; 0189-6016
• DOI: 10.4314/ajtcam.v8i5S.23

The antitrypanosomal activity of the methanol extract of Buchholzia coriacea seed against a field strain of Trypanosoma congolense was investigated using experimentally infected mice of both sexes. Monitoring of parasitaemia was by the rapid matching technique. When parasitaemia was approximately log 7.8 (63 × 10(6) parasites/ml), treatment with graded doses of the extract (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg) was instituted for 5 consecutive days. Diminazene diaceturate (Dimivet SKM Pharma Pvt. Ltd.) was given at 3.5 mg/kg i.p. to the positive control mice. No significant differences in body weights were observed. The rectal temperatures of infected mice showed fluctuations. The PCV of infected mice were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those of the uninfected controls. There was no significant difference between the PCV of the extract-treated and untreated animals. Parasitaemia increased steadily in the extract-treated and untreated mice groups till all the animals died. Three days post-treatment with diminazene diaceturate parasitaemia was cleared. Six days later, there was a relapse of infection. By the end of the experiment, a 50 % relapse rate was recorded in the diminazene diaceturate-treated group. The methanol extract of Buchholzia coriacea seeds did not show any antitrypanosomal activity in mice infected with Trypanosoma congolense at the doses tested.