Antitrypanosomal potentials of the extract and fractions of Abrus precatorius seeds

• Published in: Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine Vol. 5; no. 11; pp. 857 - 861
• Main Authors: Nwodo, NJ, Nwodo, OFC
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Elsevier B.V 01.11.2012; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka Nigeria%Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka Nigeria
• Subjects: Abrus; Abrus - chemistry; Abrus precatorius; Animals; Berenil; brucei; Disease Models, Animal; effect; extract; Fractions; Humans; Mice; Parasiteamia; Parasitemia - drug therapy; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; precatorius; Seed; Seed extract; Seeds - chemistry; Treatment Outcome; Trypanocidal; Trypanocidal Agents - administration & dosage; Trypanocidal Agents - isolation & purification; Trypanocidal effect; Trypanosoma; Trypanosoma - drug effects; Trypanosome; Trypanosome brucei brucei; Trypanosomiasis - drug therapy; Trypanocidal effect; Berenil; Abrus precatorius; Seed extract; Parasiteamia; Fractions; Trypanosome brucei brucei
• ISSN: 1995-7645; 2352-4146
• DOI: 10.1016/S1995-7645(12)60160-6

<正>Objective:To evaluate the in vivo trypanocidal activity of the methanol extract and fractions of Abrus precatorius seeds in mice.Methods:Parasiteamia was induced unto mice by intraperitoneal injection of 1.25×105 Trypanosoma in normal saline.Five days when a high level of parasiteamia was established treatment commenced until ten days.The mice were treated with 10,20 and 40 mg/kg bt.of the extract and 5 and 10 mg/kg bt.of the fraction（F2）,respectively for 5 days.Diminazene acelurate at the dose of 3.5 mg/kg bt.for two days was used as the reference drug.The level of parasitaemia and packed cell volume（PCV） of the animals estimated. Results:At doses of 10,20 and 40 mg/kg the crude extract showed a sharp reduction in the level of parasitaemia in mice compared with the untreated group.The mice treated with F,at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg showed a sharp reduction in the level of parasitamia to zero in day 9,and a gradual recovery from the 12th day of treatment.This effect is comparable to that of the mice treated with 7 mg/kg of standard drug diminazene aceturate.The PCV of the treated showed a gradual decrease with time,but not as much as the untreated group.Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of glycosides,alkaloids,carbohydrates,tannins and proteins in the Abrus precatorius powder while F2 was rich in alkaloids.Conclusions:This study shows that both the extract and the fractions of Abrus precatorius seeds exhibited a promising trypanocidal property.Alkaloids may be responsible for the observed activity.