Background The problem of drug resistance and toxicity in trypanosomiasis is ever-increasing, thereby creating a need to search for efficacious and safer alternatives that are of plant origin. We designed the present study to assess the oral acute toxicity, and anti-trypanosomal activity of Brillantaisia owariensis in mice. Methods Fifty-eight BALB/c mice were used for this study. For toxicity assessment, eighteen mice were divided into two groups of nine mice each, and acute single oral administration of the aqueous and methanol whole plant extracts of B. owariensis was assessed for each group as per Lorke’s method. Mice were observed for signs of toxicity of liver and kidney organs after two weeks of oral administration. For the anti-trypanosomal activity, forty mice were divided into eight groups of five mice. Mouse in each group was inoculated with 0.1 mL containing106T. brucei /mL. Following patency of 3 days, mice were treated at different dosages of methanol and aqueous extracts. Pre-infection, post-infection, and post-treatment data for rectal temperature, body weight, parasiteamia level, packed cell volume, and daily survival were monitored. Results The acute oral toxicity studies (LD50) for methanol and aqueous plant extracts in this study were calculated as 3535 mg/kg/body weight, and are non-toxic. No obvious histopathologic observation in the liver and kidney tissues. The mean daily rectal temperature and mean weights of all the treated mice were restored to normal values and significant (P, 0.05) in comparison to the positive control. Parasitaemia clearance by both extracts was suppressive. The mean PCV values were significantly increased following treatment, and there was prolonged survival especially in mice treated with methanol extracts. Conclusion The study concludes that the extracts of B. owariensis are relatively non-toxic with a good safety margin when administered to mice orally. Crude methanol extract exhibited better suppressive and haematinic antitrypanosomal activities than the aqueous extract, and it has a promising effect by its ability to reduce anaemia in mice challenged with T. brucei brucei, and prolonged survival.

The use of pesticide mixture to combat increased resistance by pest, to single chemical insecticide has brought about an increase in the use of pesticide mixture from different class, with its attendant toxicity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the maternal and foetal toxicity associated with dimethoate and cypermethrin, the two insecticides that are normally mixed to reduce pest resistance. 100 confirmed-mated (gravid) females were assigned at random among the four groups (controltap water only): group 1-very low dose-10 mg/kg/day of Cypermethrin (5.3% LD 50) + 1.0 mg/kg/day Dimethoate (0.7% of LD 50); group 2-intermediate dose-19 mg/kg/day of Cypermethrin (10% LD 50) + 1.4 mg/kg/day Dimethoate (0.9% of LD 50); and group 3-high dose-38 mg/kg/day of Cypermethrin (20% LD 50) + 12.8 mg/kg/day Dimethoate (8.5% of LD 50). The regimens were administered orally at gestation days (GD) 6-20 to pregnant rats. The dams were examined for mortality, moribundity, pertinent behavioural changes and signs of overt toxicity. Animals were weighed on day 0, and once at every 3day intervals during the dosing period and on GD 21. The pregnant rats were sacrificed by decapitation on GD 21, the uteri were removed and the fetuses examined for litter weight, size, resorption, sex ratio, absolute and relative organ weight. The results showed that combined pesticide exposure caused overt toxic signs in the dams. However, the maternal body weight and relative organ weight were not adversely affected except in the heart that showed significant alteration. Although, the litter weight was not adversely compromised, the result showed that the prenatal exposure to pesticide mixture caused increased foetal resorption, decreased the litter size and offsprings' male/female ratio. The study concludes that prenatal co-exposure to cypermethrin and dimethoate has adverse consequences on some maternal and foetal parameters in albino rats.

Brillantaisia owariensis (Acanthaceae) is evident in its traditional use in the forest region of West Africa for the treatment of several ailments, including trypanosomiasis. Despite its widespread use, the plant has not been subjected to pharmacological investigations to ascertain its phytochemical profile and efficacy in folklore medicine. This study was designed to determine the phytochemical and GC-MS profile of the whole plant of B. owariensis and elucidate its pharmacological implications in managing trypanosomiasis. The plant was collected from Nigeria's South-western Forest vegetation zone. Thirty grams of the processed powder was extracted using the Soxhlet method using methanol as solvent. The phytochemical and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy analyses of the methanol extract were done. Thirty BALB/c mice were randomly allocated into six groups of five mice to test for anti-inflammatory activity. Each mouse in groups 2–6 was infected with 0.1 mL of 106 T. brucei /mL, while group 1 served as neutral non-infected control. Following the establishment of parasitaemia by three days post-infection, mice were either non-treated, treated with standard drug or treated at varying dosages of methanol extracts and sacrificed by day 9 for histopathologic evaluation. High levels of Phyto-constituents were detected, and the GC-MS profiling revealed the presence of twenty-four bioactive compounds. The extracts of B. owariensis showed ameliorative and anti-inflammatory activities on the histology of the vital organs and tissues at varying dosages. The methanol extract of B. owariensis is rich in bioactive components with promising potential in managing inflammatory diseases such as African trypanosomosis.

Brillantaisia owariensis (Acanthaceae) is evident in its traditional use in the forest region of West Africa for the treatment of several ailments, including trypanosomiasis. Despite its widespread use, the plant has not been subjected to pharmacological investigations to ascertain its phytochemical profile and efficacy in folklore medicine. This study was designed to determine the phytochemical and GC-MS profile of the whole plant of B. owariensis and elucidate its pharmacological implications in managing trypanosomiasis. The plant was collected from Nigeria's South-western Forest vegetation zone. Thirty grams of the processed powder was extracted using the Soxhlet method using methanol as solvent. The phytochemical and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy analyses of the methanol extract were done. Thirty BALB/c mice were randomly allocated into six groups of five mice to test for anti-inflammatory activity. Each mouse in groups 2–6 were infected with 0.1 mL of 106 T. brucei /mL, while group 1 served as neutral non-infected control. Following the establishment of parasitaemia by 3 days post-infection, mice were either non-treated, treated with standard drug or treated at varying dosages of methanol extracts and sacrificed by day 9 for histopathologic evaluation. High levels of Phyto-constituents were detected, and the GC-MS profiling revealed the presence of twenty-four bioactive compounds. The extracts of B. owariensis revealed ameliorative and anti-inflammatory activities on the histology of the vital organs and tissues at varying dosages. The methanol extract of B. owariensis is rich in bioactive components with promising potential in managing inflammatory diseases such as African trypanosomosis.

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