Anti-Trypanosomal Activity of Guiera senegalensis on Trypanosoma brucei Infected Mice

Abstract

Aqueous decoction of Guiera senegalensis leaves was studied orally and intraperitoneally for its antitrypanosomal activity on mice infected experimentally with Trypanosoma brucei brucei. After a phytochemical screening followed by an acute toxicity study on mice, the extract of plant was administered once daily for 2 days at doses of 60, 120 and 240 mg / kg orally and 15, 30 and 60 mg / kg intraperitoneally after infection. Then, parameters of parasitaemia, packed cell volume (PCV), mean survival time and body weight of the mice treated with the extract were measured and compared with positive (diminazene aceturate) and negative (distilled water) controls for 7 days in a row. Results indicate that the aqueous extract of G. senegalensis leaves contains tannins, flavonoids, saponosides, reducing compounds and anthocyanosides, alkaloids and coumarins. LD50 of the extract are 1264.49 mg / kg by oral route and 316.22 mg / kg by intraperitoneal route. The doses of 240 mg / kg by oral route and 15 and 60 mg / kg by intraperitoneal route of aqueous extract showed a mean survival time (5 days) comparable to the positive control. Parasitaemia level increased in all mice tested except in mice treated with diminazene aceturate during the post-infestation period. During this period, PCV and body weight of all mice decreased by both routes of administration. These results of the study show the pharmacological utility of G. senegalensis leaves in the control of TAA by herders / pastoralists and suggest continuing further bio-guided studies to isolate the active components of the plant in order to improve their efficiency.
 Keywords: In vivo test; Trypanosoma brucei brucei; Guiera senegalensis leaves; phytochemical screening; acute toxicity.

Evaluation of <i>in vitro</i> anti-trypanosomal activities of leaves, stem bark and root bark extracts of <i>Acacia nilotica</i> (L) Willd ex Del., <i>Guiera senegalensis</i> j. F. Gmel and <i>Ziziphus abyssinica</i> Hochst ex A. rich

“…The quantitative phytochemicals used in the present study indicated high concentrations of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, terpenes, and steroids as the phytochemicals present in most active extracts, which may have contributed to their high in vitro trypanocidal activity (Pelttari et al, 2002). This finding agrees with a previous study by Zongo et al (2019), who reported that G. senegalensis leaf extract contains tannins, saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, quinones, terpenes, and anthraquinone (Zongo et al, 2019). et al, 2022).…”

“…Numerous in vitro anti-trypanosomal studies conducted on some classes of compounds listed in the present study have shown the potential of each class of these compounds to kill or inhibit the growth of a wide range of trypanosomes (Zongo et al, 2019;Debela et al, 2020) The present study showed that the leaf extract of G. senegalensis has potential anti-trypanosomal activity, which corroborates previous reports and justifies the traditional use of G. senegalensis in the treatment of trypanosomiasis (Zongo et al, 2029).…”

“…This unique property of methanol enables it to extract highly polar, neutral, basic, and acidic compounds; amino acids; nucleotides; sugars; and polysaccharides (Atawodi and Shehu, 2010). The observed in vitro anti-trypanosomal activity of the active extract could also be attributed to either the individual class of compounds present in the extract or to the synergistic effect exerted by each class of compounds on the observed activity (Zongo et al, 2019). Natural products can generate free radicals that cause oxidative damage and DNA damage (Omar and Khan, 2017).…”