Effect of Garlic Treatment on Total Free Fatty Acid Levels of Rats Experimentally Infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei.

Abstract

The effect of garlic on white albino rats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei (Federe/CT/28/NITR) was investigated. Groups of rats were treated orally at 24 hours post-infection for 7 days with 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg garlic per kilogramme body weight. Free fatty acids (FFA), serum albumin, and packed cell volume (PCV) were determined on day 7. The result showed a significant decrease in FFA levels and increase in serum albumin levels of garlic treated rats when compared to infected and untreated rats (P<0.05). There was also a significant improvement in PCV values of garlic treated rats when compared to uninfected and untreated ones (0.05). This implies that oral treatment of trypanosome infected animals with garlic can effectively prevent the rise in FFA levels.