Evaluation of Antitrypanosomal activity of Ethyl acetate extract of Adansonia digitata seed in T. brucei – infected albino mice

Abstract

Adansonia digitata, a shrub used in traditional medicine for the treatment of cancer was investigated for the treatment of experimental trypanosomiasis. Ethyl acetate extract of the seed of Adansonia digitata was investigated for in-vivo antitrypanosomal activity in albino mice infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei and treated intraperitoneally with the extracts 24 hours post infection, at doses ranging from 50-500mg/kg for 14 days, while the positive control was administered a single dose of 3.5 Mg/kg body weight standard berenil. The parasitaemia in all the mice was monitored for the period of study. Seed extracts at dose of 400mg/kg showed significant antitrypanosomal activity (P<0.05) compared with the untreated control. Although parasites were not completely cleared from circulation, 67% of the experimental animals survived for over 18 days with 300mg/kg up to 38 days. The treated control (berenil at dose of 3.5mg/kg) showed 100% survival of the mice and parasites were completely cleared. Acute toxicity studies of the crude ethyl acetate extract of Adansonia digitata seed showed that the L.D50 value was well above 2900mg/kg. Phytochemical screening of the crude extract indicated the presence of carbohydrate, glycosides, cardiac glycosides, saponins, steroids and triterpene, flavonoids and alkaloids. The result of this study shows that Adansonia digitata has great potential as anti-trypanosomal agent, which could be developed into an alternative drug to complement treatment options for African trypanosomiasis.