Antitrypanosomal Activity of Pilliostigma thoningii and Calotropis procera Ethanol leaves Crude Extracts Singly and in Combination in Mice.

Abstract

Combination therapy with medicinal plants has been explored as a potential approach to treat African Trypanosomiasis. This study involves screening of Piliostigma thonningii (PT) and Calostropis procera (CP) aqueous ethanol extract and their combination for Antitrypanosomal activity. The plant extract were separately extracted with 70% ethanol and extract obtained were subjected to acute toxicity determination and phytochemical analysis. For in vivo study, T. brucei brucei infected mice were grouped into A-E of three animals each. Groups A-C were treated orally with PT, PC and combined PT/PC (1:1) respectively. Group D infected mice were treated with standard Berenil drug, Group E was infected untreated while Group F was neither infected nor treated. All extract treated groups was dosed with 250 mg/kg bodyweight for fifteen days consecutively while the standard control group was treated with 3.5 mg/kg bodyweight of berenil. Parasitaemia, bodyweight and PCV were monitored in three days interval from all the groups. The results showed that PT and CP ethanol extract treated groups recorded clearance of parasitaemia for groups treated with CP and combined extract at days 12 and 9 respectively compared to untreated control group (p<0.05). Similarly treated animals with such extract did not suffer weight loss and increased PCV. Combination of CP and PT has trypanocidal effect..