Efficacy of Terminalia avicennoides and its combination with d iminazene aceturate (Berenil ® ) in r ats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei

Abstract

A comparative study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of the aquous extract of Terminalia avecinnoides alone and its combination with diminazene aceturate . Thirty Wister albino rats of both sexes weighing between 250 - 260gms were distributed into six groups (A - F) of five rats each. All the rats in groups A - E were infected with 0.5ml of blood containing 1x10 6 Trypanosoma brucei brucei . Rats in group F were uni nfected and untreated (control). Rats in groups A - D were treated 5 days post - inoculation orally, with 3.5mg/kg Berenil ® alone , 80mg/kg plant extract alone , 80mg/kg extract plus 1.75 mg/kg Berenil ® and 1.75 mg/kg Berenil ® respectively were infected Group E , not treated. Treatment with extract alone resulted in reduction in parasitaemia, but wa s not curative . However, Berenil ® treatment alone and its combination with the extract resulted in the clearance of the parasite .The result obtained suggests that T. a vecinnoides alone and its combination with Berenil ® offer great potentials as alternative products for the treatment of trypanosomiasis.