Antitrypanosomal activity of Verbascum sinaiticum Benth. (Scrophulariaceae) against Trypanosoma congolense isolates. Issue 1 (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mergia, Ermias; Shibeshi, Workineh; Terefe, Getachew; Teklehaymanot, Tilahun
• Is Part Of: BMC complementary and alternative medicine. Volume 16:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 9
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Verbascum sinaiticum -- Trypanosoma congolense -- In vivo -- Phytochemical -- Ethiopia; Alternative medicine -- Periodicals; Complementary Therapies -- Periodicals; 615.505
• DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-1346-z
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1472-6882

Abstract

Abstract Background African Trypanosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease with a large impact on the livelihood of the rural poor in Sub-Saharan Africa. The available drugs for managing this disease are old, expensive and are facing the problem of drug resistance. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate in vivo antitrypanosomal efficacy of aqueous and absolute methanol leaf extracts ofVerbascum sinaiticum Benth. againstTrypanosoma congolense field isolate. Methods Verbascum sinaiticum (Local name 'qetetin a') is a biennial plant, and 60–150 cm tall. It is traditionally used to treat wound, stomachache, viral infection, cancer, sunstroke, fever, abdominal colic, diarrhea, hemorrhage, anthrax, and hepatitis. The efficacy of aqueous and absolute methanol leaf extracts ofV. sinaiticum was evaluated in a randomized experiment with Swiss albino mice infected withT. congolense field isolate. The extracts were administered at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg by intraperitoneal injection for seven days at 12 Days Post-Infection (DPI) when the peak parasitaemia level was approximately 108 trypanosomes/ml. Parasitaemia, Packed Cell Volume (PCV), mean survival time and change in body weight were used as indices for monitoring the efficacy of the extracts. Diminazene (28 mg/kg) was used as a positive control while 2 % Tween was used as the negative control. Phytochemicals screening were conducted following standard methods. Results The extracts showed no toxicity effect in Swiss albino mice and had LD50 above 2000 mg/kg. The phytochemicals screened inV. sinaiticum were alkaloids, flavonoids, glycoside, saponins, steroids, phenolic compounds, and tannins. The mice treated with absolute methanol leaf extract ofV. sinaiticum at 400 mg/kg dose had significantly lower mean parasitaemia (7.20 ± 0.16) (p < 0.001) as compared to the negative control group (8.82 ± 0.12) on day 14 of treatment. Animals treated with the same dose had significant (p < 0.001) higher PCV value and body weight and as well as the highest mean survival time of 40.20 ± 0.31 days as compared to the negative control at the end of the observation period. Conclusion This study established thatVerbascum sinaiticum had trypanocidal activity. The crude extracts have partially eliminated trypanosomes in a dose-dependent manner. The study can be a basis for future in-depth analysis of the biologically active chemicals.