Determination of effective dose combination of Azadirachta indica leaf extracts and diminazene diaceturate in the treatment of experimental Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection in rats

• Published in: Comparative clinical pathology 2013-07, Vol.22 (4), p.747-754
• Main Authors: Omoja, Valentine U, Obidike, Ikechukwu R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Azadirachta indica; Hematology; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Oncology; Original Article; Pathology; Trypanosoma brucei brucei
• ISSN: 1618-5641; 1618-565X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00580-012-1477-7

This study investigated the effective dose of methanolic Azadirachta indica leaf extracts, MAILE, combined with diminazene diaceturate, DDA, in the treatment of experimental Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection in rats. Acute toxicity study of the drug and extract combinations was carried in non-infected rats. Eleven different groups of ten rats each were used. Ten out of the eleven groups were infected with T. brucei brucei and used to determine the effective dose of MAILE and DDA combination to be used in the treatment of the infection. All the infected rats were treated, viz, 7.0 mg/kg body weight (bw) DDA plus 500 mg/kg bw MAILE (group 1); 7.0 mg/kg body bw DDA plus 250 mg/kg bw MAILE (group 2); 7.0 mg/kg body bw DDA plus 125 mg/kg bw MAILE (group 3); 3.5 mg/kg body bw DDA plus 500 mg/kg bw MAILE (group 4); 3.5 mg/kg body bw DDA plus 250 mg/kg bw MAILE (group 5); 3.5 mg/kg body bw DDA plus 125 mg/kg bw MAILE (group 6); 1.8 mg/kg bw DDA plus 500 mg/kg bw MAILE (group 7); 1.8 mg/kg bw DDA plus 250 mg/kg bw MAILE (group 8); 1.8 mg/kg body bw DDA plus 125 mg/kg bw MAILE (group 9). Two other groups, infected untreated (group 10) and uninfected untreated (group 11), served as negative and positive control, respectively. The parameters assessed to determine the effective dose combination of the two were onset of parasitaemia (OP), level of parasitaemia (LOP), clearance of parasites post-treatment (COPPT), relapse of infection period (RIP), erythrocyte counts (EC), packed cell volume (PCV) and total leucocyte counts (TLC). There was no significant difference ( p