An Experimental Study on the Effect of Crude Extracts of Moringa Stenopetala and Artemisia Absinthium in Trypanosoma Congolense Infected Mice
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Date
2011-06-01
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
An experimental study was conducted to determine the in vivo anti-trypanosomal effect of water
and methanol extracts of the leaves of Moringa stenopetala and aerial parts of Artemisia
absinthium against Trypanosoma congolense isolated from Ghibe valley. Thirty-six Swiss white
male mice aged between 8 - 12 weeks were divided into six experimental groups of six animals.
Water and methanol extracts of the two plants were prepared. T. congolense was isolated from
cattle at Ghibe valley (western central Ethiopia) and propagated on mice. All mice groups
received I x 105 trypanosomes in 0.2 ml of blood. The plant extracts were given orally to four
groups (A. absinthium with water extract, and with methanol extract, M stenopetala with water
extract, and with methanol extract) at 400mg/kg body weight for 7 consecutive days. One group
remained as distilled water treated control and the other as diminzene aceturate treated control.
The effect of the extracts on levels of parasitaemia, body weight, pcv and mice survival was
monitored for 25 days. All treatments have significantly reduced the parasitaemia of mice
compared to the water treated control (P<O.O I). The effect of all plant extracts in the reduction of
parsitaemia in infected mice was comparable to that of diminazene aceturate (P>O.05). There was
no significant difference in the reduction of parasitaemia between groups treated with: water
extracts of both test plants, methanol extracts of both test plants, water and methanol extracts of
A. absinthium, and water and methanol extracts of M stenopetala. The results clearly indicate
that groups tTeated with the plant extracts and diminazene aceturate showed significantly lower
parasitaemia, higher body weights, pcv and survival rates than the water treated control group
(P<O.05 in all cases). The effect of all plant extracts on the reduction of parasitaemia and
improvement of body weights, pcv and survival of infected mice was comparable to that of
diminazene aceturate. However, group receiving water extract of A. absinthium had significantly
higher body weight (mean: 35.9±0.3g, cI: 35.1-36.7g) than water extract of M stenopetala
(mean: 34.7±0.4g, cI: 33.7-35.7g) (P<O.05). Similarly, methanol extract of A. absinthium
resulted in significantly higher body weight (mean: 36.5±0.3g, cI: 35.8-37.lg) than methanol
extract of M stenopetala (mean: 34.8±0.3g, el: 34.1-35.4g) (P<O.OI). There was no significant
difference in the levels of parasitaemia and pcv between groups treated with: water extracts of
both test plants, methanol extracts of both test plants, water and methanol extracts of A.
absinthium, and water and methanol extracts of M stenopetala. It can be concluded that the two
plants have excellent potential against pathogenic trypanosomes (T. congolense) of livestock
importance by reducing the levels of parasitaemia, maintaining good pcv and body weight, and
prolonging the lives of intected animals. Overall, methanol extracts and A. absinthium showed
better performance compared to water extracts and M stenopetala. Additional study is
recommended using various doses and extraction methods before any further application.
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Keywords
antitrypanosomal activity, Artemisia absinthium, Moringa stenopetafa, mice, parasitaemia, PCv, survival time, Trypanosoma congolense, weight