Background: Cholera, a severe acute watery diarrhea caused by
Vibrio cholerae
is endemic in Nigeria with most cases occurring
in the rural areas. In South West Nigeria, some individuals resort to alternative treatments such as
Ogi-tutu,
Psidium guajava
and
Vernonia amygdalina
during infections. The effectiveness of these alternatives in the prevention and treatment of
V. cholerae infection
requires experimental investigation.
Objective: This study was designed to investigate the ameliorative effects of
Ogi-tutu,
Vernonia amygdalina and
Psidium guajava on
intestinal histopathology of experimental mice infected with
V. cholerae.
Methods: Preliminary investigation of
in vitro vibriocidal activities of these alternatives were carried out using agar cup diffusion
assay. For ameliorative effects, adult mice were inoculated with 100 μl (106 cells) of
Vibrio cholerae and dosed at 0 h (immediate
prevention) and 4 h (treatment of infection) and their intestines were histopathologically evaluated.
Results: The histopathological changes were the same irrespective of the treated groups, but the lesions varied in extent and
severity. The ameliorative effects in decreasing order were
V. amygdalina >
P. guajava >
Ogi-tutu.
Conclusion: V. amygdalina gave the best ameliorative effects in the prevention and treatment of
V. cholerae infection.
