The antitrypanosomal activity of the methanol extract of
Buchholzia coriacea
seed against a field strain of
Trypanosoma congolense
was investigated using experimentally infected mice of both sexes. Monitoring of parasitaemia
was by the rapid matching technique. When parasitaemia was approximately log 7.8 (63 x 10
6 parasites/ml), treatment with
graded doses of the extract (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg) was instituted for 5 consecutive days. Diminazene diaceturate
(Dimivet® SKM Pharma Pvt. Ltd.) was given at 3.5 mg/kg i.p. to the positive control mice. No significant differences in
body weights were observed. The rectal temperatures of infected mice showed fluctuations. The PCV of infected mice were
significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those of the uninfected controls. There was no significant difference between the PCV of
the extract-treated and untreated animals. Parasitaemia increased steadily in the extract-treated and untreated mice groups till
all the animals died. Three days post-treatment with diminazene diaceturate parasitaemia was cleared. Six days later, there
was a relapse of infection. By the end of the experiment, a 50 % relapse rate was recorded in the diminazene diaceturatetreated
group. The methanol extract of
Buchholzia coriacea seeds did not show any antitrypanosomal activity in mice
infected with
Trypanosoma congolense at the doses tested.
