In vivo Efficacy of Aqueous Extractof Citrullus lanatus Leaf on Trypanosoma brucei Infected Albino Rats

¹BIU, A.A., ²BURATAI, L.B., ²ONWUATOGWU, J., ¹MOHAMMED, A., ²AGADA, N.O. AND ¹KONTO, M.

¹Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.

² Department of Biochemistry, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.

  E-mail:  biuvet@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to determine the In vivo activity of Citrullus lanatus leaf aqueous extract on Trypanosoma brucei infected albino rats. Parasitaemia was evaluated using the rapid matching technique.  The parasites were detected in the peripheral blood of infected albino rats 2 days post infection, with the level of parasitaemia in all graded doses of the extract decreasing significantly (p < 0.05) from day 4 up to the 10^th day post infection compared with the positive control which had a corresponding increase in parasitaemia. There was complete clearance of parasitaemia in rats administered diminazene aceturate (berenil^R) on day 4 post infection. In conclusion, the level of parasitaemia was positively correlated to the dose of extract.