Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the comparative effects of 7-day treatment with the ethanolic crude root extract of Gardenia sokotensis (administered orally at dose rate of 60 mg/kg body weight) and diminazen aceturate (Berenil, administered once, intramuscularly, at the dose of 3.5 mg/kg body weight) on Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection-induced changes in serum biochemical and haematological parameters in rabbits. The treatments with the two forms of drugs were commenced when parasitaemia was at its peak level on day 41 post-infection. Significant reduction in the level of parasitaemia was observed following the 7-day treatment of the T. brucei brucei infected group of rabbits with the root extract of G. sokotensis. Concomitantly, amelioration of the anaemia, as reflected by improvement in the packed cell volume, and some of the serum biochemical changes was observed. These latter changes were however not as marked as those observed in the Berenil-treated group. The findings in this study strongly suggest that the root extract of G. sokotensis may contain some active substance(s) that exhibit anti-trypanosomal properties.

Key words: Gardenia sokotensis, crude root extract, haematological and biochemical changes.