In-vitro Evaluation of the Trypanocidal Activity of Andrographis paniculata Against Trypanosoma brucei brucei

Abstract

vivo test conducted with no report on clinical examination. Therefore, screening of natural products against trypanosomes should be encouraged for the discovery of new trypanocidal lead compounds. Current anti-trypanosomal remedies are synthetic drugs and those available such as pentamidine, suramin, melarsoprol, and eflornithine pose a serious setback ranging from little activity, the emergence of drug resistance over prolong use, the complexity of the drug administration, and high cost of production, unavailability and numerous undesirable side effects. 3 These trends have driven scientific efforts geared towards the research of plants and marine sources as cheaper, available and non-toxic trypanocides. With the availability of this plant in Nigeria, there is no reported anti-trypanosomal activity carried out despite its numerous medicinal uses, it is therefore, justified to evaluate the extracts of this plant for the discovery of trypanocidal compounds that can be used for the management of trypanosomiasis. The Andrographis paniculata (Acanthaceae) plant is native to South Asia such as China, India and Taiwan and now can be found in Africa. It is a medicinal herb with an extremely bitter taste and can be used in the management of liver disorder, common cold and upper respiratory tract infections. 4 In Chinese traditional medicine, A. paniculata is used to relieve internal heat, inflammation and pain and also for detoxification. The plant has been reported to possess antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities,

The Effects of Methotrexate, Moringa oleifera Leaf Extract, and Andrographis paniculata Leaf Extract on the Testes of Hyperglycemic Wistar Rats

“…[62][63][64][65] Both MO and AP extracts contain antioxidant and antihyperglycemic agents which can reduce oxidative stress and increase testosterone production in experimental animals. 10,[66][67][68][69] In addition, MO extract has been reported to have anti-inflammatory properties which can reduce the IL-6 levels in the plasma, while AP extract can reduce the IL-6 expression in the testes. 16,43 The group that received MTX therapy (K5) did not show a significant increase in the four testicular histopathological evaluations when compared to the STZ-NA group (K2) (p > 0.05).…”