ANTITRYPANOSOMAL ACTIVITIES OF ACACIA NILOTICA AND KHAYA SENEGALENSIS AND THE HAEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE OF TRYPANOSOMA BRUCEI BRUCEI INFECTED WISTAR RATS
CHAPTER ONE
1.0Â Â Â INTRODUCTION
African Trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness) is caused by trypanosomes which is found in Sub-Saharan Africa and is threatening more than sixty million lives on daily basis (Abdullahi and Emmanuel, 2012). Trypanosomes are protozoan parasites in the family Trypanosomatidae. Most trypanosomes are transmitted by the vector, tsetse flies (Glossinia spp) which are found only in Sub-Saharan Africa, between latitudes 14o N and 20o S (Bernard and Alain, 2012). The parasites include Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, (cause Human African Trypanosomiasis). Other trypanosomes primarily affect animals include Trypanosoma congolense, Trypanosoma vivax, Trypanosoma brucei brucei, Trypanosoma simiae and Trypanosoma godfreyi (Bernard and Alain, 2012).
Nigeria‟s natural habitation is made up of both savannah and tropical rainforest, which falls within the endemic area in Africa i.e. between latitude 150Nand 290 S. The diverse flora offers a wide spectrum of unique medicinal plants. There are varieties of studies of Nigerian plants used in the traditional management of trypanosomiasis, indicating significant anti-trypanosomal activity (in-vitro/in-vivo); some of which the metabolites responsible have been isolated and reported (Atawodi et al, 2003).
Trypanosoma brucei brucei are unicellular parasites transmitted by the tsetse fly. They are the causative agent of African animal trypanosomosis (AAT), also known as Nagana. Trypanosoma brucei brucei is the etiological agent for sleeping sickness which is one of the most serious protozoan diseases in Africa (Antia et al., 2009; Simarro et al., 2011).
The disease results in acute, sub acute or chronic disease characterized by intermittent fever, anaemia, occassional diarrhoea, rapid loss of consciousness and often terminates in death (Olukunle et al., 2010). On the basis of mortality, Human African Trypanosomiasis is ranked ninth among 25 infectious diseases in Africa (Bernard and Alain, 2012).
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ANTITRYPANOSOMAL ACTIVITIES OF ACACIA NILOTICA AND KHAYA SENEGALENSIS AND THE HAEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE OF TRYPANOSOMA BRUCEI BRUCEI INFECTED WISTAR RATS
