Effects of crude extracts of Solanum nigrum on the Liver pathology and Survival time in Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense infected mice

Abstract

Tissue inflammatory damage during trypanosomosis significantly affects the treatment and prognosis. The current study investigated the effects of water extracts of Solanum nigrum (SNE) on the liver pathology and survival of Swiss white mice infected with Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. Trypanosome infected mice treated with SNE had significantly (P<0.05) increased and dose dependent survival time and liver pathology. Mice treated with higher concentrations of SNE had minimal liver pathology with minimal infiltration by inflammatory cells compared with the dexamethasone treated and untreated mice which had massive infiltration suggesting that SNE could be superior to dexamethasone in reducing trypanosome mediated liver pathology. Therefore, SNE could be a better anti-inflammatory adjunct in the treatment of Human African trypanosomosis (HAT) and other inflammatory conditions such as hepatitis