In vitro anti-trypanosomal activity of crude extract and fractions of <i>Trichoscypha acuminata</i> stem bark, <i>Spathodea campanulata</i> flowers, and <i>Ficus elastica</i> lianas on <i>Trypanosoma brucei brucei</i>

Abstract

<abstract> <p>The low therapeutic index of available trypanocidal drugs and the increasing emergence of resistant <italic>Trypanosoma</italic> parasites indicate the urgent need to develop new strategies for trypanosomiasis control. One such strategy is the screening of medicinal plants as sources of new lead compounds. <italic>Trypanosoma brucei brucei</italic> is a sub-species only infecting animals and thus largely used to screen anti-trypanosomal potential of various substances. Therefore, the present study investigates the anti-trypanosomal activity of crude extract, hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and aqueous fractions of <italic>Spathodea campanulata</italic> P. Beauv. flowers, <italic>Trichoscypha acuminata</italic> Engl. stem bark, and <italic>Ficus elastica</italic> Roxb. Ex Hornem lianas using the Alamar Blue assay. Overall results showed that the crude extract of <italic>T. acuminata</italic>, <italic>S. campanulate</italic>, and <italic>F. elastica</italic> did not significantly reduce the viability of <italic>Trypanosoma brucei brucei</italic> at the tested concentration of 25 µg/mL. However, the hexane and dichloromethane fractions of <italic>T. acuminata</italic> and the hexane fraction of <italic>F. elastica</italic> exhibited viability percentages of 23.2 ± 10.5, 18.2 ± 9.7, and 20.1 ± 13.1% with IC₅₀ values of 5.5, 5.0, and 17.5 µg/mL, respectively. Further research to identify compounds responsible for the observed activity and their mechanisms of action towards new leads in parasitical drug discovery is needed.</p> </abstract>