antitrypanosomal activity. Parasites were cleared from circulation within 12 days of

treatment. Haematological indices of Acacia nilotica and Khaya senegalensis in

Trypanosoma brucei brucei infected Wistar rats showed that there was no statistical

significant change in the packed cell volume, white blood cells and differential counts before

and after treatment with all doses of the crude extracts and fractions. The findings in this

study provide very useful source for biopharmaceutical industries for the development of

antitrypanosomal agents from the stem bark of Acacia nilotica and Khaya senegalensis for

therapeutic intervention in the control of African trypanosomiasis. There is need for further

extensive work on these plants using different Trypanosoma species in the management of

African trypanosomiasis.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                       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).