Abstract:
A
nti
-
amoebic effects of crude
root
extracts of
Senna didymobotrya
against
Entamoeba histolytica
infecting
caecum of mice were studied. Caecal amoebiasis was induced by injection of
Entamoeba
histolytica
trophozoit
es directly into the caecum.
Mice
were treated orally with
the root
dichlorom
ethane
extracts
, ethyl acetate
extracts
, methanol total
extracts
, methanol successive
extracts
, hexane
extracts
,
water extracts
, metronidazole and normal s
aline for five consecutive days
a
nd examined on
the sixth day. At a dose of 500
mg/
g
/
day,
root
extracts of dichloromethane, ethyl
acetate, methanol total,
methanol successive, hexane and
water had a curative rate of 50, 66.7,100,
66.7, and 83.3%, each, respectiv
ely. At a concentration of 1mg/
g/day, dichloromethane, ethyl
acetate, methanol total, wa
ter, hexane extracts were effective in 33.3 each, 83.3 each and 66.7%
of the cases respectively, while
m
ethanol successive
extract
at a dose of less than 500
mg/kg/
day
did not cure any mice
.
Metronidazole at a concentration of 125mg/kg
/
day h
ad a curative ra
te of
100%. S
everity of caecal wall ulceration reduced in mice which received extract
s
an
d
metronidazole compared to
negative
control
animals
