In vitro Antitrypanosomal Activity and Phytochemical Screening of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of Terminalia avicennioides

Abstract

Aqueous and methanolic extracts of Terminalia avicennioides (TA) were tested in vitro for their antitrypanosomal
potentials. The test involved incubating the parasites, Trypanosoma brucei brucei, with 20,10,5 or 0 mg/
ml of the extracts in 96-well microtitre plate. Cessation or drop in the parasite motility, determined microscopically,
was taken as a measure of efficacy of the extract against control wells. The test organisms were immobilized
by 20 mg/ml of the stem and root extracts within 25-30 minutes of incubation. Anthraquinones, saponins,
tannins and flovanoids were the major phytochemicals found in the crude extracts. Alkaloids were not detected.
Further studies with column chromatographic fractions of the stem aqueous extract showed that the active principles
were pooled into ethyl acetate/methanol (19:1) fraction which was found to be rich in saponins. These findings
are discussed in relation to chemotherapy of African trypanosomiasis.