Abstract:
Introduction: - Schistosomiasis is a chronic helminthic infection caused by trematodes of the genus schistosoma resulting a great public health and socio-economic impact in many developing countries of the tropics. However, its control solely depends up on praziquantel treatment which now a day‟s fear of drug resistance emergence occurred and has drawn attention for alternative drugs. Therefore, evaluation of safety and effectiveness of traditional medicinal products is important to supplement the process of development of new candidate drug. Objective: - To evaluate the in vivo anti schistosomal activities of Echinops kebericho Mesfin root and Hagenia abyssinica (Bruce) J.F Gmel flower part hydroalcoholic extracts on schistosoma mansoni infected swiss albino mice. Methods and materials: - Soxhlet extraction technique was employed for the extraction of Echinops kebericho root part using 70% ethanol whereas maceration technique was performed for the extraction of Hagenia abyssinica flower part using 80% methanol. Swiss albino mice were then orally administered the plant extracts by oral gavage needle in a single dose of 5000mg/kg, 2500mg/kg, 1250mg/kg and 3% tween 80 as vehicle during oral acute toxicity assessment of Echinops kebericho and five days administration of both Echinops kebericho and Hagenia abyssinica at doses of 1200mg/kg, 600mg/kg and 300mg/kg in anti schistosomal activity evaluation with control groups praziquantel and 3% tween 80 run concurrently. Besides, mice were infected by the paddling technique each with 150±10 cercaria and kato katz technique of stool examination was performed for egg count on the eighth week and two weeks after the end of treatment. Liver granuloma score and worm count were performed at the end of experiment on the eleventh week post cercarial exposure. Statistical analysis was performed using spss version 16 employing the non parametric statistical options considering significance at p – value < 0.05.
Results: - No death was observed up to a dose of 5000mg/kg Echinops kebericho extract single dose oral administration indicating LD50 to be above 5000mg/kg. However, weakness, hair errection and loss of appetite were observed in a dose dependent manner
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with no significant difference (p>0.05) in complete blood count and body weight measurement across the group. Liver and kidney histological findings were also normal except obliterated urinary space of kidney at dose 5000mg/kg. Moreover, Echinops kebericho and Hagenia abyssinica showed statistically significant reduction (p<0.05) in egg count, worm burden and liver granuloma score in anti schistosomal activity evaluation of all the treatment doses.
