Antiparasitic activity of Alstonia boonei De Wild. (Apocynaceae) against Toxoplasma gondii along with its cellular and acute toxicity
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma) and malaria (Plasmodium) are two disease caused by parasites of the phylum Apicomplex. The treatment of toxoplasmosis is similar to that of malaria. Traditionally, Alstonia boonei De Willd. (Apocynaceae) is a plant widely used in the treatment of malaria. This study was conducted to assess the antiparasite activity of the 70% hydroethanolic extract of A. boonei on Toxoplasma gondii and to study its cellular and acute toxicity. The in vitro parasitic and cytotoxic assays were performed on HFF cells while the acute in vivo toxicity was performed on (Swiss) mice. The ethanolic extract stopped the proliferation of T. gondii with an IC50 of 0.13 mg/mL. This extract is neither toxic to HFF cells nor to mice at doses lower than 15000 mg/kg/Vo bw. No signs of behavioural toxicity were observed at this same dose. This confirms the traditional use and its safety in the treatment of phylum apicomplex parasites.
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