Journal zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA of Ethnopharmclcology, 30 (1990) 307-313 Elsevier Scientific Publishers Ireland Ltd. 307 zyxwvutsr EFFECTS OF MORINDA LUCIDA LEAF EXTRACT ON TRYPANOSOMA BRUCE1 BRUCEI INFECTION IN MICE I.U. ASUZU’ and C.N. CHINEMEb aDepartment of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology and bDepartment of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, University of NigeA, Nsukka (Niged (Accepted July 10, 1990) Summary zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA The dried leaves of zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHG M orinda lucida w ere extracted with 50% methanol and the extract was recovered in a 9.7% w/w yield. Acute toxicity tests were performed in mice and the intraperitoneal LD, of the extract was 2000 mg/kg. The extract induced purgation in mice from the first hour after oral administration and reached its peak between the third and fourth hour. The purgation was not dose-dependent. M. lucida leaf extract i.p. significantly suppressed the level of parasitemia after Tqpanosoma brucei infection in mice. Suppression of existing parasitemia appeared dose-dependent with 1000 mg/kg i.p. producing the maximum effect. The best trypanocidal activ- ity was obtained when treatment with M. lucida extract commenced simulta- neously with trypanosome inoculation. Introduction M orino!u Zucida Benth is a tropical plant, belonging to the family Rubi- aceae. It is a small tree with large leafy stipules on the young shoots and terminal or leaf-apposed clusters of flower heads on peduncles, usually in threes. The fruit is red when ripe and the plant yields a yellow dye. It is the only representative of this genus in West Africa (Lyman, 1967). Roots of the plant are used locally for the treatment of malaria (Odetola and Bassir, 1986; Gbile, 1986). Anthraquinones and oruwacin isolated from it have molluscidal effects (Adewumi and Adesogan, 1984). M . lucida extracts are used locally to induce purgative, emetic and diuretic actions. Tannins and an alizarin derivative have been isolated from M. lucida (Sofowora, 1982). Among the various uses of M. lucida extracts, the most popular appears to be its use for malaria fever. Plasmodium spp. (the causative organism of malaria) and Try panosoma brucei brucei (the causative organism of trypano- somiasis) are both blood protozoan parasites with the former being intra- 037%8741/$03.50 0 1990 Elsevier Scientific Publishers Ireland Ltd. Published and Printed in Ireland