ABSTRACT
Infectious diseases such as typhoid fever lead to the formation of free radicals which can have a detrimental effect on the body. Typhoid fever is caused by poor sanitation, lack of clean water and resistance of germs to antibiotics and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Hence an urgent needs to find alternative treatments with little or no toxicity for the treatment of this disease. Objective: This work aims to evaluate the in vivo antisalmonellal and antioxidant activity of the 95% hydroethanolic extract of the leaves of Bauhinia rufescens (Fabaceae) in rats experimentally infected with Salmonella Typhi ATCC6539, as an alternative therapy. Methods: The rats were randomly divided into twelve groups (six per sex) of animals. Thus 3 control groups: (T0) uninfected and untreated; (T-) infected and untreated; (T+) infected and treated with ciprofloxacin (14 mg/kg) and 3 test groups: T1, T2 and T3 infected and treated with different doses of the extract (40, 80 and 117.71 mg/kg respectively). The evolution of the infection and the effectiveness of the treatment were monitored by blood culture, food consumption and weight growth were assessed during the trial; at the end of which the animals were sacrificed and the different parameters were evaluated. Results: Infected animals treated with different doses of the extract showed zero bacterial loads from the twelfth day post infection in both sexes. Regardless of sex, animals treated with the extract at the dose of 117.71mg/Kg were cured by the seventh day after the start of treatment while those treated with the doses of 40 mg/Kg and 80 mg/kg were cured by the ninth day after the start of treatment. Infection induced a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in food consumption and weight growth, while treatment induced, at all doses, an increase in food consumption and weight growth. Infection also caused a significant (p < 0.05) increase in NO and MDA levels, as well as a significant decrease in catalase and peroxidase activities in animal tissue homogenates. However, treatment resulted in a significant decrease in NO and MDA levels, and a significant (p < 0.05) increase in catalase and peroxidase activities. Conclusion: These results showed that the 95% hydroethanolic extract of Bauhinia rufescens leaves has mixed antisalmonellal and antioxidant activity in vivo and could be developed for the treatment of typhoid fever.