Mitigation of Trypanosoma congolense-Associated Anemia and Expression of Trans-sialidase (TconTS) Gene Variants by...

African Animal Trypanosomosis (AAT) caused by Trypanosoma congolense is a parasitic disease affecting the livestock industry in sub-Saharan Africa and usually results in severe anemia, organ damage, and ultimately the death of the infected host. The present study was designed to investigate the possible chemotherapeutic effect of eugenol on T. congolense infections and its inhibitory effect on the trans-sialidase (TconTS) gene expression.

Animals were infected with T. congolense and treated with 15 and 30 mg/kg body weight (BW) of eugenol for ten (10) days.

The eugenol (15 mg/kg BW) significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the T. congolense proliferation, increased animal survival, and reduced serum urea level. However, both dosages of eugenol significantly (P < 0.05) ameliorated T. congolense-induced anemia, renal hypertrophy, splenomegaly, and reduced total damage score in the liver and kidney of infected animals. In addition, the compound significantly (P < 0.05) downregulated the expression levels of TconTS1, TconTS2, TconTS3, and TconTS4 but the effect was more pronounced (sevenfold reduction) on TconTS1.

The oral administration of eugenol suppressed T. congolense proliferation and prevented some major pathologies associated with trypanosomiasis infection. The reversal of renal hypertrophy and splenomegaly by the compound in addition to the reduction in the expression level of the TconTS gene variants could explain the observed anemia ameliorative potential of the compound.