African trypanosomiasis is a major disease of economic and public health importance caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambianse parasite that affects humans. In 2014, World health organization stated that 60million people were at the risk of the disease, 300,000 cases were reported in Africa and sub Saharan African countries, 30,000 cases were diagnosed and treated, others died or lives with the disability, based on non availability of novel drugs, very costly, highly toxic, and development of resistance to the drugs by the parasite therefore, the use of plant extract is fast becoming the choice method for the treatment of the disease. This study investigated trypanosomal activity, Liver enzymes and histological effects of Garcinia kola aqueous seed extract and Diaminizene aceturate (Berenil) drug in typanosomiasis induced albino Wistar rat. The extract was obtained through Maceration method with distilled water and In vitro activity of the extract and Berenil drug was determined using rapid matching techniques at 3 hours post incubation with different doses of the extract and 3.5 mg/kg/bw of Berenil drug. In vivo study was done using sixty two (62) albino Wister rats divided into 10 groups. Group A (normal control): non infected and non treated but received 10mL of distilled water; Group (B-H) were infected by intraperitoneal inoculation of 1mL of parasitized blood containing 1.0105 /ml of T. brucei gambianse parasites and treated with different doses of Garcinia kola seed extract, 200, 400 – 1400 mg/kg/bw; Group I: infected and treated with standard drug dose (Standard control); Group J: infected and non treated (Pathological control). The treatment lasted for 21 days at 3 days interval. Liver enzymes effects were determined by colorimetric method. Liver histological analysis was carried out using standard tissue processing and stained with Haematoxyline and Eosin stain. Data were analyzed statistically using ANOVAs Turkeys post hoc SPSS version 2.0 software and at 0.01 significant difference. Results revealed various liver enzyme and histological effects were observed in all the extract treated and control groups. Garcinia kola seed extract exhibited trypanosostatic at dose of <400 mg and trypanocidal activity at doses > 400 mg in both in vitro and in vivo, compared with trypanocidal activity of standard Berenil drug dose at 3.5 mg/kg/bw. Garcinia kola seed extract proved to be highly toxic to the liver at high doses >200 mg /kg/bw due to various pathological lesions observed on the liver of the extract treated groups when compared with Berenil drug which also produced similar liver toxicity and enzymes effect at standard dose. Garcinia kola aqueous seed extract possesses trypanosostatic and trypanocidal effects in both In vivo and In vitro and also highly toxic to the liver at high concentration >200 mg/kg/bw. Berenil drug proved to be trypanocidal at standard recommended dose but very deadly due to its toxicity on liver and overdose may lead to lethal effect within 30min of administration. This study revealed that Garcinia kola aqueous seed extract may be used to design drug for the treatment of trypanosomiasis at lower concentration and the use of Diaminizene aceturate (Berenil) drug in human treatment should be discontinued due to its high level of liver toxicity and enzyme effect in animal study

Keywords : Typanosome, Toxicity, Trypanosostatics, Trypanocidal, Garciniakolaseed, Berenil drug