ALLIUM SATIVUM-INDUCED DEATH OF AFRICAN TRYPANOSOMES

The effect of Allium sativum (Liliacea) on trypanosome-infected mice w as examined. At a dose of 5.0 mg/ml, the oily extract from the pulp co mpletely suppressed the ability of the parasites to be infective in th e host. Column chromatography of the extract gave four fractions: ethy lacetate/methanol, ethylacetate/ethanol, benzene/methanol, and acetic acid/methanol. Among these fractions, the acetic acid/methanol fractio n retained the trypanocidal features of the crude extract. It cured ex perimentally infected mice of trypanosomiasis in 4 days when given at a dose of 120 mg/kg per day. The extract also manifested inhibition of procyclic forms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei and phospholipases from T. congolense, T. b. brucei, T. vivax. The extract appears to be diall yl-disulfide (DAD) and may interfere with the parasites' synthesis of membrane lipids.