Scoparia dulcis reduces the severity of Trypanosoma bruceiinduced hyperlipidaemia in the rabbit

Abstract

We investigated the effect of oral administration of the herb, Scoparia dulcis, on Trypanosoma bruceiinduced changes in plasma lipid profile in rabbits over a period of twenty eight days. Results obtained show that infection with T. brucei resulted in significant increases in plasma total cholesterol,
trriacylglycerol, and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, while the level of high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol was also significantly reduced. Further comparative analysis of data revealed that these lesions were significantly less severe (p<0.05), in the infected and treated group relative to their untreated counterparts. However, the precise mechanism underlying the plasma lipid modulating effects of the herb is still a matter of speculations