Effect of Vitamin C on the packed cell volume of trypanosome infected rats

Abstract

This research was interested in using nutrient in the amelioration of trypanosomiasis which is one of the most endemic diseases of livestock. The study was carried out to evaluate the effect of Vitamin C on the Packed Cell Volume (PCV) of Trypanosoma brucei infected rats. Twenty albino rats (Rattus novegicus) were used. They were divided into four groups. Cages A and B contained non infected rats while Cages C and D contained infected rats. Treatment one contained only chick mash while treatment two contained 1kg of chick mash and 1g of vitamin C thoroughly mixed together. Rats in Cages A and C were fed Treatment 1, while rats in Cages B and D were fed Treatment 2. Rats in Cages A and B served as control groups. Blood samples of the rats were taken weekly for  determination of Packed Cell volume using haematocrit centrifuge method. The experiment lasted for five weeks. At the end of the experiment, it was observed that rats fed with Vitamin C had higher average PCV than the rats fed only chick mash. The rats in Cage B had approximately 48% PCV while that of Cage A had approximately 46% PCV. Also in the infected group, those in Cage D had approximately 40% PCV while those in Cage C had approximately 30% PCV. It was also observed that rats fed with vitamin C lived longer than the rats fed only chick mash in the case of rats infected with T. brucei.

Keywords: Packed cell volume, Trypanosoma brucei, Rattus novegicus.